If you’re a new leader – either an aspiring one or one who was thrown into the deep end in a professional setting – you’re probably wondering where you should start on your leadership journey. The sheer amount of information out there on leadership may lead you to feel paralyzed. Where do you even start?
This article will provide you with some solid ideas and practical tips to get you on your way in your leadership journey.
Before we jump into the practical part. Let’s define what we mean when we say leadership.
Leaders are those who influence and motivate others to accomplish a common goal. Effective leaders motivate their people to produce far greater results than they could on their own while also ensuring the longevity of those on their team.
While many skills are needed to be a truly effective leader. The five key leadership skills that every emerging leader needs to succeed are self-awareness, emotional intelligence, communication, adaptability, and vision.
We’ll dive into each of those and talk about how you can develop those skills as an emerging leader.
Leadership Skill #1: Self-Awareness
Definition of self-awareness
Self-awareness is the ability to understand and recognize one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values.
Self-awareness is a key skill for emerging leaders because it allows them to have a better understanding of themselves and how their actions and decisions may impact others.
With self-awareness, emerging leaders can better manage their emotions and reactions, communicate effectively with others, and adapt to changing situations. This, in turn, can help them to build strong relationships, make sound decisions, and lead with confidence.
Additionally, self-awareness can help emerging leaders to identify their strengths and areas for development, which can aid in personal and professional growth.
Benefits of self-awareness
I’ve seen firsthand the many benefits of self-awareness for young leaders. It’s a crucial skill that can help them navigate the complex and often unpredictable landscape of the modern workplace. Or, negatively, a lack of self-awareness can dramatically hamstring a team.
Self-awareness allows young leaders to understand their own emotions, thoughts, and values, which can help them to better manage their reactions and interactions with others. This, in turn, can improve communication and collaboration, fostering stronger relationships and setting the stage for successful teamwork.
Additionally, self-awareness can help emerging leaders to adapt to changing situations and make sound decisions. By understanding their own strengths and areas for development, they can continually grow and improve, positioning themselves for success in the long term.
But perhaps most importantly, self-awareness gives young leaders the confidence to lead. It allows them to trust in themselves and their abilities, paving the way for them to take the reins and guide their teams to success.
You can’t grow as a leader if you never step up and lead!
Leaders with self-awareness can also develop better relationships with their team members. By understanding their own strengths and weaknesses, they can better recognize and appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of their team members.
This understanding can help create a positive and collaborative work environment, allowing the team to work together more efficiently and effectively. Self-awareness also allows leaders to be more empathetic and understanding, leading to better communication, trust, and respect between them and their team.
All young leaders should prioritize this skill in their own personal and professional development. Below we provide two practical ways to get started.
How self-awareness can be developed
Get a “reality check”
One practical way to develop and even regularly check in on your own self-awareness is through what you might call a “reality check.” In this exercise, you’re going to reflect on a project or initiative that you have spearheaded. You’ll need a teammate, coworker, or other individual who has insight into how you performed on the task.
For this reality check, you’re going to first write out a short (1-page) reflection on how you think you did. Write out a few paragraphs on what you did well and what you can improve. Then, give yourself a rating out of 10 on the following areas:
- Quality of Work
- Timeliness of Deliverables
- Creativity
- Problem-solving
- Collaboration
- Communication
- Attention to Detail
- Professionalism
While you’re working on this, you can send out an anonymous survey (use Google Forms for a free, easy solution) to those teammates, coworkers, or other stakeholders you identified. Have them rate you in these 8 key areas on that same 10-point scale.
You may need to emphasize how important this is to those stakeholders, making it clear that you want to improve as a leader and teammate. If people are refusing to help out, you can always incentivize it with a random drawing for a $5-10 gift card to a coffee shop. I’ve found that to be an incredibly effective motivator!
Finally, compare your own assessment to that of the objective observers. How did you match up? Do you have an accurate self-assessment? Are you dramatically off in any area? If so, which one? You may need to focus on improving that area over the next few months.
This is, essentially, a very dumbed down version of 360-degree assessment. A 360-degree assessment is an evaluation method used in corporate settings to assess an individual’s performance.
360-degree assessments are a multi-rater assessment, meaning they are based on feedback from a variety of people, including the individual’s supervisor, peers, subordinates, and customers. Often, these assessments involve a significant cost and require you to be a higher-level manager.
Such assessments are typically conducted every six months or once a year and are used to evaluate an individual’s skills, job knowledge, attitude, and behavior. They provide a comprehensive view of the individual and can be used to identify areas for improvement, recognize successes, and aid in development planning.
Keep a leadership journal
Another exercise to develop self-awareness as a leader is to track and analyze your own behavior. The leader should take time each day to record their thoughts, feelings, and emotions in a journal. They should also note when they make decisions, how they interact with their team, and the results of those interactions.
One example entry might be:
“Today I had a difficult conversation with a team member about a project that was late. I felt frustrated and impatient during the conversation, but I tried to stay calm and listen to their perspective. After the conversation, I felt like I handled the situation fairly and that the team member was understanding of the issue. I think my ability to stay calm under pressure and be open to their thoughts was a strength that helped the conversation go smoothly.”
Later, in a check-in, you could follow up with that team member and ask, “What could I have improved about that conversation we had on Tuesday? How could I better communicate those things in the future?”
After keeping this leadership journal a few days, the leader should review the notes and reflect on the patterns they notice. This will help the leader to gain insight into their own leadership style and make any necessary changes.
Leadership Skill #2: Emotional Intelligence
Definition of emotional intelligence
In the leadership context, emotional intelligence refers to the ability to understand and manage one’s own emotions and the emotions of others. First, it involves self-awareness. You’ll notice that much of what is covered here overlaps with self-awareness, as self-awareness is really a type of emotional intelligence. You can’t be emotionally intelligent and lack self-awareness. However, you can be self-aware but not an especially emotionally intelligent leader. It also involves self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills.
Benefits of emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence is important for leadership because it allows leaders to understand the emotions and needs of their team members, communicate effectively, resolve conflicts, and build strong relationships. This, in turn, naturally leads to greater teamwork, productivity, and overall job satisfaction.
In addition to its many benefits, emotional intelligence is important because its absence can have negative consequences. For example, a leader with low emotional intelligence may struggle to understand and respond to the emotions of their team members, leading to misunderstandings and conflicts. This can create a toxic work environment, reducing morale and productivity.
To give a realistic example, the case of Jenny, the manager of a small marketing team. Jenny has always been a confident and capable leader, but she often struggles to understand and manage the emotions of her team members.
One day, Jenny notices that one of her team members, Sarah, has been feeling down and distant. However, instead of asking Sarah how she is feeling and offering support, Jenny becomes frustrated and assumes that Sarah is just not pulling her weight. As a result, Jenny starts to criticize Sarah in front of the rest of the team, which only serves to make Sarah feel even worse.
Meanwhile, another team member, Mark, has been feeling overwhelmed by his workload. However, instead of offering Mark additional support or guidance, Jenny simply tells him to “suck it up” and work harder. This only serves to demotivate Mark, and he begins to dread coming into work each day.
Obviously, Jenny’s lack of emotional intelligence is causing problems for both Sarah and Mark, and her weakness in this area is ultimately hindering the success of the team. If Jenny had been more emotionally intelligent, she might have been able to identify and address the issues that Sarah and Mark were facing, leading to a happier and more productive team.
This is a pretty obvious example. In the real world, a lack of emotional intelligence can be a little more subtle. If team members regularly report feeling unheard, uncared for, and unappreciated, this may be an indicator that a leader lacks emotional intelligence.
Examples of how emotional intelligence can be developed
The benefits of having emotional intelligence for a leader are clear, just as the dangers of a total lack of emotional intelligence are quite evident. So, what can you do to develop emotional intelligence?
Here are four ideas to get you started. Emotional intelligence is an area of lifelong growth for all leaders, so don’t think you’re going to arrive tomorrow!
Engage in role-playing exercises.
Role-playing can be a useful tool for developing emotional intelligence. By practicing different scenarios and putting oneself in the shoes of others, a leader can gain a better understanding of how their actions and behaviors affect others.
Read books and articles on emotional intelligence.
There are many books and articles available that can provide valuable insights and advice on emotional intelligence. You can listen to audiobooks, read, watch YouTube videos, or use whatever media helps you learn best. The key is to keep learning! Here are some major books in the field to get you started (you can also look up lectures by these authors):
- “Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ” by Daniel Goleman
- “The EQ Edge: Emotional Intelligence and Your Success” by Steven J. Stein and Howard E. Book
- “Working with Emotional Intelligence” by Daniel Goleman
- “The Emotionally Intelligent Manager: How to Develop and Use the Four Key Emotional Skills of Leadership” by David R. Caruso and Peter Salovey.
Engage in regular self-reflection.
Regular self-reflection can also help a leader to develop emotional intelligence. By setting aside time to reflect on one’s own emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, a leader can gain a better understanding of themselves and how they can improve.
Seek out mentors or coaches.
A leader can develop their emotional intelligence by seeking out mentors or professional leadership coaches who can provide guidance and support. These individuals can offer valuable feedback and advice, and they can help a leader to grow and improve in their role.
At Leadership Coaching Network, we can help you increase your emotional intelligence through roleplay, self-reflection, and better communication. If you need coaching in this area, contact us to schedule a session with one of our leadership coaches today.
Leadership Skill #3: Communication
Definition of communication
In the context of leadership, communication is the ability to clearly convey information and ideas to others, as well as listen and understand the perspectives of others. This involves using effective verbal and nonverbal communication, as well as actively engaging in dialogue and seeking feedback.
Benefits of effective communication
Effective communication is a crucial skill for leaders. Leaders who communicate well can build stronger relationships, improve teamwork, and make better decisions. When leaders communicate well, they can draw and retain strong talent, sell themselves and their product, and help those around them work through conflict.
One of the key benefits of effective communication is improved collaboration within and across teams. When leaders are able to clearly articulate their ideas and goals, team members can more easily understand what is expected of them and work together to achieve those goals.
Effective communication can also help leaders to build trust and credibility. By listening actively and responding thoughtfully to others, leaders can demonstrate their respect and understanding of different perspectives. This can foster a sense of trust and collaboration, leading to more open and honest communication within the team.
One of the most easily overlooked benefits of good communication is the ability to help leaders to make better decisions. By gathering input from others and considering different perspectives, leaders can make more informed and well-rounded decisions that take into account the needs and concerns of their team and other key stakeholders.
Examples of how communication can be developed
The active listening exercise
One practical exercise for developing communication skills as a leader is to practice active listening. Active listening involves paying attention to what others are saying, asking clarifying questions, and paraphrasing to ensure understanding. To practice active listening, leaders can try the following exercise:
- Choose a partner to engage in a conversation with. This can be a team member, colleague, or friend.
- Set a time limit for the conversation, such as 5-10 minutes.
- During the conversation, focus on actively listening to what your partner is saying. This means paying attention to their words, tone of voice, and body language.
- When your partner finishes speaking, summarize what they said in your own words. This can help to ensure that you have understood their perspective.
- Ask clarifying questions if you are unsure about something that was said. This can help to further understanding and deepen the conversation.
- Continue the conversation, practicing active listening and summarizing throughout.
- After the conversation is over, reflect on how you did. Were you able to effectively listen and understand your partner’s perspective? What challenges did you face, and how can you improve in the future? Write down some takeaways in a journal.
The communication styles exercise
Another exercise that leaders can try to improve their communication skills is the “communication styles” exercise. This exercise involves identifying and understanding different communication styles, as well as practicing using different styles in different situations.
To participate in the communication styles exercise, leaders will need to first familiarize themselves with the different communication styles. There are many different models of communication styles, but one common example is the “assertive, passive, and aggressive” model.
In this model, assertive communication involves expressing oneself clearly and directly, while respecting the rights of others. Passive communication involves avoiding expressing one’s own needs and opinions, while aggressive communication involves expressing oneself in a way that disregards the rights of others.
Once the leaders have a basic understanding of the different communication styles, they can begin the exercise. The leaders should choose a scenario, such as a team meeting or a difficult conversation with a client, and decide which communication style would be most appropriate for that situation.
Next, the leaders should practice using the chosen communication style in the scenario. This may involve role-playing with a partner or group, or simply practicing the skills on their own. The leaders should pay attention to how the different communication styles affect the situation, and how they feel using each style.
After practicing the different communication styles, the leaders should reflect on their experience. What did they learn about the different styles and how they can be used? What challenges did they face, and how can they improve in the future?
Understanding and practicing different communication styles is key to becoming a more flexible and effective communicator.
Leadership Skill #4: Adaptability
Definition of adaptability
In a leadership context, adaptability refers to the ability to adjust and respond to changing circumstances and situations. Adaptable leaders can respond quickly and effectively to new challenges, while maintaining their focus and direction. This allows them to remain effective and successful in a variety of different environments and situations.
Benefits of adaptability
Adaptability is an important skill for leaders because the modern workplace is constantly changing and evolving. To be successful, leaders must be able to adapt to new technologies, market conditions, and organizational structures. This requires a combination of flexibility, creativity, and open-mindedness.
Adaptable leaders can recognize and understand changes in their environment and respond to those changes in a way that supports their goals and objectives. This may involve changing their strategies, processes, or approaches, to better align with the needs of their team, organization, or industry.
Adaptable leaders are also able to manage uncertainty and ambiguity and use those challenges as opportunities for growth and development. They can embrace change and see it as a natural part of the leadership journey, rather than as a threat or a hindrance.
Examples of how adaptability can be developed
Scenario planning
One specific, practical exercise for developing adaptability as a leader is the “scenario planning” exercise. This exercise involves creating and analyzing different potential scenarios, in order to develop strategies and plans that can support adaptability in the face of change.
To participate in the scenario planning exercise, leaders will need to first identify a specific area or situation where adaptability is important. This could be a business, project, or organizational challenge that is facing uncertainty or change.
Next, the leaders should brainstorm different potential scenarios for how the situation could unfold. These scenarios should be based on real data and information, but should also consider different possibilities and contingencies. The leaders should aim to create a range of different scenarios, including both positive and negative outcomes.
Once the scenarios have been identified, the leaders should analyze each scenario to understand its implications and potential risks and opportunities. This may involve conducting research, seeking input from others, and using decision-making tools and techniques.
Based on the analysis of the different scenarios, the leaders should develop strategies and plans that can support adaptability in the face of change. These strategies and plans should be flexible and adaptable, and should consider different potential outcomes and contingencies.
After developing the strategies and plans, the leaders should test and refine them through simulations and other exercises. This can help to identify any potential gaps or weaknesses, and allow the leaders to make adjustments as needed.
Changing your leadership style
1. Choose a story from your own life and leadership that you feel accurately portrays your leadership style.
2. Take some time to reflect on the story and your leadership style expressed at that point in your life.
3. Write or type out the story, adding as much detail as possible. Take time on this! Be reflective.
4. Once the story is written, assign yourself one or two adjectives that describe your leadership style. Set this aside.
5. Now think of a situation in which your leadership style may not have been the best choice. Think of a time when you felt like you didn’t live up to your leadership potential, a project failed, or when you were reprimanded for a leadership failure.
6. Write or type out this story, adding as much detail as possible. Again, be reflective!
7. Once the story is written, assign yourself one or two adjectives that describe how you could have adapted your leadership style to better handle the situation.
8. Compare and contrast the two stories, noting the similarities and differences between them.
9. Reflect on the difference between your two stories and how adapting your leadership style could have improved the outcome of the situation. What are ways that you could begin to prepare now to be more flexible and adaptable in a new situation?
10. Brainstorm ideas for how you could apply this lesson in other situations.
11. Write a few sentences summarizing your thoughts and takeaways from this exercise.
Learn from other adaptable leaders
Adaptive leadership has become a field of its own, with many works devoted to helping leaders become more adaptable.
One popular book that came out in 2009 is “The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World” by Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky. The same authors wrote another popular book called “Leadership on the Line” that helps leaders navigate change.
“Immunity to Change” by Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey also touches on these key topics of how to lead well in a changing world and a rapidly shifting leadership environment.
The particular books aren’t as important as the principle: learn from leaders who deal with change well. Read good biographies of world leaders and summarize what made them adaptable.
Leadership Skill #5: Vision
Definition of vision
Vision in a leadership context is the ability to see and understand the potential future direction and possibilities for an organization or group. This includes the ability to envision a desired outcome and to communicate that vision in a way that inspires and motivates others to work towards achieving it.
As you might notice, vision is tightly connected to communication!
Benefits of having vision (and an ability to communicate it)
A clear and compelling vision can provide direction and focus, aligning the efforts of individuals and teams towards a shared goal. It can also inspire and motivate others, fostering a sense of purpose and enthusiasm for the work at hand.
In addition, a strong vision can serve as a beacon, guiding decision-making and providing a framework for evaluating opportunities and challenges. It can also help to build trust and credibility, as others see the leader as someone who knows where they are going and has a plan for getting there.
Furthermore, a well-articulated vision can attract and retain top talent, as people are drawn to organizations with a clear sense of purpose and direction (this is similar to the communication point above). All these factors combine to make having vision and the ability to communicate it effectively a powerful tool for driving success and growth.
Examples of how vision can be developed
Imaginary company.
Imagine that you have been given the opportunity to start a new organization or business from scratch.
Begin by taking some time to reflect on what you are passionate about and what problems you are most interested in solving. Once you have identified a few potential areas of focus, try to imagine what your organization or business would look like in ten years if it were wildly successful.
Answer these questions: What would it be doing? What impact would it be having? Who would be working there? What would the culture be like? Let your mind run wild.
Next, try to paint a detailed picture of this future success in words. Write down your vision in as much detail as possible, focusing on the specific goals, outcomes, and impact that you hope to achieve. It may be helpful to review something like Michael Hyatt’s Vision Script tool here. You can also use visual aids, such as drawings or diagrams, to help bring your vision to life.
Once you have a clear and compelling written vision, practice communicating it to others. This could involve presenting it to a small group of colleagues or friends, or even just practicing out loud to yourself. As you communicate your vision, pay attention to how it is received by others. Are they engaged and excited by it? Do they understand it? Are there any questions or concerns that come up? Ask for constructive feedback. Take note of any helpful feedback you receive and use it to refine and improve your vision.
Through this exercise, you will gain practical experience in envisioning and communicating a compelling vision for an organization or business. You will also have the opportunity to test and refine your vision in a safe and supportive environment, helping to develop your skills as a leader with vision.
Take a vision walk
One practical exercise for developing vision as a leader is to engage in a “vision walk” on your own. To begin, find a quiet, natural setting where you can spend some time in solitude or quiet conversation. This could be a local park, nature trail, or even just a quiet corner of your workplace. If you’re not familiar with the benefits of how time in nature can improve your ability to think, check some of the recent research out.
Once you are in the chosen setting, take some time to connect with your surroundings and to let go of any distractions or worries. This could involve engaging in a brief spiritual practice or simply taking a few deep breaths and focusing on the present moment.
Once you are centered and focused, begin to think about your vision for the organization or group that you lead. What do you hope to achieve in the long-term? What impact do you want to have? How do you see the organization or group evolving over time? Allow yourself to think freely and without constraints, imagining the organization or group at its very best.
As you think about your vision, begin to walk slowly and deliberately, allowing your movement to support and enhance your thinking. You can also use prompts or questions to guide your thinking, such as: What does success look like for the organization or group in ten years? What obstacles or challenges might arise, and how can we overcome them? What do we need to do to achieve our vision?
As you walk and think, feel free to pause and make note of any insights, ideas, or images that come to mind. You can use a journal or notebook to jot down your thoughts, or simply hold them in your mind. You can also use your senses to engage with the environment around you, allowing the sights, sounds, smells, and sensations of nature to inspire and inform your thinking.
Once you have completed your vision walk, take some time to reflect on your experience. What insights or ideas emerged for you? How does your vision for the organization or group feel now, after spending time thinking and walking in nature? Are there any next steps or action items that you want to pursue in order to move towards realizing your vision?
Through this exercise, you will have the opportunity to connect with your inner vision and to let it emerge naturally and organically. Plus, you get the bonus of some fresh air. This exercise can help to cultivate a deeper sense of purpose and direction as a leader and can provide a rich source of inspiration and guidance for ongoing strategic planning and goal-setting.
Conclusion
Summary of the 5 key leadership skills
As an emerging leader, it is important to cultivate a range of skills and abilities in order to effectively lead and manage others. Self-awareness, emotional intelligence, communication, adaptability, and vision are all crucial for success in this role.
Self-awareness involves accurately perceiving and understanding one’s own emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, and recognizing their impact on others. This is a key component of emotional intelligence, which involves managing and expressing one’s own emotions, and recognizing and responding to the emotions of others. These skills are necessary for effective communication and interpersonal relationships, and for building trust and credibility with others.
Adaptability, or the ability to change and adapt in response to new or changing circumstances, is also essential for emerging leaders. Remaining flexible and open to new ideas and perspectives, and quickly adjusting and pivoting as needed, can be a valuable asset in a rapidly changing world. It can also help to create a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within an organization or group.
Finally, vision, or the ability to see and understand the potential future direction and possibilities for an organization or group, is a crucial skill for emerging leaders. Envisioning a desired outcome and communicating that vision in a way that inspires and motivates to others is a key component of successful leadership. It can provide direction and focus, and align the efforts of individuals and teams towards a shared goal.
Developing skills in self-awareness, emotional intelligence, communication, adaptability, and vision are essential for emerging leaders who want to drive success and growth for themselves and their organizations. These skills can help leaders to build trust and credibility, to inspire and motivate others, and to navigate effectively towards a desired future.
By prioritizing the cultivation of these skills, emerging leaders can position themselves for success and make a positive impact in their organizations and communities.
Final thoughts on how to develop these skills for emerging leaders
In each of the points above, we’ve pointed out how you can begin to develop these critical leadership skills. However, the most important of all of these is: actually lead! You can’t develop as a leader unless you’re getting your hands dirty and leading something.
If you aren’t currently in a leadership position, begin by just asking your supervisor if there is a project that you can own. Maybe you can even start a new initiative in your workplace that would be natural for you to take ownership of.
The best step to begin leading was five years ago, the second best time is today, so jump in there!