An effective leader can have a great influence on the success or failure of a given business project or even a company as a whole. The traits and styles of an effective leader must be flexible and adaptable to convince as large a section of the workforce as possible to not only follow a leader's commands but work hard and have respect for that leader.
Physical Leadership Traits
An effective leader must possess vitality and physical stamina. Employees working for a person in a leadership position feed off of the leader's vitality and use that energy as motivation when working on a given project. Physical stamina is necessary for the leader to show she's willing to work just as hard, if not harder, than her subordinates to accomplish a task and achieve success. This stamina drives the work ethic for the team and keeps the group focused on project goals.
Clear Communication and Competance
Clear communication is an essential trait for any successful leader. Job assignments and particular project roles should be made in easy-to-understand language so each team member is clear about the given task and accomplish its goals. A leader must also possess a thorough understanding of a given project as a whole to conceive of how each team member fits into the larger plan. This global view of a project helps a leader make adjustments to bolster weak areas of the plan and, therefore, achieve greater success for the whole.
Adaptability and Flexibility
Employees sense when a plan isn't working at the ground level. A leader must be adaptive in making changes to a given project plan to maximize the chances for the project to achieve success. This requires having an open ear for subordinates to voice concerns and ask questions about aspects of a project. Employees feel valued and more involved when a leader listens to them. Employees may invest more energy in a given project because of this greater sense of involvement.
Accepting Responsibility
A leader must accept responsibility for the failures of a given project just as he accepts the successes. Since the leader is the person who assigned the project roles and developed the plan as a whole he has no one else to blame if the project fails. Employees notice when a leader shirks responsibility and attempts to disseminate blame amongst his team members. This can weaken a leader's ability to direct his employees and may encourage dissension.
