5 Key Skills For Leadership

Leadership positions can be drastically different but there are a few basic elements that they all have in common. The following 5 key skills for leadership are some of those that all good leaders require, regardless of their field or position.

 

1. Communication

 

The nature of leadership means that you are working with others. Working with others means that you will need to communicate.

 

Knowing how your team is coming along, what obstacles that they are facing is important both so that you can help them deal with their problems and enjoy their successes with them, but also because chances are you will need to report their progress to your superior. 

 

After all, leadership positions are often still somewhere along the chain of command. You are leading a team, but you are probably also one of a number of team leaders forming another team that answers to another leader. Communicating with your team and fellow team leaders as well as superiors will all be important.

 

2. Creativity

Being a leader doesn’t just mean telling other people what to do, it also means working with the individual strengths and weaknesses of your team members. This requires communication, but also creativity.

 

As a group leader, you will be in charge of directing your team towards the completion of your goal, but also in charge of overcoming problems that your team faces both externally and internally.

 

3. Organization

 

In addition to orchestrating your team members, a leader needs to keep an eye on all of the due-dates and deadlines for projects being managed by your team.

 

Of course, the more that your team has to do the more difficult this can become. This can also be true if there is something that you need to do with your team’s work or reports before passing it along. Consider the case of an editor at a newspaper, for example. Each writer has their own deadlines to get things into the editor so that the editor can edit them before the editor’s deadline.

 

Matching up your deadlines with your team’s deadlines can mean a busy calendar.

 

4. Tenacity

 

Leaders also need to have patience and tenacity.

 

As a leader, you should have been tasked with some kind of explicit objective. While it is natural to want your team to have achieved this objective as soon as possible, it is important that you do not become discouraged if the objective is not achieved overnight.

Chances are, this objective – whatever it may be – is only the first of many that you will be tasked with completing during your time in a leadership position. As such, it is important that you demonstrate that you are able and willing to put in prolonged time and effort to achieve a goal.

 

5. Restraint

 

Finally, leaders require restraint. It is very seldom that the most direct or the riskiest path will be the one that leads to the greatest results. People love to see a leader put everything on the line, but only when it pays off. Calculated risks can impress the crowd, but it’s usually better to take a route that you know will work than a route that might work if everything else works out okay.

 

There are many things that make a good leader, and no article can prepare you for leadership. It is important that you gradually settle into a leadership position by making decisions that protect those around you and those beneath you. 

 

Sometimes it can seem like this means taking the slow road, or the road without fame and glory, but being a leader isn’t about glory as much as it is about success. That means taking things slow and taking the action that is best for your team rather than best for your appearance.

 

5 Characteristics Of A Great Leader

A lot is expected of leaders. As they lead, they grow in their abilities and skills. When looking at the leaders around you, you will be able to notice the best of them. Below are five characteristics of a great leader. 

1. Empathy

Our first characteristic of a great leader is empathy. As a leader, it is important that you care about how others feel, especially those who you are leading. When leaders don't care about those under them, they end up more like dictators. 

As their leader, the more you connect with what your people need and want, the better you will be able to lead them. Some ways for you to show empathy are to listen to concerns that are brought to you and to ask how people are doing. Asking gives them a chance to tell you so that you can help them with those problems.

2. Strength

The second characteristic of a great leader is strength. This typically does not refer to physical abilities but rather mental ones. Leaders have to deal with a lot of things and protect their group from numerous problems. 

You must be a strong person to handle the strain of that effort and the strain of protecting your group. Some ways for you to demonstrate that strength is to handle the stress of your position well and get rid of it through good outlets, and to maintain a good attitude even when things aren't going as planned. 

3. Open-Minded

The third characteristic of great leaders is that they need to have open minds. One of the worst things that you can do is lead with a closed mind. If you continually think a certain way such as that your way is the best and you believe that nothing else other than your way can work, you might get lucky at first. 

But eventually, your close-mindedness will catch up and cause you problems, hurting your leadership abilities and those under you. Some ways that you can practice being open-minded is to seek out information that you don't agree with and to talk openly with people who hold beliefs that are different from yours.

4. Accountable

Being accountable is the fourth characteristic of a great leader. Being responsible for your decisions, whether the outcome is good or bad, is a hard thing to do. But the very greatest leaders will always hold themselves and those around them accountable for their actions. 

Ways to help you stay accountable are to have a friend or other accountable person to regularly evaluate what you are doing, keep a diary or calendar to help you keep track of what needs to get done, and don't get distracted or flake out when things get hard. 

5. Good Communicator

The fifth characteristic of a great leader is to be a good communicator. Being a leader is all about communication. You can’t lead any group of people if you aren’t able to communicate with them. Lack of communication is not the only possible problem. If you aren’t able to communicate well, you might miscommunicate and confuse the people who you are talking to. 

Some ways to improve your communication abilities are to take speech classes and to practice communicating. For those who are introverted or those who have social anxiety, it can be hard to talk to large groups of people. 

Seeing a doctor can help with your social anxiety will make things easier on you. But overall, doing more public speaking will help you become more comfortable and confident. Public speaking is one of the largest fears that humans have but it still remains a very important skill for leaders to have. 

 

6 Reasons To Develop Your Leadership Skills

Leaders are the people that we look towards to help us through tough times. They are the people who we respect and follow the example of. There are a lot of benefits to being a leader within your own life. 

 

Developing your leadership skills can help you in numerous ways with your personal life and your career path. Here are six reasons to develop your leadership skills. 

1. Further your career

When you develop your leadership skills, you are helping to further your career. It is hard to move forward in any career without leadership skills but especially in jobs that deal with people. When your superiors see your increase in leadership skills such as communication, organization, reliability, and more, they are more likely to want to put you in leadership positions where you can help make a difference within your job.

2. Increase your self-esteem

 

Developing your leadership skills can help with your self-esteem. Becoming a better leader within your own life and utilizing your leadership skills on yourself could help you assess yourself better. Your confidence will grow and you will gain a more accurate image of yourself rather than the negative version you had come to picture.

3. Relate to leaders in your life

When you start to become a leader and understand what it takes to be a good leader, you begin to relate a lot more to the leaders in your own life. It can be hard to relate to your bosses or community leaders but as you develop your own leadership skills, you should start to gain some empathy towards them. Leading a group of people comes with a lot of challenges. Once you are more knowledgeable about those challenges, you are more likely to understand what your own leaders are going through. 

4. Open new opportunities

As you develop your leadership skills, leadership positions are much more likely to open up to you. There are always roles that need to be filled. When people see leaders rising up, they will often reach out with available opportunities. There could be a club or other organization that you have never considered being a part of that asks for you to join because of your leadership skills. These opportunities might not have been available to you prior to your skill development. 

5. Be a better person

We already discussed how your leadership skill development would help you to have better self-esteem and relate better to your own leaders. Those are not the only ways that you will improve as your skills develop. 

Anytime that you work on a skill, you are improving yourself. By developing your leadership skills, you are working towards making yourself a better person. As these skills improve, so will others. It is always a great thing to improve upon yourself and attempt to make yourself the best version of yourself possible. 

6. Help those around you

There are a lot of ways that developing your leadership skills helps you. One major reason to develop your leadership skills is what they will do for those around you. When you are a better leader and person, that only has positive effects on those around you. 

Your increase in communication skills, time management, and organizational abilities will be very positive for those around you. Your family, friends, and coworkers will all benefit as you become a better example of a good leader and of a person who is bettering themselves.

 

Overall, these six reasons should help motivate you to want to develop your leadership skills. There is so much to gain and so very little to lose. 

 

Accountability: A Key Function Of A Great Leader

Accountability is defined by Merriam-Webster as “...an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions.” This trait of taking responsibility has been and will always be a key function of a great leader. The reason for this is taking accountability is not an easy thing to do. It is easy to claim our actions that have positive outcomes. 

 

But when something we do results in negatives, it can be tempting to not accept responsibility for it. Being accountable also involves holding others accountable. 

 

When others make mistakes or are not moving in the right direction, it is the responsibility of great leaders to hold those individuals accountable for their actions. It might be hard or embarrassing to address these faults, but a great leader pushes through and accepts responsibility regardless. 

 

Throughout history, the best and greatest leaders have shown accountability.

 

One great example of this is Eleanor Roosevelt. Throughout her life, including but not limited to her time as the first lady, Roosevelt worked hard to bring equality to all people and hold those in power accountable for this equality. History.com discusses her many achievements and actions. 

 

“During World War II (1939-1945), Roosevelt advocated on behalf of European refugees who wanted to come to the United States. She also promoted issues that were important to American troops, worked to boost soldiers’ morale, encouraged volunteerism on the home front and championed women employed in the defense industry. She also pushed for the continuation of New Deal programs during the war, against the wishes of some of her husband’s advisors...Eleanor Roosevelt famously resigned from the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) when it barred African American singer Marian Anderson from performing at its Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.”

 

Using her political position, Roosevelt made sure that all people from refugees, to troops, to women were getting what they needed. Roosevelt continued to do this in many other ways such as getting more women federal positions and holding press conferences for female reporters. 

 

She also supported the civil rights movement. Because of this support, in the 1960s a $25,000 bounty was put on her head by the KKK. 

 

Later in life, Roosevelt became a part of the U.N. in the first U.S. delegation. During this time, she gave the speech “The Struggle for Human Rights.” This speech urged for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to be passed. Roosevelt also served on the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and was part of the Peace Corps, in addition to the U.N.

 

Roosevelt is an example of a great leader who showed accountability.

 

As the first lady, she had the most power a woman could really have in the United States at that time. She used her position to make sure that everyone else was being treated equally and fairly. She held her husband and his associates to a high standard. She held clubs and organizations to a high standard too.

 

When they didn't meet her expectations, she worked to change them. While previous first ladies had used their position to be the white house’s hostesses, Roosevelt used it to help create equality for everyone in the country. 

 

Being a leader is hard but being a great leader is incredibly difficult. When we see someone throughout history or in current events doing a good job leading, it is smart to observe what they are doing and why. 

 

Roosevelt lifted up the people who were the lowest on the totem pole. She held those who were in power to higher standards. She is a great example of why a key function to being a good leader is accountability.

 

Are You Your Own Leader?

When you look at your life, what determines your values, actions, thoughts, and more? Do you rely on others to tell you how you should think and feel? In the age of social media, it can be hard to be your own independent person. 

 

A great way to assess your own leadership in your life is to look at your relationships.

 

Family

 

One of the first relationships to look at is the one that you have with your family. As we grow up, we often start out believing what our parents believe. They tell us what to do, and for a certain number of years, we have to do it. It is only when we move out or start becoming independent that we begin to think for ourselves. 

 

At this point, you are becoming your own leader. Your parents might really like or believe one thing, and you like or believe differently. That is okay. You are choosing for yourself what you want to like or believe. It can be hard for parents and other family members to adjust to you having leadership over yourself. 

 

Your family has to grow just as you have and when they don’t, it can either cause rifts between you and them, or it can cause you to revert and step away from being your own leader. 

 

Your Relationship With Your Partner

 

Another relationship that you need to look at is the one you have with your partner. While it is important for you guys to have things in common, it is also important that you are not relying on them to tell you what to think or feel. 

 

Your partner shouldn’t be telling you where you are allowed to go, who you are allowed to see, and what you are allowed to wear. When this happens, you are not independent over yourself. It is good to check in with your partner and make sure that you guys are on the same page, but you are your own person even when you are in a relationship. Your whole person doesn’t need to change based upon who you are in a relationship with. 

 

Friendships

 

A large group of relationships that you need to access is those that you have with your friends. People very often peer pressure each other. It can be easy to fall into a trap of embarrassment and shame that causes you to do something that you wouldn’t normally do. 

 

If your friends do not accept you for who you are and are constantly trying to change you by dictating how you should think or feel, they are probably not the friends for you. Ideally, your friends will respect who you are as a person and will not attempt to change you. 

 

Just because they do something, doesn’t mean that you should do it. You are your own person and you are allowed to make your own decisions, even if they don’t go with what your friends are doing. 

 

You Are The Master Of Your Own Life

 

It can be very easy to fall into the habit of never standing up for yourself or always doing what is common or popular. Sometimes it is hard to go against the crowd or stop what you have already started doing. 

 

The biggest indicator that you are your own leader is that you do exactly what you want. Your life is your own and your choices were made by you. You are the master of your life and you don’t require the relationships that you hold with others around you to determine anything for you. 

 

Being your own leader can be scary and hard, but ultimately it will help you to feel at ease in your skin and have fewer regrets in life. 

 

Learn From Great Leaders: The Benefits Of Having An Open Mind

For every individual, no matter their position, there are benefits to having an open mind. For leaders, there are definitely benefits as having an open mind allows them to become better leaders. One example of a leader who made changes to his viewpoints is Abraham Lincoln. 

 

Lincoln is considered a great leader of the United States because of what he accomplished while he was president. He issued the Emancipation proclamation and granted freedom to slaves. He also helped start the rebuilding of the country after the civil war. 

 

Although he helped give United States’ slaves their freedom, according to history.com, he wasn’t always so sure on the proper course of action. “Abraham Lincoln did believe that slavery was morally wrong, but there was one big problem: It was sanctioned by the highest law in the land, the Constitution...he didn’t know exactly what should be done about it within the current political system.”

 

Over time, he realized what had to be done. Although there were many reasons for freeing the slaves, he gave them their freedom even though it went against the Constitution, something that had been previously very problematic for him.

 

Lincoln learned to expand his beliefs by having a more open mind. There are many benefits that he received because of his changes of beliefs and having an open mind. Because of Lincoln’s actions, he is highly regarded for starting to pave the path for equality for African Americans. Lincoln is featured on the United States’ currency and there are multiple memorials dedicated to him. 

 

Throughout the rest of Lincoln’s presidency after the end of the civil war, he continued to change in his thinking in actions and become more and more accepting of African Americans and their place in the states. If Lincoln had not had an open mind and had stuck with the Constitution, he would not be the revered man that he is today.

 

Although it can be hard to have an open mind and to look at opinions that are different from yours, there are many benefits to it. 

 

Seeing multiple angles and sides of things allows you to be a better leader. 

 

If you can relate to your people and understand how they feel and what they think, you will be able to better serve them. Those following you will be much more willing to sing your praises if you are able to help them in the way that they need. 

 

Are you having trouble having a more open mind? It’s all about attitude. You need to allow yourself the opportunity to open your mind. Opening your mind doesn’t mean immediately changing your beliefs. Instead, you are looking at all the facts and alternative opinions. 

 

You are not immediately disregarding anything that doesn’t fit with what you think. Instead, consider these other ideas and compare them to your own thoughts.

 

It is very easy to remain close-minded and stick to our old thoughts and beliefs.

 

But this world is ever-changing and it needs us to change with it. As a leader, it is important to understand these changes, even if you don’t agree with all of them. The people you are leading might relate to these changes or be a large part of them. 

 

Being able to connect with them or understand where they are coming from is extremely important. Just like Lincoln was able to adapt and make changes for his people which lead to wonderful things for the United States, other great leaders around you will do so as well as they utilize their open-mindedness. 

 

Learn From Great Leaders: The Benefits Of Responsibility And Dependability

Responsibility and dependability are two things that carry a lot of weight. When you are responsible for someone or something, you are the overseer of it. It is your job to take care of it until that responsibility is shifted away from you.

 

When you are dependable, others can count on you to keep your word and follow through with your actions. While these two things require a lot of work and effort, they also come with some benefits. A quick look into history can help demonstrate the benefits that came with the addition of responsibility and dependability for one man.

 

Before the United States was its own country, it was a group of states that was still ruled by Great Britain. During this time, George Washington was starting his life on his own. He began his military experience by serving and being a commander in the French and Indian War.

 

Years later, he ended up becoming an integral part of the Revolutionary War through his previous military experience and political position. After being named commander in chief of the Continental Army, he began the long task of gaining independence for the states.

 

History.com discusses Washington and his history. It says that “Washington proved to be a better general than military strategist. His strength lay not in his genius on the battlefield but in his ability to keep the struggling colonial army together...His leadership during the winter of 1777-1778 at Valley Forge was a testament to his power to inspire his men to keep going.” When the war ended, Washington was declared a national hero. 

 

After signing the peace treaty, Washington gave up his position and returned to his home, excited to get back to his crops and plantation. However, the new country had different plans. 

 

Washington had become so popular during the war that he was the first choice for the new presidential seat. He eventually took the position and served two terms as president. After serving as president, he finally returned to his home where he lived the rest of his life, dying just a few years later at 67 years of age. 

 

Throughout Washington’s life, he carried a large amount of responsibility and showed his dependability. 

 

Because of how well he led the soldiers to victory and independence, he was given the benefit of the first choice for the presidential seat of the new country. Had Washington done poorly during his time in the war, this would have not been the case. 

 

Because of this, he is now a highly regarded individual in the United States. As the first president, his face is on our currency both paper and coin. There are many buildings and other monuments dedicated to his name. He is celebrated on his birthday every year and he is studied in all history classes. 

 

While being the first president wasn't what Washington originally intended to do with his time after the war, it ended up being a great reward for his hard work during the war as well as providing an increase in responsibility that has led to him being so revered.

 

While taking on responsibilities and being dependable in your own life will probably not lead to monuments being built in your name, there are benefits to showing and acting on these good qualities while you are leading. 

 

Washington is just one of the many examples of great leaders who show that you reap what you sow. When you put in the work and take your position seriously, good things will come out of it. 

 

The Best Leaders Thrive Through Struggle And Adversity

It is easy to be a leader in the good times. When there are no problems or conflicts there is nothing challenging you or forcing you to change and grow. However, the best leaders are able to thrive through struggles and adversity. 

 

A great example of a leader that thrived in struggles and adversity is Nelson Mandela. 

 

The nelsonmandela.org website discusses his life and influence. Mandela was a great leader in South Africa who worked to help the country get out from under the previous government’s hold. He was very involved in the country's politics and he consistently worked to begin the necessary changes. He helped with protests, strikes, and led an armed struggle.

 

For his actions, Mandela was jailed multiple times with the final time being for twenty-four years. Once he was finally released, he immediately threw himself back into the political field. 

 

Four years after leaving prison, Mandela became the first democratically elected president of South Africa. “I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.” Quote by Nelson Mandela from his speech from the Dock on April 20, 1964.

 

A large part of what made Mandela such a great leader was all the troubles his country was going through. If there had been better leaders in power, he might not have gotten into politics or made it as far as he did. 

 

Even after being in prison for a large part of his adult life, every time he was released, he would be in the midst of things once more, attempting to make positive changes. Mandela's motivation to make things better for his people was his driving force but the trials that he went through only amplified his results. 

 

In your own life, you will witness many leaders. Most of them will go through struggles and adversity. Some of the problems will be because of their leadership position while other issues could be caused by personal or other problems. The best leaders will thrive and make it through these tribulations while the weaker leaders will not. 

 

In your own life, while you are in the midst of troubles, it can be very tempting to quit or give up. 

 

However, consider those in your life who need you to be strong and continue on. Your family, friends, and coworkers rely on you, to some degree. If you are in a leadership position, it is especially important that you continue on. Use the tribulations to your benefit. Allow them to inspire you to keep working and press on harder.

 

When looking at history, the most revered leaders were noticed in times of trouble. Wars and other political problems help bring out the best leaders to the foreground as they deal with problems that have possibly never occurred prior to that moment. 

 

Mandela is a great example of this. In different circumstances, he might have been just a normal guy. The world might have never known his name. 

 

Life will always provide difficulties and new problems.

 

The best thing to do is to keep moving forward and working hard. Look at the leaders in your life and see how they deal with struggles. What do they do when new problems arrive? Some people have more experience with handling difficulties but it can always be good to see what others would do in your place and how to strive through struggles and adversity.

 

What It Means To Be A Leader In Your Personal Life

Being a leader in your personal life is exactly how it sounds. Not only are you a leader to yourself, but you are a leader to those directly around you. Some areas in your personal life that you can be a leader in are within yourself, your family, a club or organization, or your job.

 

Being a leader within your own family means that you are someone that the others within your group look towards for guidance. 

 

This could mean that you are a leader of your children, your spouse or partner, your roommates, parents, or even friends. 

 

This could mean that they bring their personal problems to you for advice or solutions. They might even bring problems to you simply for you to hear them out and act as a sounding board. 

 

Another way that you can be a leader for your family is by dealing with problems before anyone else even realizes they are there. 

 

Examples of this are airing up your car’s tires, restocking household items, or replacing a lightbulb. 

 

Having a leadership role within a club or organization means that you are in a position of power. Whether you hold a title such as president or you are the founder, you are a major source behind the organization. 

 

Being a leader of a club often means that you are the one setting up meetings, fundraisers, or other activities. You are organizing supplies, purchasing new materials, or cleaning up after get-togethers.

 

Possibly you are giving speeches or introducing people or talking to the media. As a leader within the group, you are a major source of representation for them. To gain leadership positions within clubs and organizations, you often have to have great attendance to their activities, put in extra work such as bringing supplies, volunteering your time, or staying after to clean up. 

 

You also have to have a passion for their purpose.

 

If you don’t care about their mission or goal, the members of that community are not going to want you to lead them. One other thing that is important is how people view you. 

 

In clubs and organizations, leadership positions are often voted upon. People often don’t want to put reckless and irresponsible people in charge. Whoever they feel sets the best example for their group and is helping move the group in the right direction is often who they will choose. 

 

Being a leader within your job can be different than in other areas of your personal life. Anyone can be a leader, no matter what position they hold, but often, the most promoted individuals are the biggest leaders.

 

If you show great leadership skills such as working hard, being on time, doing your job right, putting in extra time, going above and beyond, and more, you are more likely to be promoted. When you are promoted to a manager or team leader position, you are often given a group of people that you are supposed to lead. 

 

Unfortunately, there are not always positions available for you to be promoted to. Even if there is not a higher position, you can still be a great leader in the current position you hold. This might mean being a leader over yourself more than over other people, but you are still being a leader in your life. 

 

Overall, there are many ways that you can be a leader in your personal life.

 

It doesn’t just mean having a management job but could mean leading your younger sibling. There are always numerous ways that you can be a leader in your own life, even if that just means leading yourself.