Do You Have The Leadership Skills To Be A Great Leader?
Learning To Lead: Do You Have The Right Qualities?
Not everyone is a natural-born leader; in fact, very few people are. Most great leaders have learned the traits and acquired the attributes needed to be one.
Many people find themselves in a position of leadership at some point during their careers. Yet, few often get the training that they need to adapt to this change in responsibility. We have all heard the phrase “promoted to the point of incompetence”: this often happens to those who are put in leadership roles but do not have the necessary skills to be an effective leader.
Being a great leader is more than having the required hard skills for the role or being business savvy. For you to become a manager you must be a good communicator, delegator and mentor for others around you. Without these essential leadership skills, you may have some challenges.
Are you a new leader? If so, it is important to ask yourself the following question: Do I have the right qualities and how can I improve my leadership skills?
The Leadership Skills Needed To Be A Great Manager
Great leaders know that it takes dedication and hard work to succeed in their roles. Yet, you will need the right qualities and skills to help you achieve this. There are four main skills that all managers need to have. These are:
- Communication
- People Management
- Coaching & Mentoring
- Stress Management
Communication
As a leader, you need to be able to communicate clearly and effectively to your team. When organizational goals and specific tasks are explained badly, employees can become confused and misled. This can lead to further issues for your organization in the future if not dealt with.
One of the main aspects of communication you need to master is listening. Leaders need to have the fundamental skill to listen to their employees’ concerns and opinions. Doing this will help you to better understand employees and build great professional relationships.
Leaders should establish a steady flow of regular communication between themselves and their team members. Making yourself regularly available to communicate with employees is a defining characteristic of a great leader. Make sure to have an open-door policy and have regular touchpoints with your employees throughout the year.
Read more in our blog about why effective leadership is dependent on great communication skills, especially in a time of crisis.
People Management
To be a manager you must also be able to manage employees in your organization. People management is a core component of any leadership position. A manager with poor people management skills can be harmful to a business. Poor people management skills can lead to unengaged employees and low retainment rates.
Rather than micromanaging, leaders need to be able to inspire. People management from a leader’s perspective means being able to encourage and motivate others. Leaders must support their employees and encourage them to voice their opinions. They also need to be able to carry out conflict resolution and show problem-solving abilities.
Coaching & Mentoring
One of the responsibilities of leadership that often gets minimized is the role of coach and employee developer. The success of a great leader is shown through the growth of their employees. If you are in a leadership position, this skill is vital.
To coach effectively, leaders must have the ability to tune into their employees. A leader adept at people development will know an employee’s strengths and weaknesses. And will be able to tune into their untapped potential. Great leaders also strategically think about their employees in the same way they do the business. They develop mentoring strategies for developing the next generation of company leaders. They create Learning and Development plans designed to invest in their employees by offering them the ability to upskill.
Stress Management
Managing stress is an essential part of leadership responsibility. Great leaders manage the stress levels of their team and themselves.
Those in leadership positions will undoubtedly encounter stress during their careers.
Having the skills to create a healthy work environment allows leaders to reduce employee stress and is the core of building a positive company culture. The ability to take the initiative to improve areas of stress and listen to the concerns of employees can improve productivity and employee happiness.
Become An Inspirational Leader With An Enterprise-Level Training Course
On your way to becoming an inspirational leader? Taking an enterprise-level training course can help you make sure that you have the leadership skills needed to do your job correctly. Becoming a great leader takes hard work, dedication and development.
The Training Company offers management and advanced management courses suitable for leaders in all industries. Our courses will help you to improve the various skills needed for leadership and management. For more information, contact us today.