Developing Leadership Skills

"A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves." - Lao Tzu

When it comes to being a good leader, people have lots of misconceptions. One of the commonest is that if you are authoritative and can control people, you are a good leader. Another one is that leadership is a trait people are born with and it cannot be developed. Both of these, as I said earlier, are misconceptions. A leader needs to be assertive, not authoritative. He should guide his followers, not control them. And lastly, leadership can be developed over time, with a little observation, experience and effort. How? By following the tips on developing leadership skills, given below.

Tips on How to Develop Leadership Skills

Know the Leadership Qualities
Before learning about the various techniques to develop leadership skills, one should be aware of the various leadership qualities that should be cultivated, in order to qualify for being a good leader. Here is a list of leadership qualities and skills.

• Communication skills - Ability to convey things clearly as well as listen to other's opinions with respect.
• Motivational skills - Ability to inspire other people to give their best, in order to achieve the goals.
• People's skills - Ability to build relationships with your sub-ordinates and gain their respect.
• Execution skills - Ability to complete the tasks within stipulated time-frame by being well-organized.
• Decision making skills - Ability to take the right decision at the right time.
• Problem solving skills - Ability to solve any conflicts between employees as well as glitches that may arise while working on a project.

Assess Yourself
The first of the developing leadership skills activities that should be undertaken is to assess oneself as to how one stands vis-a-vis the leadership qualities and skills mentioned above. One of the most effective ways to get accurate assessment is to get feedback from one's sub-ordinates, managers as well as co-workers. To make sure that the feedback given is not biased, it can be kept anonymous, especially when subordinates are giving it. A person should himself jot down his positives and negatives and figure out which areas need to be worked upon.

Work on Developing Leadership Skills and Qualities
Once a person is clear as to where he is lacking, he needs to take steps and improve upon those areas. For example, if there is trust deficit between the leader and his followers, a leader needs to make sure that he connects with his people and involves them in decision making so that they feel they are a part of the organization. A successful leader is one who motivates his people and inspires them to work. Stronger people make the team stronger and that in turn, makes the organization stronger.

A leader has to lead by example, so if he wants his followers to become dedicated and honest, he has to be those things first. Some of the effective leadership traits that one needs to exhibit and develop are commitment, courage, confidence, humility, generosity, passion, wisdom, compassion and most of all, sensitivity.

Some of the other dos and don'ts that every leader should inculcate are - never threaten the subordinates with your position, do not control the employees instead give them freedom to do things, give constructive feedback, make employees feel special, let the employees figure out the "solutions" rather than spoon feeding them, be open to opinions, create a supportive environment and trust and respect the employees. Only then you will be able to inculcate the qualities of a good leader.

For some, developing leadership skills may be a cakewalk, while for others it may take years. That's why, it is always stressed that developing leadership skills in youth, is the right time. These days companies conduct many training sessions as well as seminars for leadership development in their employees. Certain private organizations undertake such training too. Although, learning by experience is the best way, still to get a better understanding of leadership skills, one can always participate in some good leadership program.