Developing Your Leadership Skills

[clabrat]

Leadership skills are the backbone of any organization’s leadership structure. It is in fact the central element in an organization’s existence. It therefore goes without saying that developing leadership skills is the surest way to advance your career quickly. So leadership development is something that anyone who hopes to advance their career should think about.

Assuming that you are not just starting on your first job, then you have been presented with opportunities to learn new and exciting ways to develop your leadership capabilities fully. Even if this is your first job, these opportunities will arise at some point. Leadership requires a continuous process of learning and when you are opening to learning through experience, then your leadership skills will increase and you will then be better placed to advance your career.

Leadership skills can be learned through workshops or formal courses that are facilitated by trained professionals, they can be learned through reading books and publications and putting to practice what you read and they can also be learned by hands on experience where you are faced with situations that require you to employ leadership skills which then awakens you to the fact that they were already there.

Everyday challenges are what set apart true leaders from posers. The way a supposed leader reacts to and approaches everyday situations is the true test of a leader. This is also the way through which your capacity as a leader is increased. Taking a proactive approach to developing your leadership skills through studying the various resources that are available will place you ahead of the pack.

Developing your leadership skills will require some planning. First you will need to assess the leadership capabilities that you possess at present. Doing this helps you to identify areas in your leadership style that may require further development. Once you have identified what your leadership skills are, then you have to take the necessary steps to improve on this by especially tackling areas where you perceive yourself as being weak. To gather information about your leadership skills you can gather information from your HR manager or co-workers who will give an honest assessment.

[bmiles]

I agree that leadership is extremely critical. Many organizations often overlook this skills assuming that business is all about profiting. I believe that it is these intangible skills and traits that contribute to the visible financial aspects.

[Deal_Maker]

Leadership will make or break an organization. It doesn't matter how talented your people are, how much funding you have, or how many connections you have. If someone doesn't take the lead the organization will crumble.

[loanboy0]

Great post.. I agree that leadership will make or break a organization or a business.. being a leader of an organization is always a challenge.. your members are always looking at you...

[Danslides]

Agreed. Strong leaders equal strong businesses.

[Alexishost]

Listen to people is core of leadership!
then making good decision!

[SophieM]

Leadership is the foundation of a good startup. If you had the best programmers and desginers on the market, they would be useless if you didn't know how to lead them and develop them into a team.

[nelsonclassic]

Hello friend,
Yes, you are correct leadership is the backbone of every company,because every company's progress depends on it's leadership quality..
It plays very important role in business development..many companies ignore it in race of earning more and more profit..but if a company keeps it's leadership quality good then it helps in it's development as well as make company's success long lasting.

Regards,
Nelson

[Jwright12382]

I'm a bit partial to military leadership principals because I am a Marine (former) but you would be amazed at the % of retired/former military running corporate America.

We worked under the following acronym for leadership traits (one that I believe is applicable to any/all walks--not teaching anything new here, but think its a nice tidbit to live by/remember, etc..)
J.J. D.I.D. T.I.E. B.U.C.K.L.E.

J-Justice
J-Judgement
D-Dependability
I-Initiative
D-Decisiveness
T-Tact
I-Integrity
E-Enthusiasm
B-Bearing
U-Unselfishness
C-Courage
K-Knowledge
L-Loyalty
E-Endurance

I can't imagine living my life and doing my business without these principles, nor do I want to do business with or employ a person/people who do not.

[ajd]

A good book to read on leadership is Kouzes & Posner's The Leadership Challenge.

[zmonique2007]

Good leaders influence the followers to achieve high goals, rather than simply bossing people around.

[Jwright12382]

Indeed good leaders should motivate followers...but, there are some employees, members of the team and associates who HAVE to be bossed or better yet have that "Fire" started under their backside.

Your responsibility as a leader becomes that of a four year old's parents--you have to learn their behavioral patterns before you choose a course of action with them. A good leader will be observant enough to learn who needs a pat on the back, a little push from behind or a straight up kick in the a**. It's where you go from there that counts. It's how you mold those personality types to work off of each others' quirks that makes you a good leader.

IF you don't take the time to learn what makes other click and pop, they won't follow you to the post office.

If you take the time, they'll follow you into a volcano.

[my_misyel]

There are a lot of characteristics given on how you can develop your leadership skills. Somehow, the most important is being able to communicate with subordinates and understand each situation to come up with a good decision.

[chrisro]

Good post I agree 100%

[Maxewhite]

Leadership can be part of the inborn talent or can also be learned through the all-in-a-day's work yet it stays critical in the terms of enhancing more of these talents to be able to create stronger team in the business. Creating good and strong decisions as well should be maintained.