“How to build leadership skills?” is a question that commonly comes up when you have to lead a team. Leadership skills can indeed be built and developed over time. Every person has the potential to lead, but these abilities may seem dormant if they are not actively practiced. Believe it or not, there are times where you are in the team that you have been taking the initiative to lead. This is such as when you have introduced a new idea. Leaders often do it differently by:
- Presenting ideas clearly
- Taking ownership of their ideas
- Engaging the team in discussions
- Empowering others to collaborate and guide them through challenges
This means you might not have to start learning leadership from scratch—you just need to practice and improve the skills you already have.
To improve leadership skills, we must first focus on the basics. Why? Because simply giving instructions and guiding others doesn’t make you a leader. Being a leader means helping yourself and others achieve the best together. If you, your team, and others are facing inefficiencies, it’s important to take this time to reflect.
To be a leader, start with:
Communicating clearly
Messages or ideas that are effectively conveyed will help other people to understand. Without communicating the clear goals and details of the task, it can cause a decline in productivity. According to Microsoft’s 2023 Work Trend Index, 64% of employees feel they don’t have enough time and energy to do their jobs well. Also, these employees are 3.5 times more likely to find it hard to come up with new ideas and think strategically. For that reason, communication is important in every aspect of leadership for a more engaged, motivated and productive team.
Being flexible
Not all situations go according to plan. Leaders need to be aware of this and have the skills to be flexible. Remember, while progress isn’t always linear, it doesn’t mean the outcome will be different. In fact, flexibility can boost productivity even more. According to Harvard Business Review, 41% of HR leaders from Fortune 500 companies with flexible policies agree that their productivity has generally increased over the past year. As long as leaders embrace failure and trust in their ability to correct mistakes, this flexibility can still produce impactful results.
Making effective decision-making
Leaders have to make decisions constantly, even on a daily basis, which makes decision-making a crucial skill in leadership. Before making a decision, they must gather the right information, listen to others, choose the best options, and communicate the decision effectively. This approach ensures that decisions are more informed and accurate. Leaders who make informed decisions are viewed as more trustworthy, competent, and effective, as they demonstrate a thoughtful and collaborative approach that inspires confidence in their team.
Know how to delegate
Leaders who trust their team allow their team members to take charge of their own work. Delegating tasks does not only help the team to explore new ways to do the task; it also helps yourself. You may not even need to do everything by yourself, such as constantly checking on unnecessary details. This can be done by assigning tasks to team members based on their strengths and expertise. You only need to be available for them to ask for questions and guidance. This way, leaders can ease their unnecessary workload and help the team members grow and enhance their skills.
Having empathy
Being able to understand and care about how other people feel can create a harmonious and supportive environment. When a leader shows empathy, it shows that they try to understand each other’s different perspectives, which in turn builds trust. People will feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas. For example, an empathetic leader will listen and offer help to the team members instead of devaluing them. In return, the team members help provide valuable perspectives, helping to achieve goals easier.
Empathy can also help in facing conflict situations. Through empathy, leaders will be able to understand more instead of assuming the worst of others. Practicing this also helps build emotional intelligence, which is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotions—both in oneself and in others.
Conclusions
Building leadership skills is an ongoing process that requires practice, self-awareness, and a willingness to learn and grow. By focusing on the fundamentals, anyone can develop their leadership abilities over time. Naturally, they will also help with other important skills such as conflict resolution and emotional intelligence. With consistent effort, strong leadership skills will develop, and you will feel even more confident to lead.
