Top 6 Skill Development Areas for Leaders

Over the last few years, my company has had the honor of being the “Fractional HR” partner working with some really incredible and unique organizations. We have been involved with recruiting amazing new leaders, helped leaders restructure their teams, and improved the culture of the organization. Along the way, we have observed remarkable instances of natural leadership, as well as those where leaders were contributing to toxic workplace situations.?

Reflecting on these experiences, along with researching the topic extensively, I have put together a framework of key skills that enable an organization to thrive.?

Over the coming months we are going to be building out a training curriculum to support our clients and ensure that their people managers have the tools and training to succeed.?

As such, I wanted to share my point of view on a few core beliefs.?

To begin, I subscribe to the concept of a growth mindset - that people have capacity to develop and grow.?

I also believe that people come into an organization with a unique set of predetermined preferences, motivations, strengths, and personality attributes. Some of these aspects are pretty core to a person, hardwired so to speak, and are not going to change. Some people can fake it for a while, but eventually their true selves emerge. It is tough for everyone when the fit isn’t good.?*I speak from experience here: Early on, I was a so-so accountant before realizing that I didn’t have the attention to detail and passion for defined answers. I was far more comfortable with ambiguity, innovation and people, and a major career change was needed. Over time, I have been part of organizations that were a good fit for me, and others that were not.

Thus, before bringing someone into the team, you want to make sure that you clearly understand what you are both looking for in terms of these more fixed attributes/core values. This could include things like being “hungry, humble and smart,” having an acceptable level of emotional intelligence, being driven to fulfill the mission, being aligned with your core values, having confidence, willingness to grow, and unquestionable ethics, and being a team player, etc.

If you find someone that is a good fit to these qualities, and then add skills, tools and reinforcement, success should follow.

With this in mind, here is a sneak peak of what we are working on in terms of a “Manager Toolkit.”

Whether someone leads an entire organization or a small team within a larger organization, here are the areas that you should invest in.

Top 6 Skill Development Areas for Leaders

1. Team Building and Trust?- All people managers should be intentional about creating a culture of team building and trust. Everyone should be aligned on the goals, and be motivated to support each other. There should be regular offsite meetings to enhance internal communications, incorporate awareness exercises (DISC, MBTI, etc.), create shared goals for the coming 3-6 months, and actively raise and address issues/problems.
2. Delegating Work and Project Management?- All people managers should be versed in the basics of clearly defining success for an initiative, getting buy-in from key stakeholders regarding the scope, breaking down a project into activities, organizing the activities into a work plan, assigning tasks to team members, monitoring progress and addressing roadblocks.
3. Conflict Management and Resolution?- All people managers (heck, anyone that works with people) should have an awareness of different conflict styles, be prepared to have crucial conversations (I highly recommend Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson as required reading), and be familiar with the typical steps of managing workplace conflict.?
4. Workplace Civility?- It is important to set clear expectations around respect and decorum in the workplace. Obviously there are legal reasons for ensuring that harassment and discrimination are banished from your workplace. Be mindful of behaviors that lead to disengagement (such as gossiping, hoarding information, etc.) and work to actively avoid or extinguish them.
5. Inclusion and Belonging?- The workplace is more diverse than ever. Understanding bias and creating a culture of inclusion where everyone feels comfortable bringing their authentic self to work is a culture that many employees seek, and once they find it, they won’t leave.
6. Giving Feedback, Developing Talent, and Enhancing Strengths?- It is important that managers know the strengths and career desires of their team members. This enables managers to help teams do their best work?today, as well as to prepare talent?for the future?- whether it is growth within the organization or outside of it.

Did I miss anything??Which of these do you think is the most important??I’d love to get your feedback!