Skills of a successful leader
As a leader, you are likely to
need some key skills. You may not have all of these skills right now, but if
you are aware of your own strengths and weaknesses you can take steps to
develop the skills you don't have.
Motivation
A successful leader sets a good
example. Act as a role model for your team, and don't be afraid to pitch in and
help out when needed. Your team will respond well to your leadership if you are
willing to contribute.
If you show respect to your
employees, thanking them for their work and complimenting them on their
successes, they will be far more likely to respect you in return.
- Active listening. You can establish excellent working relationships just by listening to staff and clients. An active listener focuses on what the speaker is saying, regularly paraphrasing to check that they've received the speaker's intended message.
- Body language awareness. Be sure that your words match your body language. People read a lot into gestures and eye contact, and they will be far more responsive if what you say matches your posture, expressions and other movements.
Learning
The ability to learn new skills
is crucial for any leader. If you go into business believing you have nothing
more to learn, you will restrict your ability to grow and adapt to change.
Always be on the lookout for ways to improve your skills, through knowledge and
observation. Seek more formal training where necessary.
Analytical skills
Decision makers need to
understand and analyse information presented to them before making any key decisions.
If a problem arises, you need to be able to analyse business processes to find
out what is going wrong, then try to figure out how to fix it. Your recommendations
to management could have an effect on the future prospects of the business.
Remember that changing a process or fixing a problem could
affect another area of the business, now or further down the line.
Adaptability
You must be ready to adapt to
changing circumstances. A successful leader needs to continually anticipate, evaluateand remain openminded and flexible. Encourage innovative ideas, and take
advantage of changing technology, such as social media.
