How To Build And Develop Your Leadership Skills
What makes a good leader? Everyone has a different definition of a 'good leader', but for me a good leader is someone who leads and let others lead him. One who provides effective communication. While a leader's actions may be scrutinized when things are going bad, it is their leadership qualities that shine through the worst of times. A good leader learns something new every day and is open to improvements.
Sitting in my office one day, I was wondering whether I'm a good leader for my subordinates. The question got glued to my head and I kept wondering throughout the day. Being in the development management sector, I understand the need for great leaders and very frequently discuss it with my colleagues. That day I decided to not just speak about being a good leader, but educate my students on building their leadership development skills that will make a difference.
I then realized what leadership means to me: “I will be a great leader if I am able to make my students even better leaders than I ever was”.
So, here are some tips on how to develop your leadership skills:
1. Be An Inspiration
Being a good leader depends on how you get things done. An effective leader should be able to motivate others and drive them to do their best in the worst situations. Great leaders move us and inspire us to do our best work. The best way to become a great leader is train yourself to become better and better every day; not only help others learn and grow, but also make sure you learn and grow as the organization grows.
2. Keep Learning
Some say that some people are born leaders. I somewhat agree, some people indeed have inbuilt qualities and a great talent to lead others. But, for me, experience also makes good leaders. We learn and grow every day. We follow and we lead. It all comes around in a circle. If today I am learning from my leader, tomorrow I can be myself a leader and make others learn. A great way to develop your leadership skills is to take on more responsibility: with responsibilities comes more experience. If you have a great leader to look up to, you too can become a great leader whom others will look up to.
3. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
Communication is one of the most powerful tools. You can solve most problems and overcome most obstacles if you are a good communicator. Even someone who excels in many aspects of leadership will probably hit a ceiling if he or she is not a good communicator. A good communicator is not just a great speaker but a great listener too, so that nothing said can get misunderstood or misinterpreted. It’s important to keep a tab on everyone involved in your team and make them feel equal. It's important to schedule weekly meetings to maintain a good line of communication to avoid problems which might occur later due to miscommunication.
4. Always See The Bigger Picture
Remember that if you're a good leader, you must have the ability to overcome unpredictable challenges. You must have a contingency plan ready ahead of any situation or circumstances. A trait of a good leader is the ability to see the bigger picture and foresee problems before they occur. The ability to foresee and provide suggestions for avoiding potential problems is invaluable for a leader.
5. Let Your Actions Speak For You
We all remember good leaders. We all in our lives have come across a leader who has always motivated us in some way or another. As they say, you will probably remember a good leader but a great leader is truly unforgettable. Our actions define who we are.
A great leader is someone who leads their team and motivates them to perform at their best, but he is also someone who challenges them and persuades them to move out of their comfort zone and at the same time make them work as a team. A great leader is someone who helps his/her team members grow personally and professionally, strategically nurtures future leaders, and at the same time realizes the importance of providing emotional support at the right time.
A great leader is not someone who brings out the best from the best, but someone who has the ability to bring out the best from the worst.
