[March 13, 2021] Nowadays, the majority of job listings ask for “strong leadership skills” in job applicants, even for a non-management position. How can you develop leadership qualities while not working in a leadership position?
You never know when the opportunity to lead may pop up in your career, so one must always be prepared for the task and polish their skills to stay at the top of their game.
Here’s how you can effectively improve your leadership skills and fast-track your career growth.
1. Amp up Your Communication Skills
When working on your leadership skills, one essential quality is communication. Often, people in managerial positions face many hurdles due to poor communication skills. A person with strong communication skills can openly express ideas and thoughts without encountering any misunderstanding or conflicts.
Most importantly, a person with good communication skills can:
- Convey their point of view easily
- Better at negotiation
- Efficient trouble shooter
Therefore, honing your communication skills is the first rung on the ladder to successful leadership positions.
2. Volunteer To Take On More Responsibility
The second step on the path to leadership is to volunteer for more work. It doesn’t mean that you put your tasks on the back-burner and ask for more work. When you’re done with a project and have met all scheduled deadlines, then you can always extend a hand to higher management.
A willingness to take on more work demonstrates that you’re willing to contribute more to the company and even put in the extra effort to learn a new skill. It sets you apart from your peers and showcases your capabilities in the workplace.
Whether you work in a law firm or a digital marketing company, volunteering to take on more work will bring you to the management’s attention, help you acquire new skills, and prepare you for a managerial position in the future.
3. Improve Active Listening
Active listening is the next skill you should acquire to prepare for a leadership position. It requires you to listen to the voices of your peers. An important step is to recollect the person’s opinions and question those which can be clarified immediately.
The goal of active listening is simply to give value to the opinion of others and earn their trust. When people acknowledge you as a good listener, they’re more likely to approach you with any problems, concerns, or suggestions that they might have.
4. Energize And Motivate Others
The ability to motivate and inspire those around you is a powerful trait. It is common for your colleagues to encounter moments of stress and tension, which causes them to lose their creative flow and productivity.
At this moment, you can lend a helping hand to your peers by offering valuable advice or elevating their mood so they can return to their work feeling lighter and comforted. Establishing yourself as someone who positively influences people can help you land in the good books of higher management and make you eligible for upgrades.
5. Practice Self-Discipline
When executing any task, you need discipline. Even without being in a leadership role, it’s important for team members to be self-disciplined, so they’re taken seriously. A disciplined individual ensures that their work is done with utmost finesse and actively works towards sharpening their skills.
Individuals that are disciplined have higher emotional intelligence and are better at working under stressful conditions. Moreover, self-discipline helps workers to evaluate their behavior in different circumstances and lead effectively, regardless of their role.
Wrapping Up
It takes a combination of skills and talent to make up a good leader, but with strong willpower and determination, one can develop leadership qualities without being in a leading role. Adding these qualities to your skill set can make you an ideal candidate and a model employee in your workplace. A person with strong leadership skills commands power, can inspire others, and possesses strong communication skills to conduct productive conversations and drive desirable outcomes.
Good article and thanks for writing Mr. Hassan. 👍 Cheers!
Hi Joe the Aussie. Haven’t seen you on these forums in a few weeks. I hope you and your family have been well.
Very good article, Mr. Hassan. Thanks for writing in the pages of Gen. Satterfield.
My favorite part of the article, “When executing any task, you need discipline.” Discipline is exactly what people these days don’t have much of. They believe that everything is easy or it should be handed to them. As well, the think they are morally superior to everyone else. This is a dangerous view of the world.
Well said, Linus Man.
Hi Arslan, I enjoyed your blog post. Well done.
The key points are hit very well in this article, so thank you for having it published. This is a refreshing look at leadership. I know that many young people these days don’t believe in leadership, they think it is just a “privilege” and nothing more than a power struggle between leader and others. This is a neo-Marxist and depressing view of the world. This article gives me hope that not all young folk are nuts.
Mr. Hassan, good job on your article. Just one comment on this statement:
“It takes a combination of skills and talent to make up a good leader, but with strong willpower and determination, one can develop leadership qualities without being in a leading role. ”
I generally agree up to a point with this. But I don’t think anyone can become a good (read that as effective) leader without experience. The biggest problem we often face is that there are people in leadership positions that lack relevant and hands-on experience. These folks frequently fail. So, maybe what you write is true for a very junior person but not for those who have been around a while.
Good point, Max and I appreciate the analysis. Yes, overall a good article that makes you think but I also believe that experience matters a great deal. I’m not so sure that Mr. Hassan is ruling this out.
I was about to make the same point, as I do believe that Mr. H. is on point and understands this very well.
I agree with your comments here and like the way you get to the point quickly. Thanks for publishing on Gen. Satterfield’s leadership blog. He doesn’t allow many guest writers. Do you have another site where you have articles?
Excellent article, Mr. Hassan. Thanks. 👍