Effective Leadership

Students from distinct walks of life roam the corridors of schools in search for security and company. Each has a potential to be a leader. An effective student leader is one who influences others to accomplish an objective and directs a group in a way that makes it more cohesive. A leader carries out this process by applying leadership traits such as beliefs, values, ethics, character, knowledge, and skills.

People decide if they respect you as a leader by observing what you do to know who you really are. They can tell if you are an honorable and trusted leader or a self-serving person who misuses authority to look good and be popular. A self-serving leader is not effective because people only obey them, not follow them.

If you would like to be a respected and effective leader, bear in mind the following:

Know your strengths

Knowing your strengths enables you to select environments that allow you to express and develop them. If you love helping people and are a religious person, then you may consider involvement in the campus ministry. If your passion is writing and likes working in a team setting, consider becoming a member of the school’s newspaper staff.

Gain experience

You may have all the attributes of a good leader, but if you lack the experience, you will not be viewed as a knowledgeable leader. If you want to become the editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, you’ll have to start at the bottom and gain experience. This holds true for practically every leadership position.

Work well with people

Good leader exudes superior interpersonal skills. You should be able to listen to others, communicate well, establish trust, ask questions to stimulate thinking, and develop a sense of teamwork.

Be optimistic

Leaders must be optimistic. When faced with setbacks, optimists don’t give in to feelings of helplessness. They maintain their focus.

Act willingly

Leaders create a vision, set goals that embody that vision, and develop plans that lead to their goals. Don’t just talk what you want to do, take action to get it accomplished.

Although your position gives you the authority to accomplish certain tasks and group objectives, you should remember that this power does not make you a leader.

What makes a person want to follow a leader then? Simple, they want to be guided by those they respect and those who have a clear sense of direction. To gain respect, they must be ethical. A sense of direction, by the way, is achieved by conveying a strong vision of the future. So have yourself a potent, passionate vision and be an effective leader!

About the Author

Virgil B. Vallecera is a college student taking up Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in the University of Cebu. He has participated in numerous seminars, conventions, summits, and trainings on leadership improvement, community development, and socio-politico-economic issues. To read more, see http://www.mainglobe.com