Leadership. It means different things to all of us, but one thing is for certain: ‘Leaders possess the skills and the tenacity to get things done. Sometimes, against the odds.’
Here are some top leadership skills that will assist you to not only lead, but to be the type of leader that others want to emulate.
• Improve Your Listening Skills: Listening, when done properly, is more than just ‘hearing’ what others have to say. It’s genuinely being willing to understand their viewpoint, becoming fully engaged in the conversation and discerning the ‘non-verbal’ cues that people exhibit. Notice their body language, hand gestures, breathing pattern, eye movements and their stance or seated positions. These clues tell you if others feel their conversations really matter to you, or if you’re simply ‘going through the motions’ of listening without really ‘hearing or feeling,’ what is being said. Remember the idiom: “Do you ‘listen’ as well as you ‘hear?’
• Empower Others: Leaders have a knack of realizing and actualizing their own empowerment, but beyond that, true leaders know how to empower others. This can take many avenues from encouraging others to believe in their vision for themselves, to mentoring/tutoring others in areas wherein they may feel challenged—and challenging them to stay the course to get to the next level. Yes, leaders have followers—but true leaders assist others to become leaders themselves.
• Honesty: Let’s face it, honesty is not simply the best policy, it’s the one trait that wins over those who require and genuinely appreciate being led by someone who exhibits values that they can believe in wholeheartedly. Honesty builds trust and confidence – two very important characteristics of outstanding leadership. Honesty creates an atmosphere that not only takes individuals further—but entire companies and corporations as well.
And let’s not forget that there are countless other skills that great leaders should strive to possess: Empathy, compassion and being able to tap into their intuition are just a few.
Determine what type of leadership skills you’d like to encompass and begin to move towards your leadership goals in order to bring wall-to-wall greatness to your business and to the wonderful employees who make it what it is.
For more ideas on how to maximize professional success, visit: LaneAward.com/about-recognition.
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