Leadership done right: The importance of leadership skills

What is a ship without its captain? In all likelihood, it’s a floating hunk of wood with no direction or purpose. The same can be said for a business without a capable leader at the helm. In order to execute a successful business strategy and drive growth, companies must have strong leaders.

With that said, a CEO is not the only person at a company that needs to be a good leader. Businesses require people with initiative throughout every department and every team – without structure on each level, the overall trajectory will be disorganised, and the business will flounder. Let’s look at why leadership skills are so necessary and figure out how you can develop them yourself.

The rest of my team is capable – why do I need leadership skills?

Not everyone sees the immediate appeal of being a leader. It sounds like a lot of work and pressure – but in reality, ‘leadership’ manifests itself in a number of different ways. Being innovative is leadership, taking initiative is leadership, bridging gaps between groups of people is leadership. These are all integral to businesses.

Developing leadership skills in yourself is not only important for your organisation – it’s a very useful tool for you! This skill set is something you can use in the future, both in professional and personal situations.

Leadership comes in many different forms – which type are you?

What qualities make a great leader?

Every leader looks different, whether they’re heading up a small team or running an international corporation. Depending on the culture of the organisation, some leadership styles might work better than others. However, there are a few overarching qualities that all leaders should possess, according to Forbes:

1. Commitment: Good leaders are committed to what they’re doing. If you want to inspire others to take initiative, you must first demonstrate it yourself. At the same time, commitment doesn’t mean taking the weight of everything onto your own shoulders – capable leaders know when to delegate responsibilities to others and focus themselves on more important tasks.

2. Communication: Being able to communicate with your colleagues and managers is incredibly important, especially as a team leader. As anyone who has ever worked under a boss who can’t communicate effectively will tell you, it makes the job a whole lot harder. The same goes for listening – good communication requires active listening, so everyone knows you value their opinion.

3. Honesty: Above all, leadership requires honesty and integrity. If you plan on rising higher in the company, you must show that you have an ethical and open-book approach to your job. This will encourage a culture of honesty and straightforwardness at the company, with you paving the way for everyone else.

Being able to communicate effectively with commitment is an important part of being a leader.

How can I become a better leader?

‘That’s great information,’ you might be saying, ‘but what if I don’t have all those skills yet?’ Don’t worry – there are ways you can cultivate leadership skills within yourself. Through watching your managers, as well as their bosses, you can get a sense for the leadership culture within your business.

If you feel like you could benefit from external skills development, it might be worthwhile to attend leadership training courses, such as the numerous programmes that ICML offers. Whether you’re just starting out with basic leadership skills, or are looking to drive radical change in your organisation, we have a course for you.

To hear more about our various programme options, or to chat with one of our friendly representatives, please reach out to ICML today. We look forward to hearing from you!