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1 Developing your leadership skills
If youâve just taken on a new leadership role, congratulations! This is a great step forward in your career. Part of being a good team leader is, of course, knowing how to inspire your team and take them with you as you strive to reach your goals. There are rafts of heavyweight management tomes about this very topic, but a lot of it boils down to common sense. In this chapter weâll discuss practical ways to help boost your confidence about this part of your job, whether youâre relatively new to it or not.
There are many myths about leadersââleaders are born and not madeâ being a prime example, and while it is true that some people are naturally better suited to leadership roles than others, the necessary skills can be learned, as youâll see throughout this book. It will help new managers get to grips with this aspect of their new job, and also help existing managers brush up on some new techniques and fulfil their potential. Good luck!
Step one: Understand that there are different types of leader
As youâd imagine, there are as many different types of leadership styles as there are peopleâs personalities. For example, think of three shepherds.
The first opens the gate and walks through, allowing the flock to followâthis shepherd
leads from the front.
Another stands behind the sheep and pushes or guides them through, demonstrating a
supportive leadership style.
The third moves from front to back and sometimes to the middle of the flock, demonstrating an
interactive leadership style.
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Flexibility is key to good management. For leaders to exist, there must be followers, and the needs of followers change depending on the context. Knowing how to apply different leadership styles can help you respond equally effectively in many different kinds of situations.
Another school of thought recognises four leadership styles:
Each one is related to a personality trait. Being more relaxed doesnât necessarily mean you canât be a leaderâin fact, itâs a positive boon in some circumstancesâit just means that you have a natural tendency towards a certain type of leadership. As you become more confident and practised in leadership, you may be able to learn other stylesâmore dominant, intuitive, or structured, for example. Try to work with your preferred style until you are comfortable enough to branch out.
Clearly, certain styles are suited to particular situations. For example, a structured leader is likely to succeed in a situation where process is important, such as running a complex project. The relaxed or facilitative leader may be one who manages a professional group of people, while dominant leaders may be needed in businesses where there is a real drive or need for change.
Transferring your skills between different arenas
Donât worry if you feel more comfortable in some situations than you do in othersâas you gain more experience and practice, youâll see that your skills really transfer across the different strands of your working life. For example, letâs say you can command an audience easily when you make presentations, but donât know if youâll be able to do the same with the team youâve just started managing.
Commanding an audience is a great skill and many leaders have it, but itâs not the sole requirement. Leaders also need to be problem-solvers and have originality and flair, confidence and self-knowledge, strong interpersonal skills, the ability to listen, vision, good organisational skills, and so on. Your ability as a speaker suggests that youâre articulate and self-confident. If you possess the other qualities too, youâre well on the way to being the leader your business needs.
Step two: Get some training
If the training budget in your business or organisation permits, a leadership course will help you gain a fuller understanding of what leadership is, and, by extension, how it will work for your business. Courses usually range from business theory to developing strategy and understanding business risk.
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Even if the benefits of some training are crystal-clear to you, itâs no bad thing to spell them out clearly to your own boss when you ask to go on a course. A short e-mail explaining what you and the organisation stand to gain from it will show that youâre taking your new role seriously and that youâre keen to take positive steps towards boosting your essential management skills. Try to appeal to your bossâs pocket if you can; for example, find out whether you could get a discount for a group booking if other colleagues might also benefit from this type of training.
Having well-developed commercial awareness and a good business education will not only give you confidence, but will also help you command respect from others in the organisation.
Step three: Build self-awareness
Your leadership style is the means by which you communicate. The more self-aware you are, the more effectively it will work for you. This means knowing:
what your preferences are
how you are motivated to achieve them
how other people perceive you and your goals
Numerous tests and questionnaires can be used to help you explore your personality an...
