In order to be an effective manager you must be an effective leader.  People in any organization want strong leadership and will be more than willing to follow if you possess strong leadership skills.  In order to do this you must possess a strong purpose for the organization.  You must have a long-term goal and make it known to all of those around you.  This serves as the rallying point for others to follow you.  If you do not ever adopt a purpose or mission statement you will never know what your goal is yourself.  If you don't know what your purpose is then how do you expect others to follow you?

     Once you have adopted a purpose, goal, or mission statement then you must get others to buy in to the same goal.  This isn't always easy and is one of the hardest things to do within an organization.  It can be a complicated and lengthy process at times.  But one of the keys to getting others to buy in to your goal is to gain their trust and respect.  Trust and respect are the keys to successful leadership.  Respect is earned -- it isn't just given overnight.  It takes time to earn trust and respect and you must be willing to let the process work itself out.  It is important to note that popularity does not equal respect.  You may be a popular manager but not necessarily one that has the respect of others.  Your goal should be to earn respect and not worry about being the most popular manager or person in the organization.  Remember, your goal is to get others to help you reach your goals which should be the goals of the organization.

     People are just crying out for leadership.  I have worked in many organizations where the leadership was weak and it was obvious by the performance of the staff.  The staff needs direction and purpose.  It is your job as a manager to provide both to them.  It gives them a reason to work and the ability to do their work productively.  Managers who possess strong leadership skills get results.  Managers who are indecisive or wishy-washy will not gain the trust or respect of anyone and it will show in the performance of the staff.

     One of the most important aspects of leadership is to set an example.  Your staff will follow your lead.  If you work hard and get engaged in the daily routines of the work place then other staff members will do the same.  This process is often called modeling.  In other words, you, as the manager, model the behavior that you expect from your workers.  If you exhibit positive work habits they will do the same.  If you exhibit sloppy, unorganized work habits, then they will do the same, also, and the work place will become unproductive and you will probably find yourself unemployed or demoted.