5 Tips In Becoming A Great Leader

Writer: Tajera Cunningham

Image by: www.buildgrowlead.com

Leadership is one of the most beneficial skills you can develop. When going in fora job, most employers place good leadership attributes at the top of their checklist. Being able to work with others is important to most roles, regardless of experience or function. Demonstrating these leadership qualities on your resume and cover letter is a vital step toward getting that interview. It's always good to bring value to the work that you're doing, but it's even better when you can bring out the best in others alongside you. Great leaders improve the collective production and this is a really important commodity to garner.

Who is a Good Leader?

By definition, a leader is someone who leads or commands a group of people, but what makes a good leader? A good leader is someone who takes their team on a journey of personal development and business success. A good leader will know how to conduct themselves in certain situations. Whether that is giving an instruction nicely and politely with a reason, or a clear-cut and blunt command.

Below are tips on becoming a strong leader:

1. Problem Solving

Effective leaders can use their problem-solving abilities to manage possible workplace problems swiftly and produce actionable results. Leaders, for example, may tackle problems by convening teams to investigate and brainstorm ideas. This can help build team bonding, which can help teams perform more efficiently in the future.

2. Delegation

Good leaders need to be able to delegate work fairly and evenly amongst the members of a particular group while acknowledging the strengths and weaknesses of the individuals in that group. This can be shown on your resume by including ways in which you assigned responsibilities, established expectations, tracked progress, and provided feedback.

3. Communication

Communication—effective communication—is one of the most important skills to pick up, not only under leading but overall. Effective communication is key to a company’s mission, vision, and goals for employees. While attending college, one of my lecturers once told me that, “In the working world, almost all employers value written communication.” Highlighting that we all need to practice our writing skills. Additionally, studies have shown that employers also value verbal communication highly.

4. Adaptability

As a good leader it's critical to be able to adapt to any given situation. In times of crisis and/or high stress, a leader must know how to stay calm and collected and direct their group in the best way necessary, whether that’s by getting a little tough on them or pushing and motivating them. It is important to note that not everyone is the same; some react better to a softer touch, rather than a more direct, down-to-earth tough touch and vice versa. Ensure that this is shown in your resume and interview by staying times that a project went south or when plans suddenly change and how best you combatted them.

5. Building a relationship

Building relationships with other team members is an important aspect of leadership. Leaders can foster these beneficial relationships by actively listening to people, praising them, providing constructive feedback, and fostering a safe and enjoyable work environment. Leaders may connect with team members and motivate them to work together to achieve goals when they cooperate with others as part of a team.