If you want to advance in your career and perhaps be the boss one day, developing leadership skills is a necessity. Every individual probably has their own definition of what a leader should be like, but there are a few leadership skills we can agree upon:
- the ability to inspire
- the proficiency to organize
- the dexterity to solve problems
Leading a team is not about giving orders and establishing dominance through invoking fear. The role of a leader comes with a great deal of power and responsibility. In order to become a leader who everyone admires and respects, you have to embody the example you want others to follow. Contrary to popular belief, I insist that nobody is born a leader. The development of leadership skills in a person has a lot to do with their upbringing, education, and the company they keep as they mature.
Developing and honing leadership skills also depends upon your own will and motivation to become a front-runner. It takes more than a degree and technical skills to make your way to the top or gain the status of a guru. Here’s what you have to do to evolve into the kind of leader the world needs right now:
Assess Yourself
You may already hold a managerial position at some company, or maybe you are a startup entrepreneur who is charge of every aspect of their business. When you feel that the business is not thriving as it should or something is amiss, your first instinct would be to question the productivity or loyalty of those working under you. While it is definitely important to keep an eye on your staff or team members, a true leader always starts with self-assessment. You must consider your own strengths and weaknesses before pointing fingers. Realizing your own shortcomings will put you on the road to self-improvement.
Learn to Heed before you Lead
To successfully lead a group, you first have to prove yourself as an exceptional team player. You shall have to follow your own rules before imposing them on others. For instance, you cannot expect your employees to be punctual if you show up late to meetings every time. If your team labels a task as ‘impossible’, you will need to show them how it’s done; if you can do it, your squad will have faith in following your footsteps.
Believe in Yourself
You need to believe in yourself before you hope that others do the same. Lack of confidence and poor people skills condemn the growth of a leader. You will have to face your fears and stay strong when you are most vulnerable. People don’t want to be led by someone who isn’t sure about what they are doing and where they are headed. In a way, you should be able to give inspirational speeches like a shrewd politician, articulate convincing arguments like a competent criminal defense lawyer, or sell an idea like a top shelf real estate agent.
Share the Power
A leader who becomes power-hungry turns into a villain. Humility and compassion are unspoken qualities of the greatest leaders of all time. Leadership skills do not come without obtaining the mindset of a leader. People want a hero, i.e. someone they can rely on when things go south. If you keep all the power to yourself, your team members will not perform to the best of their abilities. They will remain under the impression that you exist to control them. Your words and actions must persuade them that you consider them an equal.
Be open to suggestions from your team mates and don’t hesitate to admit if their approach to a conundrum is better than yours. If a team member’s strategy helps resolve the problem at hand, give them credit and be supportive.
Never Stop Learning
The only way to hone your leadership skills is to never stop learning. You may not win every situation, but your past mistakes should be a lesson. If you are the definition of a ‘hot mess’ and your life is identical to a ‘train wreck’, you are going to have your work cut out for you. Nonetheless, do not give up on your dreams to be a leader one day. Start small by abandoning everyday bad habits and rituals like procrastinating.
Author Bio
John Adams is a lifestyle blogger who concentrates on health, fitness, and self-development. He encourages readers to fight their fears and overcome obstacles holding them back. He believes that every person can improve the quality of his/her life by thinking positive and making better choices. He loves to share his insight on life experiences, and contributes on various online platforms in the same niche.
