A Great Leader Part 7: Skills

Your leadership skills can be strengthened in many ways

And regardless of your current skill set, improvement is always possible.

One effective way to take your skills to the next level is practice.

Here are some ways to hone your leadership skills:

1. Introduce a vision. With your team, develop strategies, objectives and S.M.A.R.T goals for realizing that vision. Listen to feedback you receive and fine-tune the plan.

• Show team members how they will benefit from achieving the plan.

2. Demonstrate your values. Team members are not always certain what to expect from a leader. Let everyone see your ethics and values. Each decision you make illustrates your moral code.

• Your behavior sets boundaries for everyone. Let everyone know what you expect from them.

3. Be positive. Even when things take a turn for the worse, remain positive about the project’s end objective. The attitude of your team will often mirror the attitude you display.

• Your positivity will keep you healthier. And your team will perform at a higher level, confident about the future.

4. Communicate regularly. Communication skills are absolutely crucial. Make every effort to strengthen your ability to communicate. Ask yourself these questions on a regular basis:

• Does everyone know what I expect from them?
• Does everyone know what they need to know?
• Can everyone on the team communicate the purpose of our project accurately?
• Am I listening effectively to each team member?

5. Motivate your team members. Each individual on your team will have distinct motivators. Discover what motivates each one and shape your motivation to match.

• HINT: Money is important, but for many, it is not the primary motivator.
• Encourage and express appreciation to each team member on a regular basis.

6. Demonstrate your commitment. The degree of commitment you demonstrate to the project will set a thermostat for the commitment level of your team.

• Demonstrate how important the project is to you by your work performance.
• Your commitment provides motivation to others.

7. Be amiable. If you’re likable, others will be more likely to do their best to help you. But being approachable is not the same as being a pushover.

• Hold people accountable to take the project seriously as you do.

8. Maximize your strengths; manage your weaknesses. The range of skills and talents needed to complete a significant project requires a team of people. Focus on what you do best and delegate tasks in which you are weak.to people skilled in those areas.

• Acknowledging your weaknesses demonstrates that you’re smart, humble, and committed to success.

9. Train continually. The most effective way to enhance your leadership skills is to find a mentor with skills you admire, and/or invest in a coach. Other options include.

• Books. There are countless books on the subject of leadership. Peruse those with the best reviews and put them to work. Avoid limiting yourself to a quick read. It’s not just about gathering information. You must put the information in action to see improvement.

• Websites. Leadership is a popular topic. There are plenty of free articles and videos as well as online courses like the 100 Day Challenge.

• In-Person Events. There are seminars, webinars, and college courses covering the topic of leadership.

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Take advantage of every opportunity to learn and practice leadership skills. It’s not possible to become an expert at anything without intention and persistent effort. Learn a little each day and apply it immediately.

“Good management is the art of making problems so interesting and their solutions so constructive that everyone wants to get to work and deal with them.” - Paul Hawken

Resources
A Great Leader Part 1: Introduction
A Great Leader Part 2: Born or Made?
A Great Leader Part 3: Leverage
A Great Leader Part 4: Qualities
A Great Leader Part 5: Contributions
A Great Leader Part 6: Introvert?
100 Day Challenge

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

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