Leadership skills you need to learn fast

Anyone can be placed in a leadership role, but to be good and thrive in that position requires solid leadership skills. Good leadership skills are top of the list of competencies that recruiters need to focus on when hiring people or when managers promote leaders from within the organization.

1. Relationship building

Some leaders will say that they do not need to be loved in the workplace. This may be true, but to build a cohesive and more engaged team, great leaders need to learn the skills for building good working relationships in the workplace.

Good working relationships increase employee engagement and according to Gallup’s meta-analysis of employee engagement, business units with good employee engagement have 41 per cent fewer quality defects and 37 per cent less absenteeism. A 21 per cent increase in productivity was also seen to result from higher employee engagement. So even if you think you don’t need to be loved in the workplace, you will definitely need to be skilled in building good relationships in order to be effective. If your team is highly engaged and happy in the workplace, you will likely be loved or at least well respected as a good leader.

2. Agility and adaptability

In a study conducted by Development Dimensions International in 2008, the top of the three most important leadership qualities, at 32 per cent, is the ability to facilitate change. Now, adaptability is definitely one of the most important leadership skills as the business environment has changed so much and is continuously changing, faster than ever.

Effective leadership must be able to adapt to the changes – even if that means working out of your comfort zone – so leaders are not left behind by shifts in the industry, and can give their business a competitive edge. This leads us to explore Innovation & Creativity as part of the skill-set of the best leaders.

3. Innovation and creativity

What did it take for Apple to become a leader in the computer and mobile technology industry? They made innovations to products with users in mind, making their gadgets more user-friendly, as customers who wanted this feature were willing to pay for their pricier products.

Steve Jobs led the innovation and creativity for Apple Inc. by continuously forging ahead of the competition, and this probably made him one of the most influential leaders in the tech industry to date. In a global study on creativity, findings showed that unlocking creative potential is key to economic and societal growth. The increasing demand for creativity and innovation will continue to be a driving force for executives, who must harness their leadership skills in these areas to be effective and competitive.

4. Employee motivation

In close connection with relationship building, the ability to motivate your workforce is as important as keeping employee engagement high. One of the most effective leadership skills is knowing how to continuously motivate employees, regardless of their engagement level.

Greatify point to a study done by the firm Interact on 1000 employees in the US which cited that the number 1 complaint (63 per cent) from employees concerning their managers is lack of appreciation, and, conversely, when managers appreciate their contribution, their engagement increases by 60 per cent. In another study by Westminster College, it was found that boosting morale is the top (32 per cent) motivational technique employees prefer. If employees are not motivated, the company is negatively affected (financially) with absenteeism, attrition and low productivity.

5. Decision-making

A leader is tasked with making decisions all the time. To be an effective leader, those decision making skills need to be top notch. Critical decisions affecting your organization on a large scale need to be sound, rational and solid.

In reality, your decisions as a leader will determine your – and potentially your organization’s – success. You need to stand by your decisions and be confident in them to convince the people affected by the process. Making an unpopular but necessary decision is probably one of the most difficult tasks as a manager, but it is, and will always be, part of an executive’s job description.

6. Conflict management

According to the American Management Association a manager spends an at least 24 per cent of their time managing conflict. Conflict can happen in many areas of business. A conflict is considered to be any issue between two or more individuals that can potentially disrupt work. Conflict in business may go beyond the workplace as it can involve customers, suppliers and even competitors.

When a conflict arises, an effective leader should be able to jump in and resolve or at least mitigate the conflict before it affects the business negatively. When properly dealt with, a conflict may even turn out to be positive for your organization.

Effective leadership means you should be good at identifying conflict, and have foresight on how to resolve it. It is also essential to be very rational when faced with confrontation.

7. Negotiation

Negotiation is a process where two parties with different ideals get together and mutually agree on what an outcome should be. According to Skills You Need, the process of negotiation involves 6 stages: (1) Preparation, (2) Discussion, (3) Clarification of goals, (4) Negotiation towards a Win-Win outcome, (5) Agreement, (6) Implementation of a course of action. Good negotiations can be beneficial to an organization because they will build better relationships. They will also help find the best long-term solution by getting the most out of two different sides. An effective leader must be well versed in his negotiation style to move an organization forward.