What Are The Five Leadership Skills?

Picture of By Darren Finkelstein
By Darren Finkelstein

The Accountability Guy®

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A mixed race woman is giving presentation. This confident individual stands in front of a data display monitor, which has colourful world graphics displayed on it. Image focus technique, layers and point of view, help the image to be realistic, as if the viewer is spying on the participants. This lady is a natural leader, she is answering questions from her colleagues. The colour blue is strong in this image.

What characteristics distinguish an effective leader? While the answer to this question varies greatly depending on the industry, the findings of several studies show that effective leaders share five essential skills. Regardless of how you define a leader, the outcome is ultimately determined by the success or failure of a team.

Leadership skills are one of a variety of soft skills required to succeed in many workplaces. They fall under the category of talents that cannot be demonstrated solely through paperwork or qualifications. Leadership skills, which are non-technical in nature, are exactly what they sound like – they are the skills required to be a good leader, whether that is acting as a team leader, working as a manager, or taking on a more senior position.

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Communication

Words have an incredible power to motivate and inspire teams, not only when spoken but also when written and listened to, so it should come as no surprise that communication is one of the most fundamental, yet crucial, skills of a good leader. According to the Center for Creative Leadership, one of the most important skills for leaders to have is the ability to communicate information and ideas.

 

Being a good listener is a prerequisite for becoming a good communicator. Listening is an active activity. It necessitates the use of not only your ears, but also your eyes and heart. Consider the message from the perspective of the person who is delivering it.

Innovation

In any industry, innovation typically entails constantly looking for ways to improve the organisation. An innovative leader prioritises quality over quantity in their own work and seeks ways to improve in all areas of their organisation, from human resource management to supply chain efficiency to customer service.

                                                                    

Leaders must create an environment in which people feel psychologically safe to try new things, see how they go, and even fail. People are hesitant to try new things in today’s fast-paced world. Once again, setting a good example is essential.

Delegation

Delegating is one of the most important roles of a leader, but it can be difficult to do effectively. It’s not just about freeing up time for yourself; it’s also about empowering your direct reports, improving teamwork, providing autonomy, improving decision-making, and assisting them in growing.

 

To effectively delegate, you must first build trust with your team. A delegating leadership style is best suited to someone who is both confident and capable of performing. Even a minor level of leadership input (e.g., making suggestions) may be perceived as untrustworthy. This could result in a decrease in both task-related performance and motivation.

Positivity

Positivity goes a long way toward developing a great leader with exceptional leadership abilities. Simple team building activities, positive reinforcement, appreciation and recognition of both team and individual accomplishments all contribute to the development of a positive environment and raise morale among staff members.

 

Employees who believe they work in a positive environment are more likely to want to come to work and, as a result, are more willing to work long hours when necessary. It’s also a good quality to be able to laugh at yourself when something doesn’t go as planned; this contributes to a happy and healthy work environment, even during busy, stressful times.

Inner Values

‘Values maketh a man’ – this statement holds true even in leadership situations. An intrinsic feeling to lead your team to newer heights everyday can be the difference in your team succeeding and the failure of your team.

 

This is important in everyday scenarios where a true leader will go out of their way to right some wrong doings and take accountability for the projects they are working on. An accountable leader is important as they take every opportunity to make sure the job goes the right way and the team sees success!

Conclusion

With strong leadership in such high demand, honing your leadership skills can give you a competitive advantage, because, contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be in a C-level position to be considered a leader. At every level of business, strong leaders exist and are highly valued for their ability to inspire, engage, and influence their colleagues and stakeholders.