Many people have it backwards. You do not have to be the best at your job to be a leader. Yes, that’s exactly what we said. Technical skill and job knowledge, at best, are 20% of what you require to be a leader. Usually, leaders don’t have the best IQ. How many times have you seen someone who’s a genius at their job but is a horrible manager? I’m sure some names have run through your mind right now. So what do you need to be a leader and to excel at your job?
Keep Growing and Time Management
It is possible to stop growing, to fall into a comfort zone and settle for where you are. There is no greater enemy to development than stagnation. The business of life is a busy one we know, but to be a leader, you must continuously strive for more. That hunger will fuel you to reach further. You must be a life-long student in your quest to better yourself and those around you. All the qualities you need to become a leader require learning. So the first step naturally would be to commit to a virtuous journey of continuous education.
Proper management of your time and resources is critical. Make sure you learn how to schedule your tasks in a way that will guarantee that deadlines are met. People need to know that they can depend on you and they’ll respect you for it. It makes the whole team look bad if you fail to deliver your end on time.
Communication and Appearance
Leaders need to be able to communicate at various levels. Keep it professional in the work environment. No distasteful jokes or inappropriate messages while at work. It will just make you look silly. Make sure you learn how to write emails correctly. This is an overlooked but very essential skill.
You should make sure that you are in check, always. This does not mean go and break the bank to buy a new outfit for every day of the month, no. But be reasonable. You have to look the part if people are going to take you seriously. Coming to work looking like you slept in your car is never a good idea.
Always Seek a Win-Win
Everyone loves someone who’s driven by finding win-win solutions. Think about that next time you try to explain away how you missed your targets by throwing the tech guy under the bus. You may think that you are doing yourself a favour, but you are not. Why not seek a win-win proactively instead.
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
When people work together, things may become hairy at times. Heated interactions are usually part of any healthy establishment. It shows how passionate everyone is about their work. But when that happens, never internalize as a personal attack; that would be a huge mistake. Put away all feelings of vengefulness; they will hurt you more than anyone else. A fundamental skill to be recognized as true leaders is to be able to avoid any emotional involvement. It does not mean becoming insensitive to the needs of the team members but knowing how to focus on problems without being dragged into despair or anger. This is a useful attitude when applied in any type of competition. You can train with free demo games like poker and blackjack found www.gamble.xyz. Not only that, but you also get to experience how professional players handle the stress to limit losing it.
Integrity and Empathy
People need to know that they can trust you before they can follow you. It is easy to trust someone who you know and understand what they stand for. Having integrity means that you are not fickle, you remain unchanged even in the face of extreme adversity. You are consistent, predictable, and people can take you at your word.
Leaders need to be connected to people. You need to know what’s going on with them and also how it is affecting how they work. When you can identify how someone else is feeling, that’s empathy. That knowledge makes a world of difference. You are motivated to treat them the way you also would want to be treated. Seek to understand first, and empathy will come naturally.
Break Out the Praise
The general belief that people are motivated chiefly by money is flawed. Money is a critical part of going to work, yes. But other factors are also at play. To become a leader, you have to know how people work. Give praise where it’s due and never take credit for anyone else’s work.
Sure there’s more to this, but it is a great starting point. As you develop these skills, you realize leadership is about relationships.