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October 18, 2021

19 Key Leadership Skills You Need To Grow Your Career

Because leadership skills may have different meanings to various people, they are difficult to define. The skills that allow you to effectively talk with others and lead them toward a common objective are referred to as leadership. These skills constitute your personal brand of authority, such as charisma or confidence – characteristics that set you apart in any crowd. This article will explain what leadership skills are, how they can help you achieve your professional goals, and offer some advice on developing them.

How Do Leadership Skills Help You Achieve Your Career Goals?

Leadership skills are useful because they can help you achieve your career goals. Leadership is the ability to influence others and get them to work together towards a common goal. These leadership skills are important for any industry or job role, which is why it’s so critical that people take time out of their busy schedules to hone these very valuable skills. 

While you're in the early stages of your company, displaying leadership abilities can assist you in gaining clients, investors, and creditors. For example, when meeting clients for the first time, it's your ability to lead and influence that will help you make a lasting impression on them. When you scale up your business – leadership abilities become even more important because they can be used to manage personnel. Whether you want to become the CEO of your company or manage a team of employees, leadership skills will come in handy in both scenarios. 

Many company owners and managers seek leadership abilities in prospective employees. This is because good leaders possess the skills to get anything done, no matter what obstacles are in their way. Understanding the benefits of leadership skills can help you to become a better leader and successfully guide your subordinate towards success.

19 Types Of Leadership Skills You Can Cultivate

Leadership is a complex skill that incorporates many different talents. Some examples of skills that make a strong leader include:

1) Patience

A good leader knows that a project can't be done overnight, and is able to patiently guide their employees through the process. To guide an employee through the project, good leaders must be able to understand that mistakes will happen along the way. They also need to know how to help that employee fix their mistake without it affecting the entire process.
Patience is not an easy skill to learn; however, if you're naturally patient and can put up with setbacks (and even acknowledge them), then you're more likely to succeed and become a better leader.

2) Positive Attitude

No one wants to work for someone who constantly complains about everything or shows signs of negativity. A positive attitude helps you appear more approachable as well as contribute towards your team's morale.

3) Motivation

A good leader knows how to motivate their employees, which keeps them engaged and interested in the work they're doing.

4) Creativity

No one wants a company that's stuck in the past; creativity is important for modernising your business or project.

5) Conflict Resolution 

As an employee or employer, you will be confronted with many conflicts. A good leader knows how to resolve these conflicts in a productive and timely manner.

6) Empathy

A good leader knows how to empathise with their employees and understand the challenges they face.

7) Active listening

A good leader is an active listener, which helps them better understand their employees and resolve issues efficiently.

8) Reliability

A good leader is someone that employees can trust.

9) Determination

A good leader will do whatever it takes to see a project through from start to finish, which helps them gain the respect of their team members.

10) Decisiveness

Making swift choices with authority.

11) Persuasion

A good leader knows how to persuade employees into following their vision and mission.

12) Sensitivity

Attending to the needs of other individuals, like empathy for their feelings.

13) Interpersonal skills

Communicating well, either verbally or in writing. Being able to work well with others is an important leadership skill that can help you succeed in your career.

14) Visionary thinking

Having the ability to think creatively about businesses or projects will allow for innovative ideas.

15) Timely communication

Leaders should be able to prioritise their time, especially when it comes to communication.

16) Ability to teach and mentor

A good leader knows how to teach and lead by example.

17) Task readiness

Being ready for unexpected projects or tasks that need to be done immediately.

18) Selflessness

Putting other people's needs before your own, prioritising their ideas over yours. 

19) Achievement-oriented behavior

Leaders should have a strong sense of achievement in order to feel successful.

How To Advance Your Career With Leadership Skills?

By demonstrating leadership abilities in your company or career, you can pave the way to success. Leadership skills help you be a better leader and guide your employees towards accomplishing goals, which will help elevate your business. In any company, leadership is important for gaining respect from co-workers as well as clients.

To sharpen these essential skills, it’s helpful to take on new projects that push you outside of your comfort zone. 

It can also be beneficial to take on small tasks and projects around the office, as they allow you to show off these abilities in a more practical way. For example, small task like organising meetings or events allow you to demonstrate leadership qualities like teamwork and reliability, which are important for moving up the career ladder. This will help develop leadership skills naturally over time, allowing employees or employers with this ability to become invaluable assets to any company or industry that needs them.

Which Leadership Skills Are More Ideal For An Industry Or Career Path?

Depending on the industry you choose, certain types of leadership skills will be more beneficial to your career. For example, an art director may benefit from creativity and visionary thinking while a public relations representative would need active listening or persuasion abilities. 

Career paths that can use these specific skill sets include marketing/advertising, business, public relations, event planning, real estate and human resource management.

What Other Skills Help You Be A Better Leader?

While these essential traits are a good start for becoming a successful leader, there are also a number of other ways that can be helpful in elevating your career as well. A few of these include:

  • Being positive and encouraging, as these types of emotions drive employees to work harder and more efficiently.
  • Showing gratitude for your team members works well too! This can encourage them to feel appreciated and do nothing but good things for the company.
  • A willingness to learn new things, as it shows that you're constantly striving to be better in your career.
  • The ability to be a team player. By demonstrating all of these qualities in your role, you can become an essential asset for any company. It will also help establish trust with others around you and allow you to accomplish goals much more efficiently.

The first way an individual can grow their leadership skills is by taking on projects and tasks around the office that help develop those abilities over time. If there are no task options available, employees should take it upon themselves to volunteer for these kinds of roles. This will demonstrate a willingness to learn and be a team player, which can help develop leadership skills.

Next, find resources like books or podcasts about leadership and learn as much about them as possible. Many books on the subject exist, such as “On Becoming a Leader” by J. Warren Bennis. It's also beneficial to use online resources, such as e-books or articles that summarise the main points of leadership. These will help you understand it in a more practical way.

One can also participate in leadership training programs or seminars as well. You can find both in-person and online courses that allow you to grow your leadership skills.

It's Time To Become A Better Leader

Leadership skills are essential in any career, but they can be particularly important for those who want to become better leaders. Understanding the different types of leadership skills and how they work will help you take on new tasks or projects that push you outside of your comfort zone. It's also beneficial to use online resources like e-books about leadership as well as participate in seminars and training programs available both in-person and online.

Leadership skills should never stop developing, so it's a good idea not only to read up on these topics but also stay abreast with current events related to management/leadership through podcasts or books. With a little time invested into understanding yourself more fully, taking charge of your own development journey and staying open minded, you'll find that your leadership skills will grow exponentially over time.


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