When it comes to leadership, an abundance of required skills come to mind. Using leadership programs to alleviate the skill gaps amongst leaders has become increasingly high on the list for many businesses in the 21st century. Strong leadership is now seen as a critical element to success in business, accounting for higher productivity, customer satisfaction and financial gain. Leadership is a skill that requires continual development.
Top Leadership Skills That Make A Great Leader
Simply being outstanding in a field of expertise does not automatically qualify you as a leader. There are a number of other competencies your leaders should possess to become the best. Here are some of the top leadership skills that all great leaders must have.
1. Development
First and foremost, a leader should be a visionary. Seeing the promise and ambition in others will help them to develop and shape their team. Inspiring motivation in others through their influence, a trustworthy disposition and exceptional ethical practices, strong leaders maximise productivity. As a team grows and develops, so should your leaders. Self-development is key to remaining an efficient leader. Adapting to shifts in structures, work trends, and market trends, your leaders are a continual work-in-progress. It is essential for leaders to continually ask whether they have embarked on a change program themselves.
Here is an interesting read by our CEO Hazel Jackson, which talks about the need for leaders to change and how leadership development programs help build the skills that leaders need.
2. Communication
An essential role that your leaders should facilitate is ensuring cohesive communication throughout the team. Your leaders should be as good at communicating changes as they are at listening to and understanding discrepancies. How the work is delegated can play a crucial role in how it is received. As an approachable individual with exceptional communication skills, a strong leader plays an active part in the team’s communication network.
Effectively conveying messages and direction to your team shows great leadership skills. Empathetically listening with an open and impartial ear fosters trust, gains respect and garners support and stands as a vital leadership quality. However, communication and effective collaboration can be hard to achieve, especially if you are working remotely. Check out this article which explains why collaboration is difficult and how to improve it.
3. Strategic Outlook
A leader has followers. This is what defines a leader. Having a clear direction and strategy for the future is paramount to everyone’s success for those in leadership positions. Through strategic planning and acting, leaders will show promising results in both problem-solving and decision making. Leaders need to have a strategic outlook to plan ahead for the future.
4. Quick Decision-making
Leaders are often faced with situations they have no prior experience of. This is especially true when they are dealing with ambiguous and unpredictable circumstances. In the face of uncertainty, leaders need to make quick and smart decisions to lead their teams and the business in the right direction.
This blog article explains how leaders can make the right decisions while leading through uncertainty.
5. Problem-solving
Problem-solving is another important leadership skill that all leaders must possess. In unpredictable situations, teams look towards the leader to come up with a solution. A competent leader must be good at problem-solving and be able to provide the right direction to the team. Having an analytical mindset and keeping calm to overcome the initial frustration and panic helps leaders solve complex problems even in tough situations.
6. Innovation and Creativity
Innovation and creativity are heavily intertwined. It isn't easy to have one without the other. Remaining competitive and productive often requires adapting or finding solutions. A creative and innovative mind will strive to find the solution, often pre-empting the problem and putting a preventative plan in place. Leaders need to be innovative and creative to keep up with the dynamic market trends and to stay one step ahead of the curve.
7. Positivity
The ability to stay calm, positive and focused even during adversity is one of the most critical leadership skills that all leaders must possess. A positive and focused mindset will inspire your team to follow. Perhaps one of the most encouraging and essential skills found in leaders, positivity spreads like wildfire from pillar to post. A can-do and positive attitude creates confidence in leadership. Leading by example, your positive outlook as a leader will be reflected in everything you do.
How to Develop Leadership Skills
While some are born leaders and are adept at all or most of the above-mentioned leadership skills, others can develop these skills through effective leadership and development programs. At the same time, even the best of leaders need to nurture their skills continually. Ongoing training and learning resources keep the creative mind focused, alert and on task getting the best from your leaders.
At Biz Group, we offer a wide variety of leadership training and development programs that will help your leaders develop the right skills and traits needed to grow your business and achieve your End Game.
Find out more about our Leadership solutions here.
