Essential Leadership Skills

The role of the leader is becoming more and more challenging. What skills are essential to thrive and survive in leadership roles in the increasingly demanding business world?

The role of the leader in organizations is changing. Competition is becoming more intense with more and more entrants to the market. Technology advances are making it easier for businesses
to serve markets that were not accessible historically. There is a continued demand to achieve efficiencies, increase profits and to work differently. So what essential skills will leaders need to have to thrive?

Change Management

Whether you are a leader in a public body or private sector organization, some form of change program will happen, sooner or later. Leaders will need to be skilled change agents who can create compelling reasons and get the support of others.

Team Building

Leaders cannot do everything themselves. They need to build teams around them which have the skills, knowledge, experience and personal attributes to deliver the results. The teams that they build need to be highly productive and at the same time create a positive environment so that high performance does not lead to high levels of burn out.

Innovation

Nothing stands still for very long. Leaders in organizations need to look at the trends in the way the industry and customer preferences are moving and look for new ways of responding to them. Many businesses get themselves to a point where they are regarded as good performers but often cannot sustain this long term.

Relationship Building

Relationships are key in any business and leaders need to be making the time to create and build relationships. If the business operates on a national or international basis, creating relationships with other senior people in the business can be a real challenge. Relationships with suppliers are also taking on greater importance. Many businesses are relying on processing or customer service functions overseas run by external organizations to take care of large chunks of their business. For example, many companies are moving call centers to places like India to reduce costs. A similar trend is happening in areas like financial traction processing and even secretarial services in some cases. Creating and managing relationships is a vital part in the success of these initiatives.

Global Awareness

More and more businesses are becoming international. Different countries have different cultures, ways of doing things and behaving. Leaders need to learn about these differences if they are to succeed.

Decisiveness

While it is important for leaders to have a vision and clarity around the direction the business is going, they need to be ready to be decisive if things are not going to plan. In theory this sounds simple Business Management Articles, but in practice it is extremely difficult. Taking the decision could be the best or worse thing the leader did depending how events unfold. Leaders need the courage to make the difficult calls.

Leadership is becoming tougher and tougher and requires continued development. What’s the next step for you in developing your leadership skills?

Article Tags: Leaders Need

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements (G&A) works with professionals and organisations to develop their management and leadership capability. Sign up for his free e-course and monthly newsletter at http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk/

Andrew Gallop: Expert article writer: You can succeed with articles on leadership skills. Our personal development depends on continues training. There are more articles, videos, lots of free stuff. Books and audio books at, Leadership Skills Books.

Personal Leadership

For me, leadership
is personal. It starts with the individual. Each person brings who they are to the task of leading. If you are a leader or aspire to leadership, I ask you: Is all well in your world? Are you happy? Are you operating at maximum efficiency? If your answer is “yes,” then the world is a better place. Personal leadership is about management of self. You start with you, so that you can effectively lead others.

We have all seen leaders who are not managing their life very well. They are leading, but they are not giving their best. Their leadership skills suffer. We have also seen leaders at the top of their game, who manage their lives well. Their leadership skills thrive and those around them are inspired.

Here are some elements of personal leadership:

Balance

Balance is a state of equilibrium among the various demands of your life. Balance is dynamic as opposed to static. For the most part, you are constantly making adjustments, sometimes minor sometimes major, to achieve balance. Maintaining balance allows you to function effectively and productively as you lead.

Fulfillment

Fulfillment comes when you are living the life you want to live. You are able to give your all and be energized by your work. Your being and your work are a match. Your work flows and what you need comes to you. You are aligned with your destiny.

A Positive Relationship with Time

For years, management consultants and self-improvement experts have advised you to “manage” time. Planners, organizers and linear structures are useful, but in reality there is too much information and too many demands on your time to properly manage them. Time cannot be managed, you have to manage yourself.

Focus

Focus allows you to channel your energies to create the life you want. Without focus, things do not happen. Creating focus begins with identifying the top priorities in your life. Once your priorities are identified, spend your time honoring those priorities and getting them done.

Confidence

Confidence attracts people. As a leader if you project self-confidence, people will want to follow you. Confidence involves self-knowledge and appropriate humility. A lack of confidence belies problems that sabotage your personal leadership.

How are you doing with your personal leadership? Here are some things you can do to build your personal leadership skills.

CONDUCT A PERSONAL LEADERSHIP ASSESSMENT

Ask yourself the questions below. Analyze your answers to help you determine how you are doing and if there are any areas you need to work on.

Are there “energy drains” you would like to eliminate from your life?

Is your life in balance?

Do you choose what the components of your life will be?

Do you focus on priorities?

Are there elements of your life that are not fulfilling?

Do you live in the present moment?

How is your relationship with time?

Are your relationships and friendships supportive and fulfilling?

Do you like the way you present yourself to the world?

Are you maximizing your impact, using all you are?

Are you healthy?

Are there any fears that have gotten the better of you?

Are you speaking your true voice?

OBSERVE EFFECTIVE LEADERS

The power of observation cannot be discounted. Identify several people that you think are effective leaders. Turn the lens of your observing from how they lead to how they manage their life. Read about them. If you have the opportunity, interview them. For each person you observe, do your best to determine how their self-management affects their ability to lead. From this observation identify your key learnings
about personal leadership and how you will apply them to your life.

CREATE FOCUS

Identify the top three things you want to focus on in your life. For each thingBusiness Management Articles, identify what you need to do over the next year to achieve it. Set a plan.

ELIMINATE IMPEDIMENTS

What is holding you back from being the best you can be? Answer this question and let go of what no longer serves you.

Your external leadership skills need a strong foundation within. Personal leadership can provide that foundation. Change within will lead to change without.

Article Tags: Personal Leadership, Leadership Skills

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ann Vanino is a business coach, consultant and trainer who specializes in helping people find fulfillment at work. Ann’s book, Leadership on Trial: Lessons from The Apprentice offers leadership lessons from the popular TV show. You can learn more about Ann and her work at http://www.MovingForward.net . You can reach Ann at E-mail: Ann@MovingForward.net or Phone: 661-944-6329 (US.)

Andrew Gallop: Expert article writer: Writes and compiles articles on leadership skills. There are more articles, videos, lots of free stuff and products at, Leadership Skills Books.

How To Keep Your Desk Clean (Without Using A Shove

Take a look around you. Chances are, you’re sitting at your desk, or whatever desk-substitute you have. And chances are, it’s a mess.

What’s it going to take to free you from the mess?
A better filing system?
A bigger trash can?
A shovel?

Oh, I know you’re a clean person, don’t get me wrong – but your desk is most likely the landing place for every miscellaneous business-related piece of paper, envelope, sticky note, and notebook you have, not to mention your computer, phone, your keyboard and mouse, plus all the incidentals – pens, tape, paper clips, a glass of water, pictures, paper trays, etc.

Whew!
With all that you ask of your desk, it’s a miracle it isn’t swamped even more. And, maybe it’s time you rethink your desk strategy.

Desk strategy?

Oh yes, grasshopper. The reason your desk looks like a car wreck some days is because you don’t have a desk strategy.

For example, if you are an artist, then your desk strategy could require it to be a space for creativity and expression. And then, a fresh supply of paper, pens, pencils, paint, etc. could be a natural sight on your desktop.

And, if are a webdesigner, your strategy might include gearing everything for the computer-intensive work you do. So, having your graphics tablet, client folders, and computer gear first and foremost would make perfect sense.

But what if you do a wide range of things?

If you’re running your own business, then the odds are better than ice melting that you’ve got multiple desk strategies to handle the various facets of your business.

So, how to manage them all?

Easy. Have a comprehensive desk strategy.

And how, pray tell, do you pull that off?

Simple. As in, keep it simple. Here are the three keys to doing that:

- Keep it clean. One of the beautiful things about keeping a space “zen-like” isn’t just that you have to buy less stuff – it’s that the space is always ready for whatever you have to do.

If you have to move what’s there to make room for what’s coming, that’s a step that just slows you down, and adds to your daily stress quota.

- Keep it handy – or not. If you use your label-maker often, why do you keep it in a box in the closet? And if you reach for a piece of tape once a week, why keep the tape dispenser on your desk?

The rule to remember is, anything you use often, keep it handy. The less you use it, the further away it can, and should, be.

- Keep it together. Chances are, for each of your tasks, there are certain materials that you always use. For example, in addition to your computer, depending on the project, you may use a number of items:

Finances: calculator, bank statements, bills, checkbook, stamps
Writing articles: ideas/clippings, blank paper, favorite pens, templates, etc.
Research: books, notepads, file folders, etc.

If you have to search high and low for every item you use for certain tasks, you’ll be less eager to pull it all out and put it all away each time. And that internal resistance will lead to procrastination, avoidance, and quite often, a bigger mess.

By keeping the items together that go together, you’re making it that much easier on yourself to work efficiently and productively.

It pays to think out of the box…

Who said you can’t have two tape dispensers? Sometimes having multiples of an item allows you to keep all project-related essentials together, which can save you oodles of time and mental stress.

The whole idea is to put some awareness into the way you use your most valuable piece of real estate, i.e. your desk, to save you your most valuable commodity, i.e. your time.

Not to mention, a sore back (from all the shoveling, that is).

Andrew Gallop: Expert article writer: Writes and compiles articles on
leadership skills. There are more articles, videos, lots of free stuff
and products at, Leadership Skills Books.

Source: Free Articles

Inspiring Leadership Skills

Inspiring Leadership Skills

What is the best way to lead? Do great leaders plow on with their own particular style, or adjust it to circumstances around them?

You may intuitively know that you get the best results through inspiring others, motivation, relationships, rapport, respect and trust. You may have seen the results of this approach but can’t seem to get there yourself. How valuable would it be if there was a way to describe how and why this less authoritarian mode of leadership works, and coach others in it?

Over the last 25 years such an understanding has been growing in acceptance. This principle-based understanding and description of the way all human experience is created cannot be proven ‘intellectually’ but only seen, known and understood experientially. Yet just like gravity, whether one is aware of it or understands the principles of gravity they still apply at all times. Much has been written about the traits and attributes of highly successful teams and leaders; three notable books are Lessons from the Top, A Time for Leadership and Good to Great. The common thread is that these leaders have embraced the need to get things done through relationships rather than force, not just within their companies, their shareholders and their clients, but also through establishing often surprising alliances or partnerships.

Having successful role-models is important and points us in the right direction. However, even this only helps us start to emulate the behaviors which are visible. But try and look like you have inner peace, a lack of ego, full attention on those you are with and a balanced life when you don’t, and other than expend a lot of energy, you’ll end up even more harassed and stressed.

Reflect for a moment on the times you have been around one of these truly graceful memorable leaders or teams who effortlessly get on with people, are good to be around, inspire those around them and get results, even when all around them go ballistic – almost as if without breaking a sweat – and it is probable that they exhibited some, if not all, of these qualities.

Imagine for a moment what impact it would have if you could have more of this healthy and effective way of working brought into your team or company?

The radically different ‘Essentials of Peak Performance’ approach we use is very simple and addresses our state of being and the ‘process’ of our thinking. It works because it helps people recognize how they are creating their experience – that is, how they feel, what they see, what they do and what results they get – by the moment-to-moment state of mind they are in and the thoughts going through their heads. There is no need to reveal and work through limiting beliefs or re-experience past situations.

As we learn to recognize thoughts and how they are often sourced from our historical insecurities, fears and the resulting ego, and how they take us away from being fully present in the moment, we learn the source of inner peace and clarity of thinking.

With increased awareness and mental discipline, we find an escape from worry and stress, which allows more of our natural wisdom, creativity and common sense to come out especially whilst under pressure. This ability also has the effect of helping others regain their bearings and calm down in the middle of a crisis. When we connect with this inner bedrock of calm, we also connect powerfully with those we are talking to and working around us. The combined effect of accessing these qualities and connections is inspiring with correspondingly inspirational results.

Experiment:

* Learn to be more present and fully focused whoever you are with and in whatever you are doing.
* Take shot periodic breaks away from your concentrated efforts. When we are concentrating hard on a problem for prolonged periods of time without a break, we often miss important events around us.
* Look up occasionally and really notice what is happening around you – you might be surprised. You may also find this break will help you discover the breakthrough you were looking for with the problem or challenge you were struggling with.

We learn to think, analyze, reason and make decisions as we grow, however, we do not typically learn how to use our minds in a conscious and disciplined way. However we can learn to understand the effect of our state of mind on our state of being (at the heart of inspiring leaders), its influence on the way we see things in the moment and how well or not we connect with others. This heightened skill and awareness develops a consciously authentic leader who inspires others and the impossible becomes possible.

Andrew Gallop: Expert article writer: Writes and compiles articles on
leadership skills. There are more articles, videos, lots of free stuff
and products at, Leadership Skills Books.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Sharpley

Leadership Skills Books- Do You Have the Makings of a Good Leader?

Many people want to be a leader-they think it’s cool to be able to boss people around, have people follow them, or to always be in the forefront getting all the glory. But that is a warped view of what leadership really is. There are 12 character traits of a good leader. Let’s look at each of them in detail.

Leaders Serve Others:
This is a biggie. Leaders actually serve. They care about others they are willing to get their hands dirty. They come alongside people and get their hands and feet muddy. They don’t sit in their office just giving orders for someone else to do it. They are willing to show people how to get it done.

Develop Leadership in Others:
Leaders train others to become leaders. They believe in and trust the people who follow them. They share, delegate, give and share credit to others for their ideas and contributions. They are not a “glory hogs”.

Listen to Others and Communicate Effectively:
Leaders listen to the counsel of others. They listen to the criticism of others. They are not defensive. They don’t get angry nor do they wilt away. They accept and even welcome impute from others for they know it is a way to make the situation better or themselves better.

Good Planners and Decision Makers:
Leaders work with others to set goals and develop schedules.

Inspire Others:
Leaders inspire others to do their best, to try harder, and to remove the limits on their dreams. Yes, they inspire their followers to do what they never imagined was possible.

Learn and Grow:
Leaders are in a continual process of learning. They look for better ways to do things.

Positive Attitude:
Leaders are “the glass is half full” type of people. They are alert, energetic, optimistic, resilient, and hopeful-in spite of disappointments or setbacks.

Have Integrity:
Leaders have integrity, they are true to their word-and if they can’t keep their word they will let you know why they were unable to do so. They set a good example of honesty and trustworthiness.

Take Responsibility:
Leaders take responsibility for their own action and for the actions of their followers. They don’t shift the blame.

Take Risks:
Leaders are willing to take risks-try new ideas. They are not reckless but they are willing to experiment.

Take Good Care of Themselves:
Leaders have balance in their lives-they work and they take time to enjoy life. They take time to think and to relax.

Are Good Followers:
Leaders seek mentors whom they can follow. No one knows everything and because a leader is willing to learn new things he is more apt to follow one who is more knowledgeable.

The truth is that good leaders were once good followers. And even in that capacity they thought before acting, planned ahead, were considerate of others, were willing to serve, re-evaluated their decisions in light of new information, were open to learning, desired to be better and to do better, and was able to communicate-thoughts and ideas in an effective manner. But they did more too.

They were willing to ask questions of the leader, they didn’t blindly follow but they were wise in their decision to follow the leader-they knew, understood and agreed with the direction the leader was going. They didn’t follow the leader if it would have hurt themselves or someone else-they utilized their intelligence. By using your intelligence it will save time and will give you a chance to grow and learn from others. Neither a leader nor a follower allows someone else to think for them. They assess the situation, they review the facts, they gather opinions, and then they make a decision for themselves.

If you want to be a leader of tomorrow today-develop the character of a good leader and you can start by being a good follower. Are you willing to learn?

Michelle J. Dyett-Welcome is the author of Excuse Me! Let Me Speak…A Young Persons Guide to Public Speaking, The SMART Guide to Public Speaking, Excuse Me! Let Me Speak! Student Guide, and The Excuse Me ! Let Me Speak Teacher’s Manual. She is a professional speaker, copywriter and President of S.M.A.R.T Copy Designs Inc.

http://smartcopydesignsinc.com And lives in Far Rockaway, NY with her husband Dwain, their two sons, pet dog Peaches and their three cats–Silver, Buttons and Shadow. Visit http://excusemeletmespeak.com/ to learn more about leadership and public speaking.

Andrew Gallop: Expert article writer: Writes and compiles articles on
leadership skills. There are more articles, videos, lots of free stuff
and products at, leadership skills books.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michelle_Dyett-Welcome

« Previous Page