Tips to be a great leader

Every business is unique, hence there is no one-size-fits-all rule to effective leadership when operating in Vietnam.

However, since much about it can be learnt from emulating others, we have benchmarked and examined some of the best leaders in the world for tips on being a great leader.

Practice what you preach

It may be a very simple rule, but surprisingly not an easy one to follow. More often than not, there are discrepancies between what the management preaches and what they actually do. For example, if you stress a “promote-from-within” culture but keep recruiting from outside to fill the senior level positions, your employees will eventually lose faith in your leadership.

Walk the tightrope

There are times when being a leader requires sound judgement and the ability to make tough or unpopular decisions for the greater benefit of the organisation. Professionals often look up to their business mentors for direction so that they know where to go and how to get there. Good leaders strike a balance between the consent they must win and the control to exert in order to elevate the organisation and motivate employees to the next level.

Be a good follower

The best way to learn is to be a good follower. Constantly benchmark yourself against those whom you aspire to be. A good follower can effectively shape and have a positive impact on the leadership of the company by keeping them on track. It takes a lot of courage and integrity to be a good follower, and people who live by these rules will not only be effective staffers but will also be well on their way to becoming leaders of character.

Treat your people as assets

A good leader should coach, mentor and influence people to perform at their best. Exercising leadership also means being able to powerfully articulate your vision and inspire your people to rally around it. It is easy to force or demand someone to do what you want them to do, but it takes a visionary person to be able to spot the potential in employees, raise their aspirations for what they can become and make them want to achieve these visions for you.

Assess yourself regularly

Regular self-assessment will not only keep you on track, it also provides great guiding principles in your leadership duties. Do you take responsibility when things go wrong, and turn the spotlight on the people around you in good times? Have you done all that you can to spur people to do their best, and incentivise or encourage those who haven’t? Do you allow people to take risks, make mistakes and learn from them or are you quick to blame?

Ultimately, there is no cookie-cutter template for leaders and the best ones usually develop their own style of carrying the torch over the years. The greatest challenge of powerful leadership is to carve a style that fits you best.