A good leader is always working on themselves. Some skills, such as charisma and confidence, come naturally, but others can be learned. Not only can they be learned but a good leader will want to learn them. In fact, they never want to stop improving and growing their skill set.
Here are the skills that a good leader should develop and work on.
ProactivityÂ
Being passive can be a leader’s demise. A good leader will always try their best to be proactive. Proactivity is a skill that will further productivity and confidence in both the leader and employees.
“A successful leader doesn’t wait for things to happen; they are proactive and they anticipate desired results. They identify threats and take action against them.†– Career Addict
When employees watch their leader take action against threats and actively work towards goals, the employees will be more confident in their leader’s ability to get things done and they’ll want to further that. A proactive leader helps make everyone proactive.
Delegation
A good leader knows the importance of delegation and learns how to do it right. It can be a hard thing to be good at. It means losing a bit of control. A lot of people instinctively think that if they want a task done right then they need to do it themselves. A good leader knows that they don’t have to do everything.
The Balance Careers lists some skills that make a good delegator as the following:
- Accepting feedback from employees
- Allotting resources for employees
- Assessing employee strengths and weaknesses
- Defining expectations
- Evaluating employee performance
- Identifying measurable outcomes
- Matching the task to the right employee
- Prioritizing tasks
- Setting expectations
- Teamwork
- Time management
- Training
- Trust in employees
A leader that takes on too many tasks will struggle to get things done. Delegating tasks isn’t a sign of weakness as some leaders think, but a sign of a good leader. It’s not as simple as handing out tasks to employees, it’s a skill that involves knowing your employees and their skill sets so you can assign the right tasks to the right person.
Relationship Building
A strong company is built on a foundation of strong relationships. A good leader knows this and tries to build those relationships.
“Business is built on a solid foundation of relationships and trust. Without these two things, you can’t have a business, or at least not a successful business.†– Inc
Building strong relationships takes a kind of skill that you can only learn by doing. A good leader isn’t afraid to work on these relationships constantly and authentically. They’ll take time out of their day to build relationships with their team, their customers, their community. Basically, they’ll want to build a relationship with anyone that they can. They know that’s what will make their company stronger.
Vulnerability
Although it may not seem like it, vulnerability is a skill. People often look upon it as a weakness, but it’s certainly not. It’s one of the most important parts of leadership.
“It creates an environment where everyone is safe to learn and grow from their mistakes. It also saves time and creates a better work culture for all. While it might seem counterintuitive, vulnerability makes stronger leaders.†– COO Alliance
Vulnerability leads to better communication, increased creativity, better time management, and better company culture, which are also all things that a good leader works towards.
Good leaders are always looking for ways to develop. No matter who you are or how high up on the ladder you are, there are always skills to be worked on. A good leader knows this. They always strive to be the best they can be.
If you have questions or would like more information, I’d be happy to help. Please send an email, and my team will get in touch with you!
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