Leadership is a concentrated experience. Everything you do is immediate, definitive and inexorably tied to your eventual success. It’s critical to be successful in business to understand leadership. That means authentic leadership, not some watered-down TED Talk or watered-down flavour of the month corporate leadership fad.
Here are the five skills you need the most:
- The skill of self-awareness
Success begins within. When you have a sense of who you are, it invites you to take action—having self-awareness amounts to being better advised. The more you know yourself, the closer you can become to being all you can be.
- The skill of business acumen
Success begins with keenness and quickness in understanding and dealing with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome. In the competitive environment of business, being the best at what you do is good, and making good decisions is excellent. Still, a clear, comprehensive understanding of the business environment you’re operating in is invaluable.
- The skill of relationship-building
Building lasting relationships is the cornerstone of all business success, and respect is at the heart of building business relationships. It is the glue that holds together the functioning of teams, partnerships, and managing relationships. Even with the best products and business practices, you still need strong relationships to succeed.
- The ability to create an inspired culture
A culture of inspiration and motivation influences others to perform at their best. One of the most critical assets of any enterprise and every business is the employees and their culture. Together, they create a system of shared passion and commitment, which fosters an environment that nurtures talent, growth, development, and creativity.
- The skill of agility and adaptability
Adapting to change requires the willingness to manage change and to stay open to new ideas; it means being adaptable to new situations, handling unexpected demands with aplomb, and being ready to pivot at any moment. To maneuver through changes is to learn to be flexible and agile. So, where do you stand with your leadership skills?
Ask yourself the following: What do I need to do to keep up with the pace of business in today’s increasingly complex workplace? What can I do today to hone my leadership skills and achieve success?
There are many leadership skills and competencies that, when combined and applied, go toward making you an effective leader. It is best to remember that you could develop each of these skills within yourself. It’s always up to you.
I know—too well from firsthand experience—that being good at your job doesn’t qualify you to be the boss. You have to learn how to lead. That’s why I’m offering to share some of my years of around-the-globe-in-some-pretty-wild-situations experience