The key to managing a successful business is consistent and effective leadership. The best leaders are successful, inspiring, and earn the respect of their team. Read on for six ways to be a better leader in your business.

1. Have Consistency. Leaders are consistent in their behavior, their actions, and their character, especially in the face of success and adversity. They are collected, genuine, and forthcoming. They don’t have hidden agendas, and their motivations compel them to act with intention. Leaders act with the standard that they expect from others. This is what builds respect and admiration.

2. Take responsibility. Leadership flows from top to bottom. Learn to take responsibility for all the people and projects you manage. Taking responsibility also means ensuring a great deal of fairness. Don’t create a double standard of behavior. Be a role model for those you lead and hold yourself to the same standard in which you hold others – lead by example.

3. Give your team room to grow. You have hired talented people, now let them work. Giving your team space will provide the freedom they need to explore, experiment, discover, and grow. Trust them to be successful and to solve issues themselves. This is how your team can grow from real experience, and how you can inspire them to become effective leaders.

4. Challenge your team. Business leaders are constantly told to be more innovative and to encourage their teams to challenge themselves, but what does this actually mean? You should take risks and encourage your team to take risks. It is to the benefit of all to see how far you can push yourself. When mistakes happen, learn from them and push on.

5. Create opportunity. In order to see what your employees are capable of, pave the way for opportunity. When you hire talent, you weigh their potential. You not only envision what they can handle and what they are capable of accomplishing, but you provide those opportunities for growth. This is the difference between managers and leaders; leaders see what others cannot because they look for it, and they provide chances for excellence.

6. Be a continuous learner. The old saying rings true – leaders are readers. If you’re not growing, you’re dying. Organizations need to be lead by people who model continuous learning in their own day-to-day behavior. This could mean being a good listener, asking for input, learning through reading, and attending seminars put on by experts. Being a leader means constant self-improvement. Seek to improve your leadership skills by welcoming feedback from the people above you, your peers, and the people you lead.

Running a successful business means striving to be not only a manager, but an effective leader and role model for the people you lead. For more resources, read about Nine Principles for Effective Leadership and 10 Ways Effective Leaders Build Trust.