the word “leader”
Bhavdeep Kohli
Corporate Trainer at Kohli Finishing School - Softskills & Corporate Training Institute
When you hear the word “leader”, you’ll be reminded of personalities such as Gandhi, Nehru, or Abraham Lincoln. So, what it takes to be a good leader? How can you become a good leader and what does leadership mean? The answer to all these questions is as follows. The definition of leadership focuses on your ability to organize and inspire people to achieve a shared goal on a particular schedule. Any organization these days look out for leadership skills because those skills facilitate strong teams and also the ability to get the work done efficiently. There are scenarios where your leadership skills might differ from that of your colleagues. You might exhibit “soft” leadership skills such as deep listening, empathy, and patience whereas your colleagues might exhibit strengths in decision-making and risk-taking. You have to remember developing your leadership skills that align with your aptitudes to have greater effectiveness in the job.
Here are ways on how you can improve your leadership skills.
Discover your leadership style. The foremost step before trying to develop your leadership skills is to find out your style. You need to take efforts in finding out your strengths and weaknesses. With these insights, you’ll be able to strengthen your weaknesses and perfect your leadership abilities.
Be passionate. If you want to improve your leadership skills, you need to be passionate about the goals of your team and showcase genuine enthusiasm for the team, the project, and the tasks. This encouragement and interest for your team members will make them feel appreciated and valued.
Communication is the key. If there’s a communication gap between you and your team members, then you might not be able to carry your team. Make sure to communicate with them effectively. Listen to them and express sincere care and concern towards group members and their opinions, by doing this you’ll encourage them to contribute both verbally and non-verbally.
Boost creativity. If you want to get the most out of your members, you must make sure that they are stimulated intellectually and creatively. If you do not do this, then you are probably taking the risk of leading a group of uninspired people who may not be contributed to your cause.
Set goals and pursue your plans. You cannot work on something great if you don’t have an idea about what it is. A leader needs to have a vision or goal and should work on following the action plan. By being specific about the information to your followers, timelines, expectations, and objectives, your follower will know what they’re working towards which is a more effective leadership process.