(ThyBlackMan.com) Being a leader can be pretty complex, but there are some key skills and traits that many great leaders exhibit. Whether you want to go into politics, or you are going to run a little league soccer team, leadership skills are very useful to have. Leadership skills are also a great way to boost your CV, and practice some essential skills that all employers look for in graduates and potential candidates. Some personality types are better suited to being leaders, but many of the skills are things that can be learnt, and become better with experience. Whatever you reasons for wanting to become a better leader, and whatever your skills and experience so far, there are lots of things here that everyone can learn from.
Being a great leader can mean getting the best results for a team, being able to make every member of the team feel valued, or knowing how to help a team grow and develop. Being a good leader can mean a lot of different things, and everyone has different styles. There is no one way to be a good leader, but you will develop confidence and your own style the more you practice your
leadership skills. Read on to find how you can improve your skill set, and to see if you have got what it takes to be a good leader, and inspire the people who you lead.
Experience Great Leadership
If you are reading this chances are you have been inspired by someone in your life, who has been a great leader. No matter if this is someone you know, a celebrity, someone at your church, or even a politician, it is good to know what a good leader is. It is good to ask yourself these questions, like what what do you think good leadership is? And how do they achieve this? It is worth thinking about how they achieve this. Next time your pastor is giving an inspirational speech, think about what they are talking about, and how they are getting their point across. You can also do loads of research on youtube as well, and look up great interviews with leaders, like an interview with the Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah. Doing thorough research, and getting inspired by leaders yourself, will help you to understand what makes a great leader, and give you a better understanding of what you aspire to be.
This research will give you a great starting point to think about what skills you want to practise, and what things you want to try out. It is good to have someone to inspire you every step of the way. It is also good to have a reminder of why you are doing what you do, so when you question why you have embarked on his journey, you have a reminder of what you want to achieve.
Get Involved
It is never too late to get involved in teams, clubs, or groups in your local area. However old you are, whatever your interests are, there are groups and organizations out there for you. Maybe you can join a club at your local school, the local hockey team needs some extra help, or maybe your church does outreach in the community. There are loads of great opportunities out there to get involved with. Becoming a part of a team or group is a great way to embark on your journey and becoming a leader, and practicing leadership skills. Before you start being a great leader, you need to learn what it is like to be a great team player.
Learning how it function well in a team is a great place to start, and is where many great leaders start their journey. The skills you learn while being a part of a team are very transferable to to being a leader, so is always a great a place to start. It is also good to know what it is like to be led by people with good and bad leadership skills. It is great to know what kind of things a good leader does, and how they deal with difficult situations, or how they inspire the team when morale is down. It is equally valuable to be led by bad leaders, so you know what not to do, and think about how you could approach the situation differently. It is essential to start your leadership journey by becoming a part of a team, by being a good team player, and being led by lots of different kinds of leaders.
Be a People Person
Even if you don’t think of yourself as a people person, these are still skills that can be learnt by practising and experiencing different things. No one is born with the perfect skills to be a leader, a lot of hard work goes into developing these skills. Even if you are shy, or anxious, by getting involved you can overcome these things. Simply getting involved and experiencing different things will develop your confidence in your ability to deal with different people and situations, and also the belief in yourself as well, because you know you are very capable of doing this.
Being a people person is all about being able to communicate with people and having empathy as well. Being concerned for the wellbeing and happiness of the people you are leading might seem like a very basic thing, but many people forget about this. Learning about people’s worries and concerns come through being able to talk to them, and listening to what they are saying. Again, this might seem very basic, but being able to talk to people, and listening to what they have to say, is a fantastic way to care for the people you are leading.
Develop Your Skills
These soft skills are something that can be developed over time, so don’t worry if you feel you’re not there yet. Talking to people on your team, talking to other rival sports teams, talking to strangers you meet at the soup kitchen, or talking to people who are interested in helping out with your church, are all great places to start. Then, as your skills develop, you start to feel at ease, and even confident getting involved in other projects as well. Having pleasant conversations with strangers can lead to knowing how to speak emotively, or even to persuade the people you are talking to. The next thing you know you will be more comfortable addressing your whole team before a match, or talking to work colleagues to try and motivate them into doing better.
Once you start to get involved, your skills naturally develop, and you start to become the leader you set out to be. Being able to talk to all kinds of people, communicate, and having a genuine concern for others, is a great place to start developing skills that are essential to being a great leader. Once you embark on your journey, developing your skills will come naturally to you, you just have to get started on your journey.
Help Others
Many people seems to believe that there is only one spot for a leader, and that you have to fight your way to the top, but for the most part that simply is not the case. If you want to create a good atmosphere in your team, school, or workplace, helping others is a great way to be a good leader yourself. An essential part of leading others, is being able to encourage them, and helping them to grow and be the best they can be as well. Sharing your own knowledge and experiences can help others more than you can know. Being a great leader is not about keeping others at the bottom, but helping others up. If you want to create positive change you have to help others out.
There is always room for lots of successful leaders, and it will benefit your to help others as well. Building a skillful and driven team, and surrounding yourself with ambitious successful people, will benefit yourself, and everyone else too. Helping others to grow and achieve their goals, is an essential and amazing attribute to have as a leader. This will give you a great reputation as a leader, and it will encourage others to be a part of your team, and seek your leadership.
Here are a few things to keep in mind if you want to become a great leader. Developing good leadership skills is something anyone can work on, no matter who you are, and no matter experience you have so far. There are lots of great opportunities to get involved in teams or groups, so you can practice and develop your team and leadership skills. Being a great leader is a great skill to have, whether you just want to improve your CV, or you want to be the next Barack Obama. Get involved your local community and give back, help others, while becoming a better you as well.
Staff Writer; Karl Jacobs