Source: McKonly & Asbury

Whether it’s someone in a position of power or simply a de facto head of a group, good leadership makes an impact on an organization’s results. According to Dale Carnegie’s research, when it comes to leadership, there is certainly room for improvement.

Only 28% of respondents in our recent global study into organizational health said they are very satisfied with their immediate leader. So, let’s look at some examples of leadership skills, ways to develop yourself as a leader, and the importance of leaders in the workplace.

What Makes a Good Leader?

The terms “leader” and “manager” are often used interchangeably, but there are some important distinctions to point out.

A manager is generally appointed to a position of power and responsibility. Managers provide order and consistency, coordinating activities to get tasks done. They are charged with supporting the business’s bottom line. A leader can be anyone, even a person without official authority. Leaders are more likely to enact change and movement through their influence and set the tone around the work being done.

Warren Bennis, a man who significantly influenced contemporary thinking on leadership and organizational development, wrote in his book On Becoming a Leader: “Managers are people who do things right, and leaders are people who do the right thing.” Often, this has to do with a person’s innate or developed leadership qualities and their leadership approach.

For example, Hubert Joly, former CEO and chair of Best Buy, is a leader of the people. When Best Buy was falling prey to online retailers, Joly was pressured to start downsizing the company. Instead, he went to the front lines, donning the blue shirt and khakis of his employees and with a name badge that read “CEO in Training.” Joly says, “They had all of the answers, and our job was easy… it was empathetic listening to the front liners and to the customers.” Instead of managing the situation, Joly led from the front with empathy and supported his people first.

Or take Alan Mulally, former CEO of Boeing and Ford, a man who believes that “it is an honor to serve.” On the Dale Carnegie Take Command podcast, Alan discusses how How to Win Friends and Influence People sparked a dedication to lifelong learning and brought out the best in him. There are plenty of renowned leaders in today’s business world who have visited our podcast, and they can teach how to be a good leader. But no matter who one listens to, they’ll still have to put in the work to gain the skills of a leader.

Steps to Developing Leadership Skills

Before learning how to be a leader, one must first ask, what are leadership skills? Some good leadership qualities include the ability to communicate effectively and listen, when necessary, to drive change through support, not force, and to be honest and transparent in all that one does. Here’s what the process might look like when considering how to develop leadership skills.

Self-Assess

Don’t leave it solely up to others to identify potential areas for growth and development specific to oneself. Use self-assessments to understand strengths and weaknesses as an individual when developing leadership skills. Seek out feedback from colleagues, use personality tests, or draw on what’s been learned through personal development courses. It’s important to have a clear and honest understanding of who one is because identifying one’s strengths and weaknesses as an individual will help identify areas for greatest success as a leader.

Set Clear Goals

Establish personal goals and visions that stretch beyond mere corporate advancement. Make sure these goals are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound). This also means keeping the goal within one’s control. Instead of thinking “I will get a promotion” – something one doesn’t have control over – consider thinking “I will do [insert specific actions] over a period of [insert specific time] to demonstrate that I deserve that promotion.” And don’t forget to share these goals with others, as this lends an additional level of accountability.

Seek Mentorship

Mentorship is not a new concept in any industry, and it becomes even more critical to get feedback from experienced persons when aiming to be a true leader. Mentors can help self-evaluate, give actionable steps to improve, and be there when guidance is needed. When choosing a mentor, one should consider who they admire, particularly for their leadership skills, then ask them directly and kindly to be a mentor. There’s also nothing to say one can only have one mentor or that they have to mentor the individual directly. Consider a combination of mentors who can provide a challenge in different areas.

Embrace Continuous Learning

Leaders never stop learning – about their industry, about other people, and about themselves. Ongoing education for hard and soft skills is critical to advancing in the workplace. Between the availability of books to read, courses to take, or seminars and webinars to listen to, there’s no shortage of opportunity. In many industries, the speed of change is fast, and one won’t be able to rely solely on what’s been learned in the past to propel them to success in the future. One must be a continuous learner.

Practice Effective Communication

When it comes to good leadership skills, there’s nothing more important than effective communication. Effective communication means being clear in ideas and locution, truly listening to feedback (active listening), and continuing the cycle of communication with additional discourse. This may or may not be supported by a company communications strategy.

Lead by Example

If one expects hard work and honesty from those they lead, then that leader had better provide that first. Always lead with integrity and authenticity. If one says it, do it! If one doesn’t, this will impact how much trust others put, or the organization puts, in that leader. If one’s looking for opportunities to begin aligning their actions and words relating to leadership skills, examples of areas to focus on include empathy, active listening, adaptability to change, innovative thinking, and more.

Encourage Feedback

Although the first step to developing leadership qualities is to self-evaluate, one cannot know if they are on the right path without feedback from others. Feedback is crucial for growth because people are often unaware of the impact they make or how they are perceived by others. While one might have thought they were being clear and kind, someone else might have walked away feeling muddled and reprimanded. Ask those being interacted with to provide oral, written, or other feedback, allowing them to share their thoughts in a format comfortable to them. One should be specific with what is wanted from others to evaluate them on and remain open to areas that the individual being evaluated may not have thought of. More than anything, ensure feedback is not met with negative emotions, resistance, or especially repercussions, which can discourage open feedback in the future.

Why Leadership Skills Are Important

Why work on developing leadership skills? Having strong leaders in the workplace (and especially having those leaders be in positions of influence or authority), has many positive repercussions on a business.

First, leadership directly impacts team dynamics. Effective leadership fosters a positive work environment and ensures team cohesion. In a Dale Carnegie research study, only 30% of team members were extremely satisfied with their team leader, a number corresponding to the 30% of participants reporting having exceeded team goals over the past year. It’s clear that those on high-performing teams were directly impacted by the level of leadership present.

Strong team leaders directly drive success in achieving business goals and producing innovation, which is enhanced by consistency, honesty, emotional intelligence, integrity, good communication, and high levels of trust. Not only will developing these skills help in the traditional sense of improving the workplace, but these skills are also interpersonal skills that comprise a large component of one’s success in interacting in all facets of life.

Unleash Your Leadership Qualities

Whether you’re stepping into a leadership role for the first time or a worker looking to gain influence in guiding others, it’s critical to organize and prioritize your continuing education in leadership training. Dale Carnegie is here to help. Our professional development courses cover topics from leading with influence to communicating with diplomacy to modeling a respectful workplace. Explore how Dale Carnegie can help you become a great leader.

As an owner of the Dale Carnegie Mid-Atlantic franchise, McKonly & Asbury is able to offer an extension of services to our clients and friends of the firm, expanding our expertise in the areas of leadership, team building, and people development as Dale Carnegie offers programs in leadership, management development, customer engagement, service, sales, communication, and more.