Take the initiative
Alexandra Yang, financial analyst at Investopedia ULC, recommends starting a new habit - trying to take the initiative at least several times a day. She explains the recommendation this way: most managers give employees a certain minimum of tasks. When a person takes on responsibilities beyond this minimum, he stands out from the competition. The boss immediately sees the desire to achieve something more.
It’s not a fact that being proactive will help you right away. This is more of a tool for deferred reputation building - gradually people will get used to the fact that you are proactive and will begin to trust you with more responsibility. And where there is more trust, there are more prospects.
Another benefit of taking initiative is the growth of your skills, both technical and soft. You will be engaged in tasks in which you are not an expert, that is, you will be out of your comfort zone. This automatically means active learning - a great way to improve your skills and score points as a future company leader.
Move from theory to practice
At the moment, people have access to a huge amount of literature, which contains recommendations on how to develop leadership qualities. Numerous trainings are also conducted, which are very successful. But reading a book or listening to a lecture is not enough to become a leader.
To achieve the desired state, you need to apply the acquired knowledge in practice. You should not just take note of each recommendation, each technique, but try it in real life. And, of course, you shouldn’t take everything that is written in motivational literature (or heard at a training) as the truth in a higher authority. You shouldn’t carry everything into your life indiscriminately.
Strive for productivity and results-driven work
Develop leadership skills through the habit of working for results. To develop such a habit, Maxim Dorofeev in his book “Jedi Techniques” suggests perceiving any task from the point of view of two approaches - “did” and “did.”
For example, your wife instructed you to buy something at the store and bring it home in the evening.
- You go to the store in the evening. Choose a retail outlet in front of the house. When you ask for the desired product, it turns out that it is out of stock. You go to several more stores, but it’s too late - they are either already closed, or they have also run out of goods. You go home without the groceries you need. This is the "did" approach.
- When your wife asks you to buy groceries, you ask why she needs them. Having found out that she plans to make dinner out of them, you are interested in what alternative will suit her if the necessary products are not on sale. Then go to the store near work so you can buy the groceries you need before the last minute. As a result, you arrive home with delicious products and get a satisfied wife. This is the "did it" approach.
To be productive and work for results, you need to be proactive. Try to train yourself to think ahead - always ask yourself, “what if?” Gradually, you will learn to anticipate problems and be able to become as effective as possible in solving any problem.
What skills and abilities does a leader have?
Here are a few key leadership skills:
- Ability to persuade and inspire . It is one of the key qualities of a leader. A leader must be able to inspire the team and convince them that they can achieve any goal.
- The ability to make decisions and take responsibility for them . By the way, a leader is responsible not only for making the right decision, but also for his team.
- Skills for setting and achieving goals. In the endless race for success, it is very important to discern the desired goal, develop a strategy and achieve results.
- The ability to concentrate on what is most important. Concentrating on the problem and its solution, and not being distracted by other tasks, is an important skill for a leader. Without this, you can forget about success in all matters.
- Listening skills. Also, the basis for success is the ability to listen, hear and interact with the team.
These skills are essential to becoming a leader. Therefore, try to develop them as much as possible.
Delegate
The need to learn how to competently delegate tasks is discussed in many self-development books and lectures by leaders. One source is a quote from Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States and Nobel Peace Prize winner.
The politician argued that the best leader would be the one “who has enough common sense to choose good people and restraint not to interfere with them.”
The point of delegation is not simply to transfer tasks. An effective leader analyzes the situation before delegating - it is important for him to make sure that the subordinate has the necessary skills and capabilities to solve the task. Therefore, train the skill of delegation - look for suitable people and create situations in which they can prove themselves.
Get out of your comfort zone
Fear of change or the unknown is not compatible with leadership. Constantly trying new things is a good way to develop leadership skills. For a manager, things don't always go according to plan. Sometimes he has to deviate from standard schemes, find a way out of force majeure situations, master new standards, and so on.
How to teach yourself to adapt to changing conditions? Start small. For example, change your usual route to work, choose a new place to shop, change your daily routine, find yourself some new hobby. Also think about going on vacation not to your usual “familiar” place, but to some completely unfamiliar resort.
Avoid micromanaging
This is a continuation of the point about delegation. Try to develop the so-called quality of “free will” in relation to employees. Avoid excessive control over people's actions.
The logic here is this: if you entrust a task to a person, it means you trust him. By microcontrolling, you seem to show the opposite, which means you irritate and reduce the motivation of the staff.
It’s better to do the opposite - set a task, but do not prescribe a complete algorithm for its implementation, if possible. Strive to demonstrate trust in your subordinates and help them be creative in solving problems. Consult with them, but do not become immersed in the work you have been assigned.
Your task is to create conditions and check the completion of the task in a timely manner. But let the employees figure out how this problem will be solved.
“The RSHU Bookshelf” is a podcast about the classics of world business literature. Listen to book reviews from our experts.
Think about others
Many people mistakenly understand developed leadership qualities as the ability to achieve their goals. In fact, an effective leader thinks about others, trying to find a solution that will benefit all participants in a particular process.
In everyday life and in work, you should not try to bend your opponent to your point of view. This is not a victory (especially if the person is weaker than you by moral and physical criteria). You must learn to look at a situation from different angles in order to choose the most beneficial solution for everyone.
Be Passionate
Well-known coach and consultant Tony Robinson, in his guidance to leaders, recommends doing only what causes an upsurge of feelings and passion. The coach believes that passion is a natural amplifier - if we “burn” with what we do, then the result will be better, there will be more energy for work.
Tony Robinson says that a passionate person will seek innovation in completing tasks, can infect other people with his ideas and motivate them to do better - these are the key competencies of a leader. In addition, a passionate leader is a living example for employees - looking at a leader who is completely dedicated to his work, subordinates will subconsciously do the same.
Admit your mistakes
Nobody likes to lose. But the difference between an ordinary person and a leader is that the latter knows how to accept defeats with dignity and admit his mistakes.
Why is this so important? Every day a leader has to make responsible decisions on which the fate of the entire team depends. If he made the wrong choice, it is stupid and pointless to shift the blame onto his subordinates and take out his anger on them. By admitting your shortcomings, you will not lose your authority, but will only strengthen it.
Focus on your strengths
Another tip from Tony Robbins. In many self-development books, coaches suggest analyzing your competencies and qualities, and then focusing on correcting mistakes and developing weaknesses. This, Robinson is sure, is a mistake - it will create an average person without any special advantages.
It is much more effective, the coach says, to develop strong qualities. Since these qualities were perfectly trained without much effort on your part, literally subconsciously, it means that you can improve them many times over. Especially if you focus on training them.
The weaknesses will remain at the same level as they were - no big deal. To level them out, you can delegate tasks and hire assistants who are strong in them. This is the principle of entrepreneurship, and therefore leadership, to create opportunities and solve problems through a diverse, successful team.
How to form and develop leadership qualities?
Developing leadership skills is a long and persistent process. It requires constant work and self-control.
To develop and form leadership qualities, you need to adhere to several rules:
Rule #1: Plan your activities daily. The most important condition in achieving the intended goal is to correctly set, distribute tasks and time for their implementation. Carefully write down goals, thoughts, strategies on paper. In the evening, make a detailed plan for the day and try to stick to it.
Rule #2: Stay calm. A leader must always control his emotions. In important matters, you cannot cut from the shoulder. You need to try to remain calm and make decisions thoughtfully. During a stressful situation, try to breathe slowly, taking a deep breath in and out. Have you calmed down? Now you can think about a solution to the problem.
Rule #3: Be responsible. The leader is responsible for the correct setting and implementation of the goal. Therefore, make sure that the tasks assigned to the team are completed.
Rule #4: Watch your image. Attractive appearance, good manners, posture - all this plays a major role on which the relationship between the leader and the team is built. Straighten your shoulders, straighten your back. During conversations, look your interlocutor in the eyes and remain calm. Watch your appearance. Remember that an unkempt person with disheveled hair does not inspire any confidence.
You can develop the listed qualities yourself or turn to professionals for help and take, for example, image courses or public speaking courses .
Help others grow
A leader's effectiveness is determined by the number of people who succeed with their help. Coach Sidney Finkelstein, in her book Superbosses, recommends that managers look for hidden talents in their subordinates and try to develop them.
There are several advantages to this approach. On the one hand, by developing the talents of your team, you make the overall product more successful - the business runs faster and more efficiently. This is a short term positive effect.
But if there are long-term consequences. By helping people develop, you build your reputation as a caring and helpful leader. Gradually you will have many followers, people who are grateful to you for your help. Subordinates who sincerely respect you.
This means that you can manage almost any project - because you will have a team of loyal professionals whose strengths and weaknesses you know thoroughly. And this is already more of an advantage over other managers and businessmen.
Communicate more
Communication is perhaps the most effective way to develop leadership qualities in a child or adult. Only through regular contact with a large number of people (both acquaintances and strangers) can you overcome shyness, develop self-confidence, learn to convey your point of view and listen to others. Also, communication is the only way to understand the psychology of people, their types, which will definitely come in handy if you intend to take the path of leadership.
Be a leader outside of work
You can develop leadership skills without a leadership position. For example, Tiffany Pham, founder and CEO of MOGUL, recommends getting hands-on experience building a team through volunteer projects. You can find a nonprofit company or society, join it, and put your organizing skills to work.
Working in volunteer teams not only helps you develop. This is also a great line on your resume - with a successful non-profit project you will show that you know how to manage people not only with money, but also with an ideological approach. Prove that you know how to light up and guide different people. Such abilities are needed in any business.
See also: Beginning leader. How to avoid making mistakes
Discipline yourself
A leader is someone who must be able to organize people. But what can we talk about a group if a person cannot organize himself? Thus, self-discipline is the foundation of leadership. Those who can cope with themselves can also cope with others.
It’s worth starting with a banal drawing up of a daily routine. It's not enough to have it in your head. You need to transfer it to paper and place it in a visible place. When you learn to follow it unquestioningly, without being distracted, without moving tasks, without being lazy or shirking, you can say that you have taken the path of leadership.
Practice new leadership paradigms
Sheni Naseem, chief executive officer of the US Center for Leadership Excellence, outlined several principles and soft skills that a modern leader needs.
- New leaders don't try to be busy all the time. Instead of filling every minute of their lives with activity, they create ideas and “fill empty spaces with information.” Simply put, they create opportunities for other people to work, organize them and help them achieve success. Constant employment does not equal many realized useful ideas and opportunities.
- Modern leaders don't do things for people, they do things with people. They build a model of interaction with the team in such a way that subordinates do not need to seek respect from the leader. Instead, employees should spend energy and time on growing the company.
- They create a system in which the company is willing to constantly change. Leaders make mechanisms that can be quickly rebuilt to create new products.
- Leaders are interested in the opinions of not only like-minded people. They gather around them people with different, even opposing points of view. They listen to them, analyze arguments and know how to accept criticism.
- Modern leaders value humility. They constantly ask themselves - what good can I do with my strength? What harm can I do? How can I avoid harm and do good?
- Finally, leaders focus on long-term goals, long-term change. They understand that short-term success can harm the company. Therefore, they choose constant development rather than quick profits.
Take your life into your own hands
A leader is someone who can organize and lead people. But in order to spread your influence to others, you must first control yourself. How to develop leadership qualities? Stop complaining about external circumstances and shifting the blame for your failures to others.
A true leader does not complain about the situation, but analyzes it. He looks for the reason for what is happening in himself (in actions or inaction). He does not put up with troubles, but looks for ways to get out of the current situation. Simply put, to become a leader, you must take an active position and understand your responsibility for everything that happens.
And further…
Of course, you need to maintain your appearance at 5 points. Make it a rule to only buy clothing items that complement your style. Keep track of your physical fitness. Basically, do whatever you can to look your best.
So, let's summarize. If you feel like you’re lagging behind, your opinion is far from decisive, you don’t have enough attention from your colleagues and acquaintances, then it’s time to start changing yourself for the better. These tips are just the beginning; they are designed to help you take the first steps towards your own development. And there are so many interesting things along the way, so go for it!
Tags: self-improvement, self-education, communication psychology, leadership, leader, character, first steps
Obstacles to leadership
Some people believe that if they are not leaders, then they will not be able to develop such qualities in themselves. This is the main mistake that prevents you from achieving success.
In addition, there are other barriers that prevent progress in personal self-development. Among the most popular are:
- Inability to clearly define goals and objectives;
- Everyday vanity and minor problems that take too much time to resolve;
- Inability and unwillingness to take responsibility for one’s decisions;
- Fear of changing anything in your life;
- Reluctance to leave the “comfort zone”;
- Overwork, nervous breakdown;
- Lack of motivation.
In fact, most of these problems are easily eliminated with the help of a set goal and the desire to work on yourself.
Leaders don't care what others think of them.
How many goals were never achieved and dreams were never realized because people were too concerned about what others would think of them. However, it is impossible to please everyone, because there are so many people, so many opinions. Moreover, there is a category of people who do not represent anything themselves, but, figuratively speaking, hang on the feet of others, preventing them from taking off. Haters are the name given to haters whose hobby is to judge and find fault. So is it worth changing your life plans because of them?
As Winston Churchill, the charismatic leader of Great Britain, said, “You will never get your way to the end if you stop to throw a stone at every yapping dog.” “I don’t care what you think about me, because I don’t think about you at all,” said Coco Chanel, the queen of world fashion of the last century. It is unlikely that they would have become leaders if they strived to be liked by everyone. After all, popular wisdom says: “You can’t put a scarf on every mouth.”
