Leadership skills are extremely critical for today’s professionals as more and more companies are looking for individuals with excellent leadership skill.
We have listed the top 10 leadership skills you need to acquire for a highly rewarding professional career –
1. Communication
Leaders need explain their team members a host of things including organizational goals to specific tasks. To do it well, leaders must be good at all forms of communication from one-on-one, departmental, and full-staff conversations to communication through the phone calls, social media and emails.
Communication quite often involves sincere listening and leaders should encourage steady flow of communications with their team members. Besides, a leader should be keen to be available for discussing issues and concerns with his team.
Skills for Communication
Active listening
Articulating
Storytelling
Clarity
Correspondence
Explaining
Facilitating group conversations
Nonverbal communication
Presentation
Public speaking
Reading body language
Reducing ambiguity
Verbal & written communication
2. Motivation
The team members of a company follow their leaders; hence, the leader must inspire their workers by going the extra mile for the organization. Just a handsome pay package is not enough to keep the workforce inspired and enthusiastic. In order to motivate the team a leader boost the employee morale by conferring them with recognition and rewards, or by bestowing responsibilities which will make them feel integrated to the organisation, thereby increasing their investment in the company.
A Leader should be able to sense the pulse of his team members and know well what works for them, because only a motivated team will feel encouraged to increase productivity by working passionately.
Effective motivational skills
Allowing independence
Asking for input
Assessing interests of staff
Convincing
Mentoring
Open to employee concerns
Persuasive
Providing productive and challenging work
Providing rewards
Recognizing others
Setting effective goals
Team-building
Thanking staff
3. Delegating
Taking on too many job-responsibilities will make a leader struggle to get things done the way they should be done. Such a leader often refrains from delegating tasks as he/she fears that delegating responsibilities indicates weakness, but in reality delegation is the mark of an able leader.
The best way is to identify the skills of each team member and delegate tasks to them according to their skill sets. By delegating tasks a leader will have the necessary time to discharge other critical responsibilities.
Skills of a effective delegation
Accepting feedback
Allotting resources
Assessing strengths and weaknesses
Defining expectations
Identifying measurable outcomes
Designating tasks to right employees
Prioritizing tasks
Teamwork
Time management
Trust
4. Positivity
A positive attitude can be a game changer in a professional atmosphere. A leader should always be ready to take it with grace and composure whenever things don’t go as planned. This will make the team members have faith in their leader and they will work with an open mind without intimidation. Positivity is essential for a healthy work environment, even during periods of immense pressure.
Skills creating positive atmosphere in the workplace Caring
Conflict management
Developing rapport
Diplomacy
Encouragement
Empathy
Friendliness
Humorous
Respect
Social
5. Trustworthiness
The work place should not have an air of intimidation and fear and team players must have the ease and comfort to go to the boss or manager with their concerns and also suggestions. A leader must demonstrate his/her integrity and trustworthiness, as the work force will only trust leaders they respect.
Being open-minded and candid will ensure reciprocation of same behavioural traits amongst the team members.
Skills that conveys trustworthiness
Ability to apologize
Accountability
Business ethics
Confidentiality
Conscientious
Consistency
Credibility
Emotional intelligence
Empathy
Honesty
Reliability
Respectfulness
Standing up for what is right
6. Creativity
A leader needs to make a number of decisions, solve unprecedented problems and deal with unforeseen situations. Therefore it is important for leaders to think outside of the box.
Conceiving unconventional resolutions or dealing with problems in unique ways, enable leaders to resolve difficult and complex problem. Team members are known to be impressed and encouraged by leaders who avoid the safe and predictable paths.
Skills for creative thinking
Analytical
Conceptualization
Critical thinking
Curiosity
Embracing different perspectives
Foresight
Innovative
Listening to others’ ideas
Observation
Problem solving
Sound judgment
Visionary
7. Feedback
Delivering constructive feedback to team members regarding their performances, form a critical part of a leader’s job. However, good leaders are aware of the subtle difference between offering guidance and controlling. The best way is to guide the team members on self-improvement and encourage them to make their own decisions; by doing that leaders will feel more confident while assigning job-responsibilities to your staff.
Employees prefer leaders who offer feedback clearly but in a compassionate way.
Skills for giving clear feedback
Being open to feedback
Building confidence in employees
Clearly laying out expectations
Coaching
Following up
Frequent feedback
Listening to employees’ responses
Mentoring
Providing specific advice
Respectful
8. Responsibility
Successes and failures of a team largely depends on the leader or the boss, therefore, a leader must always be ready to accept responsibility at times of failure.
Leaders who point fingers and blame his team members at the slightest failure will lose soon respect and support. It is the trait of a great leader to accept mistakes and failures, and eventually formulate clear solutions for better performance.
Skills to convey the sense of responsibility
Acknowledging mistakes
Being open to customer feedback
Evaluating best solutions
Forecasting
Learning from past mistakes
Listening to feedback
Project planning
Resolving problems
Transparency
Trouble shooting
9. Commitment
It is extremely critical for leaders to stay committed to their promises. They must be ready to do everything in his power to make his commitments a reality. Team members will see the commitment and follow the example.
Leaders should not expect their team to commit to their job responsibilities if they are not doing the same.
Skills related to commitment
Applying feedback
Commitment to company objectives
Determination
Keeping promises
Passion
Perseverance
Prioritization
Team player
Work ethic
10. Flexibility
Disasters and last-minute alternations are common phenomenon is a work place. Competent leaders are flexible in mind and accept changes with grace and composure. The workforce will always value the leader’s ability to accept changes with confidence and take things under quick control.
Leaders should always be open to suggestions and feedbacks. If a member is unhappy with a certain issue, it is imperative for the leader to listen to the concern and be ready to make required amends. Employees always welcome a leader’s capability to acknowledge right feedback.
Skills for flexibility
Ability to learn new skills
Ability to respond to new problems or issues
Adaptability
Improvising
Negotiating
Recognizing individuals’ strengths and skills
Treating employees as individuals
How You Can Build Leadership Skills
Be enterprising
Think big and long-term, and be ready to take up tasks outside your job role. Think about the big picture about the overall good of the company. Try to come up with bright ideas and work beyond the daily schedule.
Take more responsibility
Once mastering your job-role think of telling the boss about your keenness to develop and grow leadership qualities. Offer willingness to take up more work or offer sharing your boss’s job-responsibilities.
Target specific skills
Improve abilities and skill that are in demand in your work place, in doing so take a class or online course, get a mentor to help or read books.
How to Showcase Your Skills
It is a great idea to use the leadership related expressions listed in the article in your resume, particularly in the work history section, while searching for jobs. These words and expressions can also be used in the cover letters. While mentioning the skills it is recommended to give definite instances of demonstrating them at a previous work place.
Using these words in interview will also give you an extra edge. Be ready to cite occasion when you demonstrated the leadership skills and solved problems.