Six things anyone who wants to lead must learn

Not everyone is a born leader. Some people do have an innate inclination to lead others but most skills and characteristics that make a good leader are actually learned. This article will look at the six things anybody who wants to be a manager or lead others must learn.

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Communication skills

According to The Balance, the ability to communicate is the key trait of any leader. They must be able to communicate with anybody in an effective, fast and understandable manner, and they have to be able to adapt to the person they are talking, using all the tricks of both verbal and non-verbal communication.

Planning skills

Strategic thinking, looking ahead, intuition and planning: without these traits, no manager can be successful. A good leader must look ahead, weigh up different options and have various plans ready for different situations that may arise.

Empathy and listening skills

The ability to empathise with other people is key when the manager is communicating with subordinate employees. For the manager to be able to inspire and motivate others, they must understand other people on a personal level, listen to them and empathise with them.

Confidence

Unfortunately, even the best worker with excellent skills and knowledge cannot be a good leader if they do not possess the necessary self-confidence and trust in their own abilities. Confidence is essential when serving as a role model and enthusing others for a common vision.

Making a good impression and having great presentation skills

There is a lot to this point. Basically, managers should make a good impression. They must be good speakers and able to present themselves, their team and its work well. And they must also look the part, which means taking care of their appearance and acting on a level corresponding to the position they either occupy or want to achieve.

Hard skills

All the points mentioned above are so-called soft skills. But a good leader must also know the craft, so to speak. They must know what the team members actually do and how things work. Therefore the final point of this article involves hard skills, namely technical, theoretical and practical skills that enable the given person to understand what is actually going on in their field.

 

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Article source The Balance - a US website focused on money and career
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