Non-Negotiable Leadership Skills

My mom is a former drill sergeant and retired Army veteran. She is my first example of what a true leader is. I had a front row seat to watch her in action, personally and professionally. I learned a lot from her and enjoyed our experiences as a transient military family. Through domestic and international travel, I saw leadership in action all around me.

My mom inspired my military service. Those three years, solidified my leadership foundation and shaped my perspective. 25 years later, I still draw on those experiences. I'm also still in close touch with my Battle Buddy. I literally trust her with my life because we were trained to look out for and have each other's backs. I feel this same sense of responsibility for those who are assigned to me.

Professionally, I've worked across multiple industries and had the unique opportunity to develop, display, and experience various leadership styles in the military, corrections, education, and executive search. Not all of my experiences have been great, but I always learn from them.

Over the years, I've observed that the majority of effective leaders exemplify certain skills. If you are a leader, check yourself. Do you embody these skills? Would you and your team agree? If you aspire to be a great leader, do the necessary inner work to develop the following skills:

1.    Be self-motivated. During her time in the military, my mom woke up every morning at 4 am for PT (physical training). Her commitment to show up and execute consistent action to get her and her trainees closer to their goals is an example of this. As a leader, it’s important to motivate yourself to take action to move forward toward your goals – whether they’re personal or team goals. Leaders are driven to get things done and they lead their team to do the same.

2.    Delegate. You can’t do it all yourself. The most effective leaders surround themselves with skilled people, define their responsibilities, and then get out of the way. A single person is quite limited, but many hands can get a lot done. Learn how to share your workload. My mom is now Deputy Commissioner of a state agency and oversees the work of hundreds of people. There's no way she can do what they do. She empowers her team of leaders to trust themselves to make the right decisions and get things done.

3.    Communicate effectively. You might have a clear picture in your mind of what you’d like to see happen. Unfortunately, no one can read your mind. A leader is responsible for sharing their vision and making their desires known. The teacher in me says great leaders must meet their audience where they are. Communicate appropriately with your visual, audio, kinetic, and mixed learning style team members.

• People can give you what you want when you can communicate clearly what needs to be done.
• Provide status updates and keep everyone on the same page. Employees lose motivation when they don’t understand the current situation fully

4.    Develop others. Over the years, I learned that no one cares how much you know unless they know how much you care. Do the work to learn your team's individual motivators and understand what they want to achieve. Being a leader isn’t just about utilizing others to reach your goals. It’s developing those around you. From a more selfish perspective, the more skilled your employees, the more they can assist you and the company.

• Share your expertise and help everyone around you to grow
• Care about what's important to them and put them in position to win. Give them access to the tools and resources to be successful

5.    Be committed. You can’t expect greater commitment than you’re willing to provide. A leader sets the ceiling. Everyone else settles in somewhere below that point. Set the ceiling high and show them what true commitment looks like.

6.    Inspire others. A great leader knows how to inspire others to do their best work. It’s not always easy to inspire those content to simply show up each day and collect a paycheck, but it’s possible. Show your motivation and commitment.

• Even if you’re only able to inspire a few people to do their best, it will make a positive difference.

7.    Have a clear focus. If you don’t know what you want, you won’t get it. Leaders are clear on their vision and readily share it with others. A clear vision serves as a roadmap. Employees can easily ask themselves if their actions are contributing to the attainment of your vision. Know your focus and communicate it effectively.

8.    Show respect. Titles and tenure mean nothing. Put out the same energy you'd wish to receive in a subordinate role. You never know when the roles will reverse. Strive to treat everyone fairly and avoid playing favorites. Everyone is worthy of a basic level of respect. All leaders must ensure they're giving it.

9.    Confidence. It’s natural to be drawn to others with confidence. You are viewed as more capable and trustworthy when your confidence level is high. Be comfortable with your skills and your plan. Transfer that confidence to your team, as well. When you show confidence in their ability to carry out your vision, it builds loyalty and trust. I find this is difficult for authoritarian and autocratic leaders to adopt.

• A lack of self-confidence will limit the ability of others to trust your vision and judgment
• Show confidence in your team to get the job done. It empowers them to carry out your vision and align themselves with the organization's goals

10. Be decisive. Leaders make the tough decisions fearlessly and take responsibility for the outcome. It’s easy to make quick decisions when you’re clear on your values and those of the company. If you can’t make up your mind, your leadership skills will be called into question.

• Practice by making small decisions quickly and following through on them. It gets easier with practice. You’ll be surprised by how much more you accomplish when you’re able to make a clear decision.

Leaders are necessary in any organization. Great leaders are made and not born. They share common characteristics that you can develop in yourself. Even if you don’t feel you currently possess these qualities, you can grow your capacity to be an effective leader. If you need help, it is highly advised you invest in coaching. I've had and have some really great leadership coaches. Reach out to me for help with finding yours.