American singer Dolly Parton said, “If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader.”
A good leader is someone who leads with compassion, respect, honesty, empathy and fairness.
Authenticity and honesty are important leadership skills in management. How you take on leadership as a manager is subjective. You may choose a different path than your peers. But this means that how you lead is entirely up to you. You can either be someone your employees can relate to or someone who distances themselves from others.
Let’s explore the qualities of a good leader in management so you can incorporate some of these in your professional life.
What Makes An Effective Leader?
Managers should lead their teams to success with effective strategies, planning and processes. But that’s not all! There are certain values and practices you have to encourage within your teams to make sure everyone is self-motivated. Leading by example is one of the most critical aspects of leadership as a manager.
Leadership qualities in management aren’t limited to your skills and abilities. It’s about communication, giving autonomy and feedback. If you can give your employees room to grow, learn and adapt, they’re more likely to follow you willingly.
Here’s a list of leadership skills in management that can help you build teamwork and collaboration.
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Convert Setbacks Into Opportunities
Equipping yourself with the right tools to convert setbacks into opportunities is something leaders need to learn. Imagine if you face a setback at work and instead of finding solutions, you’re busy reprimanding those involved. Working together to create opportunities and solve problems builds collaboration and encourages employees to take initiative. Maybe your encouragement and positive attitude can give them the confidence to voice their thoughts. That’s where you’ll find some of the best, most creative ideas.
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Encouraging Creativity
Creativity in the workplace is underappreciated when, in fact, it has the power to solve problems, increase productivity and improve performance. Giving your employees the chance to cultivate their imagination will help you arrive at unsuspectingly effective solutions. It’s important to create an environment of learning in the workplace. Leadership qualities in management are rooted in helping your employees realize that they’re more capable than they believe.
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Considering Multiple Perspectives
Objective thinking and approaching problems from different directions will help you foster leadership as a manager. Leaders will find it easier to achieve goals if they listen to others instead of talking over them. One problem can be looked at in as many ways as there are people involved. Accepting that and using it to your advantage builds harmony in the workplace. Not only are you encouraging your employees to speak their minds but giving them the authority to take a stand.
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Making Sound Inferences
This is where you get to use your skills and abilities to solve problems. Making sound and effective inferences based on available, relevant information is a vital skill. Leadership skills for managers often include problem-solving. But it’s not just about finding solutions, rather it’s about finding solutions that work for everyone. Considering all stakeholders involved can help you—as a leader—use your best judgment to arrive at a solution.
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Receiving And Implementing Feedback
Leadership qualities in management must include the art of receiving and giving feedback. Always ask for feedback from the people you work closely with. They may have some effective ideas for how you can improve as a leader or manager. Everyone has something more to learn and observation is the best teacher. If your staff observed some qualities that you can improve, you should always take it in stride and work on them.
Now that we’ve discussed some of the leadership skills for managers, you should also recognize that continuous learning can make you a better leader.
Becoming A Leader Is Not The End Of Learning
How well you lead or guide others depends on how well you lead yourself. Are you confident in your abilities as a leader? Perhaps there are areas where you feel you’re lacking. Becoming proficient at your work and building knowledge is a continuous process. Not only do you become more confident but you’re able to guide your team in better ways.
Harappa’s Leading Self course will teach you how you can be your best self and become a reliable leader. Developing a growth mindset will help you overcome internal and external barriers and realize your full potential. Remember that being a leader doesn’t mean you have to stop learning. It’s never too late to be better than who you were yesterday.
Explore topics such as What is Leadership, Leadership Qualities & Types of Leadership from Harappa Diaries and become a reliable leader.