Last Updated on October 11, 2016
Question: Do you want to be a good leader or a great leader? Do you have what it takes to “lead” your people so they will treat you with respect and be loyal? Can you motivate them so that they willingly go the extra mile while giving 200%? It is time to develop YOUR leadership skills.
Where do I get leadership training? Who offers the best training? Will I able to take classes online or will I have to sit in a classroom somewhere?
How long will it take? STOP!!! Breathe deep and slowly (see you're learning already).
Be yourself.
Do not be a carbon copy of others. Just because “Bob's” people, jump up and salute him every time he walks in the office, doesn't mean much if they're planning to toss him out of the window or do a Brutus-Caesar reenactment. If that's not who you are, DON' T DO IT. Not saying that you can't copy another leader's tactics, just revise them so that they work favor fully for you.
What are your strengths?
Improve them. Polish them. Use them. If you are the type of person who would roll up his sleeves and assist your co-workers, you can do so now only limit yourself to when and how often (i.e. assisting when a team project is faltering). Find a balance, your group should be able to count on you without making you their crutch.
What are your weaknesses?
Only you can truly answer that. As the saying goes, “face them head on”. Do not be afraid to admit to yourself that you have them. Work on them one by one and they will diminish. What you will end up with is a stronger and better you.
Be an inspiration.
It's hard to find “good help”. Do not be afraid to inspire others. With cutbacks in employees, bonuses, salary, and benefits, you should invoke a “want to” and “can do” attitude in your group. You don't have to always be “L'il Miss” or “Mr. Sunshine” but you will need to keep a positive outlook on life even when you want to just sit in a corner and hide.
Lead by example.
“If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong” (Murphy's Law). It happened, so now what are you going to do or even better, what are we going to do about this?
Let your integrity speak for itself. Many other traits can help you become a “Leader”. You can be taught:
- Be assertive
- Be more productive
- How to have vision and share it with others
- How to communicate more effectively
- Be innovative and creative
These are all great characteristics to have for leadership skills. Practice them daily, and implement them, make them become a part of who you are.
Keep in mind that once you have developed your personal leadership skills, some additional training might be necessary to get the job that you want. You will have already become a leader, now you just need the documentation to support it.
