What are the most important leadership skills? How many do you possess?
Managers, aspiring managers, and top-level leaders
are all concerned with developing the competencies they need to become more
effective leaders. More than 100 years of leadership research has outlined
the successful skills and abilities that are associated with leadership
effectiveness. Here are my top 10, derived from our own research and the
broader research literature.
1. Social Intelligence (SI). This is not
only one of the best predictors of effective leadership, but it is poorly
understood and under-researched. Social intelligence is quite broad, but can
best be seen in terms of understanding of social
situations and dynamics, and ability to operate effectively in a variety of
social situations. Our research suggests that social intelligence, which we
define as a constellation of social performance, sensitivity to social
situations, and role-playing skill are critically important for effective
leadership.
How to develop SI? Expose yourself to different
people, different social situations, and work to develop your social
perceptiveness and ability to engage others in conversation. More on this here.
2. Interpersonal Skills. Interpersonal
skills could be seen as a subset of social intelligence, but these are the more
relationship-oriented aspects of social effectiveness. We often talk about the
“soft skills” of the leader, and these are best represented by interpersonal
skills.
How to develop interpersonal skills? Become an
active listener, work on conversational and speaking skills, (join
toastmasters; networking groups), and work on
your personal relationships with friends, relatives, and your significant
other. These skills will generalize to workplace relationships. More on soft skills
here.
3. Emotional Skills/Intelligence (EI). A complement to
social intelligence, emotional intelligence is our ability to communicate at
the emotional level, understand emotions and emotional situations, and be in
tune with our own emotions. These are particularly related to leadership
“charisma.”
How to develop EI? Practice
“reading” others’ nonverbal cues, particularly cues of emotion. Learn to
regulate and control your emotions and your emotional outbursts. Practice
expressing feelings and become an effective emotional “actor” – learning how to
express emotions appropriately. More on emotional
communication here.
4. Prudence. Prudence is one
of Aristotle’s cardinal virtues. A synonym is “wisdom,” but it comes from being
able to see others’ perspectives and through being open to and considering
others’ points of view.
How to develop Prudence? Listen to
others. Work to be more open and more broad minded. Learn to ask for others’
opinions and consider them as you choose a course of action.
5. Courage. A second
cardinal virtue is “Fortitude,” or courage. This is having the courage to take
calculated risks and the courage to: (a) stand up for what you believe; (b) do
the right thing.
How to develop Courage? This takes some
effort, but is rooted in developing and holding onto strong personal values. If
you truly value something or someone you will have the courage to stand by your
principles (and your people). More on leader
virtues here.
6. Conflict Management. This is a
“higher order” interpersonal skill that involves helping colleagues to avoid or
resolve interpersonal conflicts. Leaders are often called upon to adjudicate
when members are in conflict, but it also involves having the ability to either
avoid or resolve your own conflict situations.
How to develop Conflict Management
Skills. There are courses and workshops available to help you understand
and learn conflict management strategies. A big part of conflict management is
helping conflicting parties to collaborate (a win-win
outcome) or to compromise (each party needs to be flexible and give up
something).
7. Decision Making. One of the core
competencies for leaders is the ability to make good decisions or lead a good
decision making process. There are better and worse ways to make decisions, and
a good leader understands when to make a decision, when to consult subordinates
or peers and bring them into the decision making process, and when it’s time to
step back and let others decide.
How to develop Decision Making Skills. Experience and
studying when decisions have gone wrong and gone right is the best way to hone
these skills. We often learn more from our mistakes than from our successes.
8. Political Skills. Let’s face it.
Every group or organization is, at its core, full of politicking. People will
try to bend rules, gain allies, push their personal agenda, etc., in order to
try to get ahead. An effective leader is a good political player, who knows how
the game is played, but can also manage political behavior so that it does not
lead to group or organizational dysfunction.
How to develop Political Skills. Similar to many
of the more highly-developed leadership competencies, political skills are
learned through experience and learning about people and social dynamics.
9. Influence Skills. At its core,
leadership is about influencing others, so a great leader is a master of social
influence, and able to wield power effectively and fairly. Calling on
your interpersonal ("soft") skills can make you much more influential
in a leadership role.
How to develop Influence Skills. Training in
debate helps with making reasoned, well-thought-out arguments. Seeing
things from another's perspective can help you understand what they want from a
negotiation, and allows you to focus on win-win situations.
10. Area Expertise/Competence. Many people
might list this first, but in today’s world, knowledge of all aspects of the
job is not as important as it used to be. In high-tech industries, or creative
firms, team members may have more relevant knowledge and expertise than
leaders. Still, it is important that leaders develop their expertise in the
particular situation, organization, or industry in which they lead.
How to develop Area Expertise. Like all of
these competencies, development is a lifelong process. Effective leaders gain
expertise and competence and try to learn as much as they can about their
product, their organization, and their team members. Study the organization.
Study competitors.
1 ulasan:
Although, most leaders take decisions on their own, but it is highly recommended that you consult key stakeholders before taking a decision. After all, they are the ones who will benefit or suffer from your decisions.
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