Five Ways to Develop your Leadership Skills

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If you want to take your career to the next level, you have to be willing to work extra hard in developing your leadership skills. These five points will boost your leadership skills tremendously.

  • Take Relevant Courses: If you aspire to be a leader by lifestyle and eventually by position, you must take the relevant courses on management and leadership. This will raise your leadership consciousness and bring out your hidden potentials.
    Moreover, professional courses will expose you to the various levels of leadership and the responsibilities that accompany them.
  • Submit to Mentorship: If you have credible people in your sphere who are leaders in their own rights, you can position yourself to be mentored by them. This becomes a platform to get firsthand knowledge on their experiences and key leadership lessons you will never find in books. What’s more? Mentors help you work on your weaknesses and capitalize on your strengths.
  • Discipline: Discipline is a must-have for anyone aspiring to be a good leader. Discipline should be portrayed in every facet of your life; personal and professional life. A leader’s sense of discipline will ultimately affect how the mood of the organisation and the behaviour of subordinates.
  • Teachability: Teachability connotes humility. A leader should possess a sharp mind that is keen on learning indiscriminately, whether from followers or mentors. Also, learning can come through travelling, exposure to diverse cultures and world views. A good leader should understand that life does not revolve around them. Learning also happens through studying materials and sitting under structured mentorship and great minds. Could this be why former US President John F. Kennedy once said, “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other”?
  • Be an Empathic Listener: Listening is essential for effective leadership. In a time when everybody wants to be heard, it pays to be among that priced minority who are willing to listen. When your followers know that you pay attention to them, they feel important and appreciated. However, listening goes beyond hearing. Your body language should confirm your commitment to absorb what someone is saying. Some of these body languages include: maintaining direct eye contact with the person in question, a welcoming countenance like a smiling expression, and nodding intermittently. Also, while you are at it ask questions for clarity and ensure you always address individuals by their name. As much as possible avoid interruption during a conversation.

Becoming a great leader does not happen in a day. It takes, time, effort, patience and strategy. More so, it takes willingness and focus to become a great leader. Never stop honing your leadership skills.

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