Today's leadership lesson is based on the research and experience of Ronald Riggio, who teaches leadership and organisational psychology at Claremont McKenna College in the USA. In a recent article on the Psychology Today website, Reggio offered ten practical recommendations on how to strengthen your leadership skills. Try it with us. You can also take the tips as suggestions for training when your superiors ask you what soft skills you would like to improve in.
1. Increase your social intelligence
Meet with different people in different social situations and try to be more responsive. Focus, for example, on how to engage others in conversation.
2. Improve your interpersonal skills
Work on the art of active listening and conversation. Improve your relationships with friends, family and co-workers.
3. Increase your emotional intelligence
Observe the non-verbal expressions of yourself and others in emotionally stressful situations. Learn to control your outbursts and express your feelings calmly.
4. Exercise your judgement
Listen to others carefully and be more open to their opinions. Learn actively to ask what they think.
5. Be more courageous
Try to be more consistent in standing up for what you believe in. Do not do anything you consider incorrect. True, this is easier said than done but it's worth it.
6. Improve in conflict resolution
This applies to both conflicts between your subordinates and your own conflicts. Your objective in both cases should be a compromise or a win-win solution.
7. Learn to make better decisions
Observe decisions in your company as well as your own decisions. Learn especially from mistakes which, for personal development, are more useful than successes.
8. Become a better politician
Political skills are useful in any organisation because politics is everywhere. Again, learning by doing is most beneficial. Start to look around yourself more.
9. Practise your influence
All leaders must be able to convince others. They should act effectively but also fairly. The art of persuasion is another soft skill which is worth the effort.
10. Get to know your work better
Try to break into the wider context of your work - your industry, business objectives of the company, specific products, etc. Try to familiarise yourself more with your co-workers, customers, and competitors.
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