A leader will often be tasked with making critical decisions all the time; thus, it is that skill of knowing when and how to make those decisions that separate bad leaders from great ones.
However, many people often wonder what it would take to make a great leader, and below, we list seven key skills that you need to become a great leader.
Communication
One of the most important skills of a good leader is effective communication. This means being able to explain succinctly and clearly your expectations for everyone.
Additionally, you should horn communication in all forms, from one-on-one, departmental to staff meetings. You should also be able to master how to communicate effectively on different platforms – email, social media, phone, text, and video chats.
Decisiveness
As a leader, you will be called upon to make tough decisions all the time. A great leader, then, should be able to quickly assess a situation and make effective decisions.
This skill is built with time, but you can improve it by conducting research on evaluation and problem-solving.
Integrity
Integrity is all about having strong upright principles and sticking with them. It is about being truthful, but also straightforward and upstanding – being a person of your word.
A leader of integrity is the first to embody what the company stands for. It sends a positive message to the people they are leading.
Under integrity, you will be ethical, reliable, and professional in how you deal with your employees.
Relationship building
As a good leader, you will be tasked with building collaborative teams between the people you lead. So this means, honing your skills in effective conflict resolution.
These help you understand everyone that you lead and are able to assess their strengths and weaknesses and delegate tasks to people who complement one another. It helps them build a close working relationship.
Adaptability
Previously, it had been assumed that great leaders never swayed or changed their views.
However, we have recently learned that the best leaders are those who are able to adapt to changes. This means that you should always be aware of what is happening in your industry and begin laying out plans on how to respond to these changes.
This allows you to give your staff a competitive edge in an ever-changing world.
Creativity
Closely linked to adaptability, creativity comes with thinking beyond what we have come to consider the norm.
At Google, the staff is allowed to wear casual clothes to work and have breaks where they play or sleep without interruption. This is an example of company leaders thinking out of the box.
So, change your approach on how to do things every once in a while to keep things fresh and keep your staff motivated.
Ability to teach and mentor
As a good leader, you should be able to pass on the knowledge and skills you have to others.
This means, thinking less about yourself and being selfish with knowledge, and sharing freely the knowledge with your subordinates, knowing that you are building future leaders.
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