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Improve your leadership skills

Wale Joseph
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Posted on December 2, 2015;

Regardless of where you are on the career ladder right now, there will be a point when you’ll be handed a leadership role and your team will expect you to hit the ground running. Maybe you’re aiming to lead an initiative, chosen to lead a team project out of the blue, or given the opportunity to apply for a management position earlier than you thought.

Whatever the case, you’re probably wondering how you develop leadership skills on the fly. Sure, you probably have a rough idea of the basics from watching your manager (and her manager). But doing it effectively requires finesse and complex knowledge.

So, rather than waiting for the opportunity to arise, start developing those skills now. Here’s how:

1. Take a Leadership Personality Test

To improve your skills, you need a starting point. First things first, take a minute and spend some time thinking about how you behave under stressful situations. What is your preferred leadership style? Do you ask others for their opinions? Do you tell everyone what to do and how you expect them to do it? Do you lead from the front? Do you worry about where your team is headed and whether there is a clear vision ahead? You’ll gain great insight into your preferred style of leadership by taking a few minutes to introspectively think about these questions.

Unsure what your tendencies are? Take a quiz! There are many leadership-style quizzes online.

2. Find Your Passion

In order to be an effective leader, you need to be passionate about what you do. Think about it: It’s inspiring to follow a person who’s all-in—who eats, sleeps, and breathes the work. Of course, passion isn’t really something you can fake. When you’re truly engaged with your work, others will be more likely to follow you.

3. Beef Up Your Communication Skills

Even someone who excels in many aspects of leadership will probably hit a ceiling if he or she is not a good communicator. Starting now, you should aim to over-communicate with everyone on your team, so nothing gets misunderstood or misinterpreted. Set up routine meetings with your manager and any colleagues working on ongoing projects with you (even if they are only brief check-ins).

No matter where you are on the chain, you can work on this. Do you excel at written reports, but clam up when it’s time to speak during a meeting? Alternatively, are you a natural when it comes to conversation—but secretly worried that your lack of grammar know-how will hold you back? Instead of relying on your strong suit, beef up whatever area of your communication skills is lacking. It will make you a more valuable employee now, and a better leader later.

4. Become a Leader Outside of Work

Being a charity board member is one of the best ways of getting hands-on team building and leadership-building experiences. Yes, it’s true that some organizations have boards composed of people with massive name recognition, experience, or bank accounts. But, there are probably numerous nonprofits in your community that would be thrilled to have you join and offer your time and skills.

Not only will you be helping a great cause that you feel dearly about, but you will learn about each facet of the organization for which you have oversight. Never seen an operational budget before—now you will!

5. Learn How to Build Solid Teams

Another really important part of being a successful leader is putting together the right team. Start developing those skills now by paying attention and taking note of your co-workers’ strengths and weaknesses. Have you noticed who does (and doesn’t) seem to work well together? Or maybe if Terry’s skill set perfect complements Maribel’s?

Understanding personality dynamics and how different types work together will enable you to be a strong team member, regardless of your actual position. Finally, remember that the best leaders also reflect on their own weaknesses and see people who have different strengths as important contributors (not threats).

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