The Leadership and communications class taught me some important skills to focus on to improve my leadership abilities. In order to maximize one’s effectiveness as a leader, one must master the 5 Practices of Leadership and have a comprehensive understanding of Emotional Intelligence.
A leader must be able to model the way. He or she must lead by example. To do this, one must have a strong work ethic and must work the way that he or she wants to see others work. A leader also has to share driving values with other team members so that they can emulate the model. Modeling the way requires the ability to manage one’s own emotions and behaviors.
To keep the entire team on the same page, it is important for leaders to inspire a shared vision. Leaders must buy into the values that they preach and always keep them in mind when problem solving. They must remind others to focus on the big picture instead of getting caught up minor details. If a leader can successfully inspire a shared vision, the organization can become one cohesive unit working toward the same goal.
Leaders also have to be willing to challenge the process. If they think they can find a better way to do something, they should try. This includes eliminating unimportant meetings, changing processes to reduce waste, and changing processes to increase efficiency. The only way that an organization can thrive in a competitive environment is to constantly evolve and improve its processes.
Enabling others to act is the way that leaders give other people the chance to become leaders. By simply giving someone the freedom to make more decisions, that person gets a chance to learn and grow. Leaders should be working to raise up the people around them, and giving them the freedom and opportunity to act is the way to do that.
Leaders must be able to encourage the heart. They must be able publicly praise people when they do things right. Recognition for a job well done is a powerful motivator and it makes people feel like they are valuable contributors to the team.
Emotional Intelligence is a vital skill for leaders. Leaders have to be able to manage their own emotions and behaviors so that they can effectively interact with other people. They also have to be empathetic and willing to help teammates cope with their emotions. Emotional Intelligence is the ability to understand people and manage relationships.
By following these leadership practices, team members can contribute great value to their teams. These skills, when accompanied by Emotional Intelligence, are what make team members into great leaders.
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