If you don’t feel like a “born leader,” don’t worry. Great leaders have a set of skills that can be learned, not a certain personality type.
In researching the leadership skills of senior executives—including 30 of the world’s most celebrated CEOs—Justin Menkes found that three sets of skills trump personality, management style and other characteristics in predicting excellent performance. In his book Executive Intelligence (Collins), Menkes describes those three critical types of skills. If you want to shine in your new leadership role, focus on these areas:
Getting the job done:
Yes, it sounds a bit obvious, but great leaders are great because they make things happen. That doesn’t mean you should start implementing changes haphazardly, though. Menkes focuses on some specific aspects of taking initiative, such as critically examining underlying assumptions and appropriately defining a problem and identifying its highest priorities.
Working with other people:
People skills are imperative to great leadership. According to Menkes, effective leaders recognize and balance people’s different needs and perspectives, they can accurately identify the core issues of a conflict, and they anticipate emotional reactions people will have to their decisions and words.
To improve these skills, observe and listen to your team. You’ll need to solicit each person’s input so that everyone is heard. Knowing your team members’ personality types can give you insight into each individual and your group as a whole.
Adapting and improving yourself:
The strongest leaders might know they’re strong, but they also know that they can be stronger. Menkes explains that top executives pursue constructive criticism and adjust their behavior accordingly. They’re also able to identify and adjust for their own mistakes and biases.
Don’t feel like you are expected to know all the answers suddenly, just because you were promoted. Identify the leaders you admire, and seek their advice and constructive criticism. Identify areas of specific concern with an employee survey. In either case, be clear that you want—and ready yourself for—honest feedback. Remember, every day in your management role is an opportunity to grow and improve.
How have you seen these skills affect leadership success? In your experience, what other factors make a difference?
[Photo credit: www.flickr.com/photos/pagedooley.]
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