6 Steps To Improve Your Leadership Skills

Instructions

• 1

  Set a Good Example
  
  If you want to be a leader, be prepared to have eyes on you always. This is not something to fear, just be mindful that all your actions and words can have consequences. For example, if your office has a dress code and you flout it as a leader, your team-members will obviously think they can get away with a similar infraction. As a leader, you must always operate from a position of strength. This means you must practice what you preach. If you demand loyalty and hard work for example do not squander an opportunity to show your subordinates how to display these virtues.
• 2

  Improve Your Communication Skills
  
  As a leader, you will constantly need to establish yourself as a major avenue of information for those around you. This keeps your team free from distractions that will affect your performance as a team. This also gives you an opportunity to look after your team mates. Whether its information that will benefit their day to day job functions, career or even their personal lives, maintaining healthy lines of communication with your team will build team rapport and make it easy for your team-members to strengthen their communication with you, the leader. This will require you to actually listen to your team members.
• 3

  Take Responsibility For Others
  
  Leadership is great. But with great power comes added responsibility. Whether you like it or not you will as a leader take credit for the good work of your junior team members. The difficult part is taking responsibility for the mistakes of others under your direct supervision. Resist the human instinct of self-preservation and approach a struggling team member to offer assistance or counseling rather that black-listing the individual as a complete liability. Remember you have to reproach in private and praise in public.
• 4

  Take Responsibility For Your Job
  
  Delegating is an essential part of leadership but you should not delegate everything. Whatever your excuse was for not taking responsibility of your job functions, just forget them. These responsibilities form a key part of being a leader in addition to your role as supervisor. Completely handing your work to your juniors is a sure way to lose your respect as a leader. Perception plays a huge role in how leadership skill is gauged, so do rely on other people to take responsibility for your work if you do not want to be perceived a weak or incompetent leader.
• 5

  Develop Your Competencies
  
  Strive for your continuous self improvement. You need to competent in the field you wish to pursue your career and become a leader in. This means finding out about the latest practices, trends or policies within your industry. Developing yourself will also encourage a spirit of continuous learning within your group. Increasing your skills feeds into other aspects of leadership in that it builds up your own confidence as leader to direct and manage those under you. How can you delegate, supervise, train or even lead those around you if you constantly doubt your ever step?
• 6

  Motivate Others
  
  Raising those around you is the most challenging skill for a leader to attain. You might be dealing with your own internal issues but remember as the leader you set the tone with your words or body language. Motivating others is the most effective way to get people to do what you want them to. Acknowledging outstanding work virtues in your colleagues, celebrating achieved team goals, encouraging co-operation, and maintaining a positive attitude at work; these are all examples of how you can motivate those around you.