The Top Ten Skills of an Effective Leader
To be an effective leader and gain organisational success, which ten skills do you ideally need and how do you measure up?
To effectively lead and organise others, manage resources, negotiate with peers and be managed yourself requires an enormous amount of juggling, but can be narrowed down to these ten skills -
Planning - Setting organisational goals, defining strategies, and developing action plans to achieve them. This will involve determining objectives, identifying tasks, allocating resources, and establishing timelines.
Organising - Arranging resources, such as people, materials, and equipment, to effectively carry out plans. This means establishing roles, responsibilities, and reporting relationships, as well as creating systems and processes for coordination and communication.
Leading - Guiding and motivating individuals or teams to achieve their objectives, providing training and development opportunities. Inspiring and influencing others, providing guidance and support, communicating clearly, making decisions, and creating a positive work environment.
Recruiting - Hiring and developing the right people for the right positions within the company. This involves identifying needs, recruiting and selecting employees and ensuring a diverse and inclusive workforce.
Performance Managing - Setting standards, measuring progress towards the goals through coaching, giving feedback and taking action as needed. Rewarding fairly for successes achieved.
Decision Making - Gathering relevant data, analysing options, evaluating risks and benefits, and choosing the most appropriate course of action in a timely fashion.
Communication - Actively listening, observing changes in the emotional temperature, communicating clearly and openly and adapting communication style to different audiences.
Problem Solving - Identifying and resolving issues or obstacles that arise within the organisation; generating creative solutions, evaluating alternatives, and implementing effective strategies to address challenges.
Adaptability - Being able to navigate and respond to changes in the business environment. Managers should be resilient, flexible, open to new ideas, and capable of leading their teams through transitions and uncertainties.
Ethical and Social Responsibility - Conducting business in an ethical and socially responsible manner. Managers should uphold integrity, promote fairness, consider the impact of their decisions on stakeholders, and adhere to legal and ethical standards.
These ten skills provide a framework for effective leadership and organisational success, however, it's important to note that management practices can vary depending on the industry, organisational culture, and specific circumstances.
Looking at these skills which areas do you think you need to develop?