Leadership skills are vital to ensure the success of your business in both good and bad times. This is especially relevant in the current economic climate and uncertain future.
Some people seem to have the natural charisma to lead whilst others struggle to communicate effectively. However, the soft skills required to be a successful leader can still be developed and enable you to get where you want to be.
What makes a good leader?
Good leaders are able to manage different personalities but still motivate everyone to work towards a common goal.
When moving into a leadership role, you need to build confidence within your team and be able to communicate difficult ideas. Good leadership skills ensure people stay on track, achieve their goals and make the business profitable.
What are leadership skills?
Leadership skills are used to motivate others to complete tasks, often working to a timetable. Leadership encompasses several different skills working together.
Some examples of strong leadership include:
- Empathy
- Active Listening
- Reliability
- Creativity
- Positivity
- Team Building
- Flexibility
- Risk Taking
- Ability to Mentor
Effective leaders create high-performing teams as well as ensuring projects and initiatives are successful. They also possess strong interpersonal and communication skills. This helps them to increase employee engagement, create a positive culture and eliminate obstacles within their team.
Which leadership skills are most important?
The following skills are essential for anyone wishing to become a leader in their organisation:
1. Effective Decision-Making
Effective decision-making is valuable because it can move projects along quickly and create greater efficiency.
This requires research, problem solving and goal setting, often at high pace. Past experience would be analysed in order to assess what might work. Then, a decision would be made with confidence to assume responsibility for the outcome.
2. Values
Possessing a strong set of values allows ethical decisions to be made. This also helps the organisation to maintain a positive image.
Possessing this type of integrity encourages fair practice and sets a positive example to the team.
3. Relationship Building
Relationship building is one of the most important skills in leadership as it makes communication of tasks, responsibilities and goals easier and more successful.
Once people understand each other better, this means other aspects of work become more seamless. This can include assessment of strengths, delegation of tasks and completion of goals.
4. Problem Solving
Good problem solvers remain calm and are able to identify practical solutions. Problem solving skills help leaders to make quick but effective decisions, eliminate obstacles and complete projects on time.
5. Reliability
A reliable leader creates trust and strong relationships. This ensures that the team becomes more resilient when facing difficulties.
Being reliable means delivering what you say you will, communicating early when things go wrong and having alternative solutions.
6. Ability to Mentor
This skill distinguishes leadership from other competencies. Helping colleagues with career growth helps organisations to plan for the future planning of organisations. The leader focusses more on the team as a whole rather than themselves.
How can you demonstrate leadership?
Leaders may have to provide instructions but that is only one element of their job. If you are not in a leadership position, you can focus on acquiring other key skills that will help others, such as:
- Offering support and coaching to less experienced colleagues
- Praising others for good work
- Showing empathy for people with difficult tasks
- Communicating in an effective manner
- Attempting to improve team morale
- Demonstrating reliability through punctuality and meeting deadlines
By being helpful and proactive, you will have demonstrated many leadership skills, This will be greatly beneficial when the time comes to apply for a more senior role.
Other ways to develop your leadership skills include:
- Reading books or podcasts about leadership
- Attending leadership training courses or workshops
- Finding leadership activities outside of work e.g. leadership courses, leadership of existing groups, initiating a new group or team
- Studying leadership styles that you admire
- Utilising a coach or mentor
If you feel that you could benefit from working with a Coach to guide you to your full leadership potential, please contact me for an introductory chat about how I can help you to achieve your goals.