How to Improve Your Leadership Skills: List & Examples

by | Nov 24, 2021 | Leadership

What does it mean to be a leader? What does it take to become a great leader? These types of questions lurk around when talking about leadership, but what is the real definition of the word leadership? Is there a definitive trait or quality that will determine that a certain person is or will become a leader- for instance, intuition, boldness, charisma, and persuasiveness. And with this being said, we often think about the great leaders of history, to name a few, Winston Churchill, Napoleon Bonaparte, Abraham Lincoln, Julius Caesar, and George Washington, we see such traits and effective leadership skills of a great leader that is there ever since the day they were born and it is necessary to what they accomplished in their times.

However, taking into account hundreds of hundreds of research of leaders and leadership- some of it came way back from the nineteenth century- have failed to show that any definitive trait or quality always leads to an effective leadership. With regards to this, even if research has not resulted in a set of definitive traits and qualities by  effective leaders, it does seem clear that leaders play a significant role in helping organizations, groups, societies, and countries achieve a specific goal. Leaders’ abilities, traits, behaviour, skill, and qualities in directing and leading are important factors in manager’s effectiveness. If we could somehow identify and point out the traits and qualities associated with effective leadership skills we can increase the chance of choosing the effective leaders. Associated with this, if we can identify effective leadership skills, behaviour, traits, and qualities we would probably be able to learn and teach these therefore improving both our personal and organizational effectiveness.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO DEVELOP LEADERSHIP SKILLS?

Leadership in business is the limit of an organization’s administration to lay out and accomplish testing objectives, make a quick and unequivocal move when required, outflank the opposition, and motivate others to perform at the most significant level they can. It may very well be hard to put a value on leadership or other subjective parts of an organization, versus quantitative measurements that are ordinarily followed and a lot more straightforward to think about between organizations. Administration can likewise address a more all encompassing methodology, as in the tone an organization’s administration sets or the way of life of the organization that administration builds up.

Male leader lecturing his employees in office; leadership skill concept
A company’s success depends on the leadership skills of the manager or business owner.

Leadership gives guidance for an organization and its employees. Representatives need to know the bearing in which the organization is going and who to follow to arrive at the objective. Leadership includes telling specialists the best way to successfully play out their obligations and consistently administering the consummation of their undertakings. It is also about setting a good example for the employees to follow, by enjoying work, willingness to learn new things, not afraid of failure, and helping each other to achieve the common goal. Compelling leaders incorporate displaying strong and solid characteristics. Leaders display genuineness, respectability, dependability, and morals. They act in accordance with how they talk and procure the option to be answerable for others accomplishment in the organization. Strong leaders include clear relational abilities. Additionally, leaders talk with and pay attention to staff individuals, react to different kinds of feedback, and are compassionate. Also, they utilize compelling relational abilities for pushing the organization ahead and making new degrees of progress.

An example of good leadership is Jack Welch (CEO) of General Electric Co. from 1981 to 2001 displayed effective leadership skills. He had an indispensable influence in 600 acquisitions in developing business sectors and expanded GEs market esteem from $12 billion to $505 billion at the hour of his retirement. Since the world is continually changing, Welch demanded everybody at GE embrace change. To keep developing organization activities and delivering more noteworthy yield, administrators and representatives needed to persistently reevaluate themselves and their work.

Welch recruited administrators who shared his vision of GE, had unlimited measures of energy and had the option to urge representatives to remain occupied with their work. He looked for administrators who made, created and refined thoughts for the future and found ways of making them a reality. He additionally demanded that administrators work one next to the other with representatives as a method of getting what they were doing and why. Because of Welch’s administration style, administrators and representatives were more enabled, items acquired better caliber, and consumer loyalty and benefits expanded significantly.

word cloud about leadership

How to Improve your Leadership Skills:

Regardless of whether you’re the administrator of an organization group that benefits an unmistakable bookkeeping firm or the CEO of a worldwide IT organization, all positions of authority accompany extraordinary obligation over different individuals, undertakings and difficulties. So what makes a decent leader? The best leaders share numerous characteristics for all intents and purposes, from unprecedented specialized information to a scope of refined and rehearsed delicate abilities. Reinforcing your administration abilities can assist you with advancing toward a place of significantly more noteworthy obligation in any industry. Also, you must possess or at least master these characteristics to improve your leadership skills and here’s how to do it.

Effective leadership skills

Leaders should be great communicators, versatile, decisive and positive. To comprehend the reason why these abilities should be exceptionally evolved and applied by leaders, see the underneath instances of how they are applied in the working environment:

  • Great Communicator

This extraordinarily significant and delicate expertise is utilized by leaders to hand-off data, to tune in, to address staff and partners, to compose reports, papers and methodologies and to connect with the best and most applicable individuals when a circumstance requests. A great communicator also means that you are great at talking to investors which is a key in expanding your business further. It can also be useful when dealing with uncertainty within your company which may lead into revolt. A good communicator leader will always find a way democratically instead of dealing with the problem using force.

Example: The CEO called a meeting and announced about the shuffling of staff due to the expansion of the business. He delivered and explained every bit of details that contained the announcement. After the announcement, given the good, great communicating skills of the CEO there were no questions further asked and the meeting adjourned without a problem.

male leader congratulating a male employee in front of his staff in the office; leadership skills concept
A good leader must be able to communicate their thoughts properly and inspire people.
  • Versatile

Leaders don’t simply adjust to continually evolving conditions, they flourish in them. Being versatile does not simply mean overseeing when things don’t go as arranged, it implies extricating the most worth from some random circumstance. Having the option to continually develop, taking individuals and items on the excursion as well, is a key administration expertise that gives extraordinary leaders their edge. An effective leadership skills example is a leader who is versatile, it means that a leader is willing to accept mistakes and make an example or better yet take it as an idea for future uses.

Example: An association of farmers leader told his subordinates that since it is not good for crops to grow in rainy weather, they need to find a solution and find other plants that can withstand the harshness of the weather. Later on they find a crop that can withstand the harsh weather. Now, instead of losing the will to plant, the association leader found a way to still manage to plant a crop that is suitable for that kind of weather. That right there is an example of a versatile leader.

  • Decisive

Ostensibly quite possibly the most effective leadership skill and the most essential skill for a leader to have, conclusiveness, and a capacity to settle on the best choice under tension, should be moved by any individual who tries to lead a group, division or association. This is the skill of a leader who foresees the possible outcome of the organization if ever he decides about something. By doing so, the organization can prepare for the worst case scenario. Taking risks is also part of this effective leadership skill. Taking risks in a business is like a normal thing to do, especially for leaders since they are the ones that decide most of what steps the organization should take.

Example: After a deliberative and scrutinizing discussion the CEO decided to fire the employee of the year for 5 consecutive years, in the context of him becoming over bossy and boastful to the point that he questions the higher ups erroneously without respect. The CEO makes a decisive decision for what he thinks best for the company.

  • Positive

In case leaders are good with regards to individuals, reason, undertakings and coordinated effort, employees around them will more often than not have an inspirational perspective on their work as well. Add to this a capacity to stay hopeful when wanted objectives or results are not accomplished, and you’ve got a pioneer who’s ready to continually invigorate and persuade their group. Positivity within an organization is a must and also needed. When things aren’t going as planned a leader should be the first one to show positivity not the first one to sway things around. A real captain never abandons his sinking ship.

Example: A company has a big financial crisis and is on the verge of bankruptcy. The employees are now sweating cold since they can lose their job. On the other hand, the President of the company works day and night just to find investors in order for the company to regain what they lost. The skills of the president signifies positivity and showing positivity and not giving up on times of uncertainty.

The four characteristics above show the effective leadership skills that make up  a great leader. These four are the essential skills to have to be a great and effective leader. If a person has these four skills, he/she can be a great leader that can save, grow, and run a company. Improving and developing these skills and characteristics is necessary if you want to have effective leadership skills and use it to become a great leader.

Genuine leadership sees where the organization is going and designs the means expected to arrive. Envisioning what is conceivable, pursuing directions in the business, a nd facing challenges to develop the business are completely expected of leaders. They also show hopefulness and give positive energy to staff. Great leaders are steady and are genuinely worried about the prosperity of others. Also, they track down responses to difficulties and console and motivate laborers when things turn out badly. Additionally, they find ways for staff to cooperate and accomplish most extreme outcomes in a productive and compelling way.

colorful pens with 1 big pen standing out; leadership concept
The behavior of a leader must inspire his staff to act in the same way.

In line with this, there are additional ways in improving and developing effective leadership skills.

Leadership abilities aren’t only for leaders or those in senior situations at an association. The characteristics exhibited day by day by great leaders, (and reasonably the abilities that got them there) can be learned and applied by representatives at all levels. Here are our tips to further develop your administration abilities:

  • Make great leader an inspiration

Start by distinguishing the leadership characteristics of your association, and the business you work in qualities most. Notice individuals, either inside or remotely, who have leadership abilities that you appreciate and assess their abilities and styles. Is it accurate to say that they are community oriented, remembering others for the dynamic interaction? Would they be able to sympathize with the requirements and difficulties confronting groups and people? Is it accurate to say that they are ready to energize and motivate individuals to activity? Distinguish the normal characteristics among existing leadership to work out the ideal range of abilities, yet additionally build up where there are holes, and how you could possibly carry something one of a kind to a senior position.

  • Teach and be taught

Extraordinary leaders aren’t alone. Indeed, even as a senior part or the CEO of an association, a guide can assist you with acquiring point of view, distinguish your qualities and shortcomings, and develop your organization. Be that as it may, you shouldn’t anticipate that a mentor should track you down. Observing the right teacher requires significant examination and arranging, frequently looking external to your association to your more extensive organization.

  • Make a lot of connections

It’s no coincidence that extraordinary leaders have compelling and extensive organizations. Get to know the representatives and associations that make up your industry by going to courses, gatherings and studios. Foster a strong comprehension of the market by burning-through significant news and data and knowing industry-explicit language. Then, at that point, lay down a good foundation for yourself as a leader by composing and distributing articles on industry issues, advancing crafted by your associates and association, and being willing to adopt dangers and innovative strategies into the industry.

business owner talking to his staff in front of laptop
A good leader knows how to delegate tasks well to his employees.
  • Manage your employees accordingly

Having the option to oversee individuals and representative undertakings is a basic administration expertise, however it very well may be a hard one to dominate. Designating doesn’t mean unloading heaps of work on others while you lay back and trust that the examples of overcoming adversity will come in. It implies relegating work to people and groups ideally suited to finish it productively. Designating is additionally a way of letting loose you, so that, as a ranking director or yearning pioneer, you can guide your concentration to seriously squeezing significant level jobs needing to be done.

  • Vision is important

Be a higher perspective mastermind and be imaginative. Face considered challenges and address difficulties with positive thinking and fervor. This quality is plentiful in acceptable leaders and empowers them to develop under tension. While you ought to be goal-oriented with your arrangements for a group or association, recollect that such reasoning ought to consistently supplement the association’s heading and methodology, not sabotage it.

  • Always learn on new things

Take an interest in internet based discussions, read papers, watch TED Talks and take apart reports. Burn-through, burn-through, burn-through. What makes a decent pioneer is their capacity to track down learning open doors in the most theoretical spots, including from junior representatives and altogether different enterprises. By focusing on long lasting learning, you’ll view individuals as motivated by, yet additionally new administration procedures and methodologies to try out in your own working environment.

          While there are normal characteristics and characteristics of extraordinary leaders, there’s no single, ideal way of overseeing individuals and undertakings. Leadership abilities and strategies fluctuate contingent upon the requests of the job, the association, the business and character type. Driving individuals to accomplishing their own, departmental and proficient objectives is that as it may, gigantically fulfilling, and cheerful, compensated representatives are unequivocally what make associations effective.

In addition, a lot of great leaders from the past did not and/or do not have definitive effective leadership skills and traits. (Napoleon Bonaparte, for example, wasn’t tall, and Abraham Lincoln on the other side was moody and introverted). The possibility of individuals becoming assertive and the boost of their self-confidence rises whenever they are put or they occupy a leadership position. With that being said, it is likely that the effective leadership skills and traits are the results, rather than the causes of leadership ability. May it be natural or learned leadership, improving and developing it on a daily basis will later on result into great things.

NEED FUNDING FOR YOUR BUSINESS? GET A FREE QUOTE TODAY AND GET FUNDED!

CLICK HERE TO GET A FREE QUOTE

Share this article

Follow Us

Recen Posts

No Results Found

The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.