Top Leadership Skills for Effective Management

 "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."

~John Quincy Adams


Leaders are the frontmen for any organisation. They are responsible for bringing out the best in employees and enhancing profitability. That makes a leader a distinguished one!


The importance of good leaders can never be undermined as the best-performing organisations are those that are managed and led by effective leaders. However, finding good leaders is not easy. No wonder there are so many leadership programs aimed at helping managers to become able leaders.


There are several skills that potential leaders or managers need to learn, develop and imbibe. Before we go on to discuss them, here are some interesting things to know about leaders and leadership skills as published on Forbes.com.


Successful organizations need leaders at all levels. ~ Roger Trapp, Forbes Contributor


Leadership is a matter of honesty and trust. ~ Phil Lewis, Forbes Contributor


A leader who’s disconnected emotionally can’t persuade, guide, or inspire.~ Rhett Power, Forbes Contributor


I define leadership by results. Specifically, the capacity to influence others through inspiration and passion, generated by vision, ignited by a purpose — and produced by conviction. ~Don Wenner, Forbes Councils Member


Making a decision to commit to self-care must begin with you as the leader of your organization. ~YEC COUNCIL POST


As a person advances in  career, he/she gains professional abilities and experience that widen his/her perspective in life. However, when a person takes on the role of a leader, the responsibilities include building a team, effective project strategy, decision making & execution to bring constructive outcomes. 


With the right combination of soft skills (personality traits) and hard skills (technical skills), a leader is able to accomplish his/her personal and professional goals. Here a few leadership skills that are important to succeed as a top leader.


Organising & Management Skills


When preparing for leadership roles, organisation and management skills certainly help.


Developing management skills helps leaders to carry out the responsibilities and execute projects well. Also, if one is organised, work flows smoothly without any delays. Apart from being organised, leaders also need to be skilful in multitasking at the same time. 


Often, their work involves managing deadlines, tracking multiple projects, looking at calendar events, meetings, presentations and conferences.  If you are well-organised, multi-tasking becomes easy, infact enjoyable. So, leaders must know how to balance multiple tasks at one time.


Most, importantly, being able to organise everything excellently will help to reduce stress and enjoy the responsibility. When a leader is calm, he can handle people and situations well. He must lead by example, organise and manage things well, operate smoothly and complete tasks on time for the best results.


Team management

Business management involves meeting new people, exploring new ideas and executing them along with the team. Understanding team dynamics is important for a healthy professional working environment. A good leader is one who understands how the team operates and who motivates and inspires employees to give their best towards the goals of the organisation.


Every team follows a specific pattern of development – creating, discussing, applying and performing. Leading a team also requires specific management skills too. An ideal leader can monitor the whereabouts skilfully and focus on the strengths and weaknesses of team members for the best outcomes.


To get along with every member of the team, the leader must balance the diversity of ideas, personality of every member, and focus on a creative approach using leadership and strategic management skills.


Communication Skills

To turn ideas into reality, communication definitely plays an indispensable role. Effective communication skills open various possibilities for a leader. Communication is at the core of being a good leader. Just thinking in the right direction is not enough. They need to express and share ideas with absolute clarity whether it is team members, customers, partners or stakeholders.


To communicate effectively, a leader must be transparent in communication, his words and action must match, he must communicate in a straightforward manner and encourage others to speak while showing empathy.


When communicating, a leader must be honest if he wants to win trust. Also, he must be visible in important meetings as just sending emails is not enough. Further, he must develop active listening skills and must allow people to express themselves even if they are complaining. He should endeavour to understand employees’ thought process and feelings to build a connection with them. 



Handling Conflicts 


Despite giving the best, conflicts can occur. Different mindsets create the best ideas but also bring conflicts. A leader must deal with differences in a fair manner. It is the leader’s responsibility to ease a clash and ensure disciplined behaviour. A demotivating work ambience can affect team performance, which eventually can be a challenge to company’s reputation and customer relations.


A leader must keep a track of how the team members are with each other. In case there is a difference, the leader’s job is to sort out the problems and seek a resolution. A conflict is positive when it highlights the internal defects of a system, but when not, it can turn things in the other direction. It is the leader’s responsibility to recognise the conflict and solve it.


Strategic Thinking


Being able to think strategically can distinguish a leader from a manager. Project planning and project management demand a lot of strategic approaches. Strategic thinkers look into the bigger picture. Minor distractions and hurdles should not stop them from going to the top.


To create an interesting vision, a leader needs to think strategically and implement his/her ideas effectively. A good strategy must always work well, if executed well. Some strategic management skills  to handle responsibilities better are critical thinking, time management, risk management, scheduling, event co-ordination, listening, and commercial acumen.


Coaching & Motivation 


True leaders are always self-motivated and can have a positive impact on the performance of the team. They must have the skills to guide and mentor the team and direct them towards improved performance and goals fulfilment by motivating them to work on expanding their skills for their personal and professional growth.


So, for a leader, it is very important to work towards motivating the employees and enhancing their delivery skills. While doing so, it is important to build a bond with the team members and help them grow.


Regular feedback to the team members can boost up their self-confidence. It acts as a sound strategy for team working because feedbacks involve improving the day-to-day activities of a person. Team-building activities also help and must be encouraged.


Self-Learning and Proactiveness


A leader has a meaningful contribution to any organisation with opportunities for self-growth. Developing leadership and strategic management skills require practice. Do early preparation, and never miss an opportunity to lead. 


Start today by volunteering for projects and organising a meeting. The experience to lead a project can bring recognition and experience. Work on your weaknesses and have a broader outlook.


Observe leaders, both inside and outside a professional community and learn from them. Self-learning is a prime factor for professional growth. 


You can join Senior Management Program by IIM Calcutta to advance further in your career by enhancing quantitative and qualitative skills, learning leadership management skills, refreshing your knowledge and developing a deep understanding of the business environment.


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