Have you ever been the kind to always take initiative in various activities or have you been the kind to shy away from being in the limelight? The true essence of leadership lies in your basic personality as well. With increase in work pressures, being a good leader is not only about being excellent at your job but also being the one who develops the skills to manage people well. So, what are the kinds of skills that are needed to be an effective leader? Here, we shall have a quick look at some of the various qualities and skills that can help you tackle various situations with ease. Having the Right Perspective Whatever your task may be, it always helps to have the right perspective or approach towards various work-related issues. Knowing about all the nitty-gritties of your work will help you to plan and strategize better. A true leader is able to visualize his/her goals and plans things accordingly. This would also enable proper distribution of tasks and ensure productive results. Giving Constructive Feedback Effective leadership skills are not just about showing your superiority in things, rather it would be a wise idea for you to give constant feedback to your colleagues or sub-ordinates. Being very meticulous about your approach would help you achieve your targets with ease. Always ensure you praise when the job is well done and criticize when needed, gently. If you wish for any job to be well done, you need to approach the matter professionally. Ranting and raving about issues would only put you in a bad light. However, you might achieve better results from your juniors if you tackle the matter professionally. Another very important point that is often overlooked is the fact that it is optimally important to take feedback from your team as well. Remember, upward feedback will only direct you towards what you need to do to become a better leader and how you should go about offering the best interests to your teammates. Possessing the Right Spirit! An effective leader needs to lead and set an example, and also cause many to emulate him/her. By having the right approach and spirit towards work, you can motivate others to be equally energized about work. When the schedule is tough, be a little firm about things. When your team has done excellently, you can loosen up slightly and create a happy atmosphere to make everyone feel at ease. This would only help you to have better working conditions. When you have a happy set of people working for the organization, you will achieve all the targets and get productive results. Also, be honest! Do what you say and say what you do. If you feel that you will be unable to deliver something to the client within a specific date, then say it truthfully. Do not promise promotions or raises to your employees if you will be unable to give it to them. This will only increase frustration levels within a team. Honesty is a very helpful tool to keep a team together and make the full use of it. Setting Goals Always set goals for yourself and your team. This would help you to keep things in check and streamline things in the workplace. With the right perspective towards things, you can set short-term goals that would help you to assess situations and implement the required changes in the organization. There can be nothing better than working for an organization that has a complete streamlined function about various work-related issues. However, always set goals that a re realistic and achievable, in keeping with the goals of the organization. Otherwise, hard work, energies, resources and time will all be wasted. If there appear to be glitches that hinder the process of achieving these goals, be considerate and work towards eliminating the hindrances and do not focus on blaming your team. Delegating Responsibilities An effective leader is one who can delegate tasks to the right people. Knowing and identifying the strengths and weaknesses of your team would help you to manage things efficiently. Learn to tap the potential skills and distribute tasks accordingly. Give authority to deserving people and ensure they help other teammates to perform better. Remember, the way you make decisions will have direct effects on exactly how efficiently the team works and of course the eventual output. Make sound decisions with precision and here only objectivity can give you clarity. Creating an Enjoyable Atmosphere Effective leadership qualities are not only about setting an example or handling tasks at work. One should also learn to identify problem areas at work and handle them to create an enjoyable atmosphere that's conducive for work. An effective leader will develop the right skills required to maintain a healthy and happy atmosphere at work! These were some qualities and skills. With the right thought process, you can successfully implement these at work and achieve fruitful results. And as they say, it is never too late to inculcate good values and habits.