Good Leadership Skills » Leadership Skills

Leadership Skills

leadership — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:24:49 +0000

Leadership Skills

When asking the question what is leadership, one tends to think of people who are successful. The real fact is all successful people are not good leaders. You may have a successful football player that can help his team make it to the Super Bowl, but that does not necessarily mean that he could be a good coach. It is true that most successful coaches were good football players at one time, but not all players possess the ability to lead the team.

A leader is someone who has a vision and knows how they want to achieve that vision. When they talk about the future they do so with positive enthusiasm. When asking what leadership is, you are trying to determine if that person has the qualities to motivate others to do what is needed of them. A leader must be excited about the challenges which face them and they must anticipate each hurdle with excitement.

What Is Leadership The Test

When you are looking for a person to serve in a leadership role, there are several things that can help you determine who the right person is. A leader is never satisfied with things the way they are. A leader always looks for ways to improve a situation, product, or service.

What is leadership in the workplace? It is a person who is willing to listen to ideas and adapt to change if change will make conditions better. A leader will be someone who is respected by their peers, even if their peers do not entirely believe in everything they do. Leadership is not a popularity contest, but there must be a quality present that says I know what I am doing. A good leader will be able to ask something of others without the others showing resentment.

You can always ask a person what is leadership in their opinion, and then you can judge their answer. A true leader will show you their mental strength and tell you what leadership means to them. They will be able to give you ideas about their leadership qualities and how they plan to achieve the respect which is afforded a leader.

A leader will also be able to take criticism and understand that it is for their benefit. A leader will possess a strong ability to listen and learn, as well as lead and motivate others. A leader will have to ability to command attention. When they talk, people will listen to what they have to say. A lot of people can get up and make a speech in front of an audience, but a true leader can capture the attention of that audience and make them listen.

Leadership Skills

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Leadership Skills

Developing Leadership Skills Creates Greater Success

admin — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:56:41 +0000

One of the most essential ingredients for being successful in business as well as in all facets of life is leadership. This is not just about being able to lead others but also to lead ourselves.

Many people believe that leaders are born with leadership skills. This is not always the case.

Each of us has the capacity to be a leader and leadership skills can be learned. No one succeeds in life simply by following others. If you were to think about this almost everyone has expressed leadership skills in one form or another whether it be in the home, church, school, sports or other areas.

Too often people think that being an effective leader is simply being at the front or being a person who is driven. We think that someone who is at the front of a crowd or creates the most income is a leader but that is not necessarily leadership.

We can easily be influenced by a good talker but the true test of leadership is in the actions they take. There really are a few basic things that you can aspire to when developing your own leadership skills.

Always have your eyes open for opportunity and be willing to take action. Opportunity is always presenting itself. A true leader understands that this process is continuous and will take decisive action whenever opportunity presents.

Be open and willing to hear what others have to say. A true leader does not believe they have all of the answers but is open to inspiration and ideas from whatever source they come.

Learning something new every day is another hallmark of a good leader. Whether it’s meeting new people, opening yourself to new experiences or entertaining a topic that is contrary to your current thinking.

Don’t be afraid of controversy. This doesn’t mean being controversial for the sake of being controversial. Opinions that are contrary to yours shouldn’t be a cause for concern rather food for thought.

And most importantly, a true leader focuses on the solution not the problem.

Way too often people want another person to solve their problems. A leader will find a solution, knowing that there is always an answer and will encourage self reliance.

Leaders don’t give up. This is another hallmark of leadership. When a leader has a vision he or she is not easily deterred by perceived obstacles from making that vision a reality.

Leaders have a plan. They know that planning is bringing the future into the present so that the benefits are seen now.

Leaders are helpful even when there isn’t something directly in it for them. They understand that people are important and expend their efforts in ways that can be of direct benefit either to all or to one person in particular.

Developing leadership skills is a necessary prerequisite to success in all areas of your life.

Make a decision to be a better leader TODAY by involving yourself in your own vision and taking action.

One of the most essential ingredients for being successful in business as well as in all facets of life is leadership. This is not just about being able to lead others but also to lead ourselves.

Many people believe that leaders are born with leadership skills. This is not always the case.

Each of us has the capacity to be a leader and leadership skills can be learned. No one succeeds in life simply by following others. If you were to think about this almost everyone has expressed leadership skills in one form or another whether it be in the home, church, school, sports or other areas.

Too often people think that being an effective leader is simply being at the front or being a person who is driven. We think that someone who is at the front of a crowd or creates the most income is a leader but that is not necessarily leadership.

We can easily be influenced by a good talker but the true test of leadership is in the actions they take. There really are a few basic things that you can aspire to when developing your own leadership skills.

Always have your eyes open for opportunity and be willing to take action. Opportunity is always presenting itself. A true leader understands that this process is continuous and will take decisive action whenever opportunity presents.

Be open and willing to hear what others have to say. A true leader does not believe they have all of the answers but is open to inspiration and ideas from whatever source they come.

Learning something new every day is another hallmark of a good leader. Whether it’s meeting new people, opening yourself to new experiences or entertaining a topic that is contrary to your current thinking.

Don’t be afraid of controversy. This doesn’t mean being controversial for the sake of being controversial. Opinions that are contrary to yours shouldn’t be a cause for concern rather food for thought.

And most importantly, a true leader focuses on the solution not the problem.

Way too often people want another person to solve their problems. A leader will find a solution, knowing that there is always an answer and will encourage self reliance.

Leaders don’t give up. This is another hallmark of leadership. When a leader has a vision he or she is not easily deterred by perceived obstacles from making that vision a reality.

Leaders have a plan. They know that planning is bringing the future into the present so that the benefits are seen now.

Leaders are helpful even when there isn’t something directly in it for them. They understand that people are important and expend their efforts in ways that can be of direct benefit either to all or to one person in particular.

Developing leadership skills is a necessary prerequisite to success in all areas of your life.

Make a decision to be a better leader TODAY by involving yourself in your own vision and taking action.

About the Author:

Gary Lindquist is a business coach and mentor that assists serious entrepreneurs in building a profitable online business with multiple incomes streams. Gary and his team have assisted hundreds of people in generating an executive level income or more in their first year. For more information and to contact Gary Lindquist, visit: http://www.garylindquist.com

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Developing Leadership Skills Creates Greater Success

Leadership Skills Inspires Team Building

admin — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:41:51 +0000

Leading a team comprises of responsibilities and the leader is required come up with some of efficient qualities to manage the team. The responsibility of the manager varies accordingly to the kind of organization and the objective of business. To lead a team definitely, leader requires leadership skill with him. Learning the skills which are considered to be essential to play the role in an enriched manner should be relatively known by the leader. When the person takes the in charge of certain set of people or group of people, he should have to understand the capacity of the person who are under the set and also plan to achieve the objective of the organization using the people.

Working with a group of employees and acting as a boss does not matter, but leading a team in right way always matters. Effective inspiration and proper influence over people helps the manager to achieve the objective without any conflicts or disappointments. Nowadays, more numbers of managers plays an effective role in leading the people. Leadership development skills trainings are provided to the managers to lead their groups using reliable theories and practical applications. The purpose of leader in a group is to achieve the desire of the organization in a fruitful or competent manner. Some of the desirable skills a leader should possess to lead team are

• Firstly, the manager is required to know the consistency or capacity of employees initiated to achieve the specified goal of the company. This is so; because individual capacity always differs and based on individuality allocation of work can be made effectively.

• Secondly, the executive should know when to lead and when to manage the group. This helps the manager to avoid gap between employees and management and also to attain the objective without any conflicts.

• Communication plays an effective in team building and leading a team. Good communication enables the head to convey information and the objective of the organization required to be passed on to the employees. So, the leader is required to develop business communication skill with them.

• Identification of business competition, creating self awareness and generate adaptability with the changing and innovative environment. Leader is person who acts as a role model for different set of people who comprised in his team.

In a professional corporate team building, how to lead a team effectively will be provided to the leader. So, the manager can learn to lead the team effectively.

About the Author:

Shijina is a SEO copywriter for Leadership Skills. She has written various articles like Leadership Training, Successful Team Building, Team Building Course and more. For more information visit our site our site. Contact her through mail at shijinaseo@gmail.com.

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Leadership Skills Inspires Team Building

Developing Leadership Skills in Your Home Based Business

admin — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:57:37 +0000

When you started your home business, developing leadership skills may not have been the first on your list of things to do. You might be forgiven for believing that leadership is about managing a team: “If I work for myself why do I need to be a leader?”

However, if you think that leadership is not something you need to worry about, you could be seriously damaging your chances of success. Achievement in any area is all about leadership, whether you are working with others or alone.

Firstly, you need to remember that when you work at home there is no-one up at the front making all the decisions. You are responsible for everything that happens in your home business. You make the decisions, and you are the one taking action. You create the strategies, and you are the one who carries them out. You are both leader and follower.

When you start your home business you will first of all need to learn, and this will mean following others who are already successful. Even so, it is up to you to decide which of the skills you are learning will work best for you.

Once you have learned the basics and are feeling more confident, you will find that you start to have ideas of your own.

Just as a manager in a large company will call a meeting to discuss new strategies, you will need to pull your own resources together to consider these new ideas and how you are going to implement them.

Although much of your thinking might be on your own, you will still need to find other people who can advise and support you. Online forums or networking groups can play a large part here, and it is extremely useful to share your thoughts and ideas with others and allow them to contribute and perhaps help to develop your project further.

This is real leadership. You have had an idea, you have considered it, called on the minds of others to develop it, and now you can put it into action.

People who are successful with a home business are those who offer unique and personalised services. In order to do this, it is important that you develop your confidence and leadership skills.

When you have successfully developed your own niche, you can then become a leader in your own field, and in time you may find that others start to follow you.

Here is a summary of what you need to do to be an effective leader for your home business:

1. Recognise that you are 100% responsible for your business and its success. It is no good blaming others when things go wrong. This is what a “victim” does, not a leader.

2. Learn as much as you can about how to be successful. Find good training programs, join forums and make yourself into an expert.

3. Start to introduce unique services into your business. Research the market and personalise your business as much as possible to provide something that people want or need.

4. Continue to learn, develop and review. Things change, so you need to keep up with trends and move with the times.

5. Eventually, you will be a leader in your own field and people will turn to you for information and support. Treat them with respect, compassion and friendliness. This is true leadership.

Follow these steps, and you will not only be an effective leader but you will have a home business that is truly successful.

About the Author:

Ros runs her own online business and is also a successful writer and life coach.

Find opportunities at her website at Financial Freedom Online

Ros’s coaching site is at Career & Life Change Coaching

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Developing Leadership Skills in Your Home Based Business

Reservists’ Leadership Skill Training Offers Solution to UK Businesses

admin — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 01:20:35 +0000

A lack of leadership skill training is widely accepted as a core weakness in general British management, and an area that needs to be urgently addressed.This claim is supported by research conducted by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, which concluded that as many as “two thirds of UK organisations are suffering from a shortage of highly effective leaders”. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) shares this viewpoint, stating that “Good leaders, supervisors and managers are essential if UK business performance is to improve.”Furthermore, in October 2005, a team of leading business academics identified poor leadership training as one of the top five key weaknesses in business management. The report found a strong correlation between these deficiencies and the capabilities developed by Reservists, whose broad training encompasses transferable skills such as leadership, self-confidence and initiative.All Reservists receive training in leadership skillsAs an integral part of Reserve training, Reservists are required to lead teams both on exercise and during general training. Feedback is given on their capabilities from which they are able to develop their leadership skills further. This is of particular value to their civilian employment.The CBI believes that the training and experience gained by Reservists could help UK businesses to tackle the critical weaknesses in management and leadership. “With the Armed Forces’ long held reputation for high quality leadership, the CBI believes that those men and women serving as Reservists could develop the skills through their training to fill these roles and become our business leaders and managers of the future.”Forward-thinking companies recognise benefits of employing ReservistsUK business leaders need to look for alternative and more innovative approaches towards training in order to develop management and leadership skills throughout their organisations. Forward-thinking companies are already benefiting from employing Reservists and utilising their unique leadership skill training to enhance their organisation’s capability.To raise awareness of the advantages of employing members of the Reserve Forces, SaBRE is running a campaign whereby employers can publicly give their backing. Companies wishing to pledge their support for current or future Reservists in their employment are invited to sign the Statement of Employer Support which can be found through the SaBRE website.

About the Author:

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Reservists’ Leadership Skill Training Offers Solution to UK Businesses

15 Critical Leadership Skills Needed Today !

admin — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 09:45:09 +0000

In our current crazy business climate, managers and executives are becoming obsolete and are being replaced by leaders. The new manager/executive must be an expeditor and leader rather than an order giver and manager of people.

In this article, I have documented what I have found to be the leadership skills and abilities that are valued in leaders today. If you are looking to build a high performance team or company, these are the leadership traits that you and your managers should be focused on to improve personal and business performance.

1. Vision

Leaders have the ability to see things as they should become. Defining the organization’s direction, the leader defines the organization’s future.

2. Communication

Leaders are able to get others to share in their vision. They communicate in a clear and powerful way. Whether in large meetings or personal discussions, they never miss an opportunity to pass along their message.

3. Flexibility

Leaders are willing to learn. Leaders will be committed to furthering their own knowledge as well as making sure others keep up with the demand for a better educated workforce.

4. Action Oriented

Leaders know that it is not enough just to gather up the good ideas of others. When new ways of doing things can be implemented, putting them into action will fall on the shoulders of the entire team.

5. Bottom Line Thinker

Leaders know the financial conditions and limitations of the organization. Once they have the same information as senior executives, it is expected that they will reach the same decisions.

6. Builds Rapport

Leaders let the person or group know they understand their viewpoint, whether they agree or not.

7. Listening

Leaders have a mutual interest in the matter under discussion. Letting the other party speak first shows they are thought of as equals.

8. Respect

Leaders do not talk at people, they communicate with them. They treat them with respect. Do not patronize them. Leaders help them remember that they have an equal stake in finding an acceptable solution.

9. Focus

Leaders focus on the emotional issues that connect them with their followers. Leaders always stress values shared by their employees, enlisting their employees in a mission that gives their work purpose and direction.

10. Innovative

A leader can think on his or her feet. In critical situations, they have to come up with the answers, not look in textbooks.

11. High Expectations

Leaders have found, higher expectations from their workers, the better results achieved.

12. Passion

Leaders **** bureaucracy and all the nonsense that comes with it.

13. Change

Leaders stimulate and relish change. Do not become frightened or paralyzed with fear. They see change as an opportunity, not a threat.

14. Energy

Leaders have an enormous amount of energy and the ability to energize and invigorate others. They understand speed as a competitive advantage and see the total organizational benefits that can be derived from a focus on speed.

15. Support

Leaders surround themselves with competent, responsible, and supportive people.

For additional information and resources go to http://www.executivebusinessadvisers.com/

About the Author:

Dennis Sommer is the founder and CEO of Executive Business Advisers, a management consulting firm that specializes in improving business performance. http://www.executivebusinessadvisers.com . Contact Dennis at 800-627-6512.

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15 Critical Leadership Skills Needed Today !

Leadership Skills: How to Be a Successful Communicator

admin — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:50:02 +0000

As a business leader, one of the most important leadership skills you’ll ever demonstrate is knowing how to communicate. When you think about it, most business leadership consists of communication of one sort or another.

You hold meetings with staff or board members or suppliers, you interview potential managers, you meet customers and shareholders, you chat in the corridor or on the phone. All of these formal and informal moments offer you the chance to influence, to enthuse and to inspire.

So how can you make the most of these moments – how can you become a truly successful communicator?

Communication involves a variety of interactions. It involves discussing, and listening, and debating. But communication also often involves a senior executive passing on some information. This may seem a fairly simple task. But it’s amazing how often business leaders don’t give enough information, or shroud it in jargon, or tell the wrong people.

HOW you pass on information can significantly affect what happens next. If you want people (whether your staff or your suppliers or customers) to act on the information, you need to make sure they understand it. And that’s not as simple as it sounds.

There are several lessons we can learn here from people whose whole business is communication. Journalists depend entirely on their words. And journalists are taught a range of tips and techniques for making their information compelling, interesting and easy to understand. Many of these techniques are just as useful for business executives, and are well worth exploring.

I’ve found that thinking about how news stories work in newspapers, for example, can help executives communicate complex messages in a simple, brief and yet memorable way, both in print and in person.

News stories are designed to grab our attention from the opening sentence. They try to tell us the news in simple, easy-to-understand language. And they don’t assume we know much about the subject already. So when you as a business executive have some information to pass on, it’s worth trying to compile it as a news story – that way, you won’t miss out anything vital.

So what makes a good a news story? In an ideal world, the opening paragraph should:

- sum up the story

- have the most important facts first

- be short and punchy and contain only essential facts

- use emotive words early on

- possibly contain an appropriate quote

- appeal to the reader in his or her area, in his or her business, or because it affects his or her pocket or way of life.

That’s a lot to fit into a few lines. So the easiest thing to do is make sure your opening paragraph answers all the questions a reader may have:

Who? What? How? Where? When? Why?

Take an example of a news story from a business newspaper:

Who? Former senior executives at X Corp

What? were arrested

How? by FBI agents

Where? in New York

When? today

Why? on suspicions of tax evasion.

This works equally well when you’re announcing something to your staff (the order in which you answer the questions can vary):

Who? I (John Doe, CEO of Y Company,)

What? want to thank

Where? all of you in our Toronto division

Why? for raising sales an impressive 5 per cent

When? in the fourth quarter

How? and invite you all to a celebration lunch next week.

In a news story, it’s important not to venture your own opinion or comment. The above item may appear to cross this line – it describes the sales increase as ‘impressive’ – but further down in the story (or in the internal memo or in the email to staff) the writer could justify the use of the word ‘impressive’ by comparing it with the target or with increases in previous quarters.

If the fundamental purpose of news is to inform, it’s essential that you allow your readers to make up their own minds on the information you provide. Do not try to sell your own opinion as fact.

To sum up, the crucial point to remember when you’re communicating information is that the most important information should appear first. If you do that, answering all the questions as suggested, there’s a good chance that you’ll get your message across and that everyone will understand it.

About the Author:

If you want the leadership success you deserve, get the leadership training you deserve. Download more free articles and leadership training videos from business journalist Jacqueline Moore and Steven Sonsino, authors of the Amazon bestseller “The Seven Failings of Really Useless Leaders”
Get more FREE videos and articles right now: http://www.deathofleadership.com

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Leadership Skills: How to Be a Successful Communicator

Leadership Skills – Learning From the Best

admin — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 11:46:48 +0000

There are some leaders that have to lead there team into situations where they can be killed. Yet, their team follows them without question. Who are these people?

Army officers – If ever their were people who need to show the best in leadership skills its them, as it really is a question of life or death.

Let’s see what are the main leadership skills taught and which apply to civilian leadership.

1. Command Total Respect:

You don’t need to like someone you need to respect them

In the army officers don’t have favorites, everyone is treated the same, there all part of the same team.

In civilian life one of the leadership skills that is lacking is leaders who have favorites on a personal level and give them preferential treatment.

This can cause huge resentment.

Nothing undermines a leader more than office politics and back biting.

Treat everyone with the same respect and ethics.

Your staff will appreciate it and it will foster a better work ethic.

2. Hands On

In the army the officers men know that there commanding officer can either do all the tasks they can do, or at least will be very familiar with them.

Army officers are people who are seen by their men as people who are able to get their hands dirty in a team.

Many civilian leaders fail to get to grips with this concept and are seen as aloof or detached from their team.

A good leader will muck in and be seen as one of the workers at times and be seen as in the team rather than aloof from it.

3. Planning & team spirit

An army officer makes sure his men understand the mission at hand.

He knows there life depends on it.

He makes sure that everyone understands the expectations, goals and objectives.

The whole team knows exactly what’s expected of them and they will all be together and depend on each other.

A good civilian leader will have a plan in place with clear objectives where everyone knows their place in the plan and their exact role.

You need a clear plan, workable goals and a good time spirit

4. Think outside the box and ahead of the competition

One of the key points to remember is that army officers have to constantly adapt to changing situations.

They’re used to thinking ahead and thinking independently.

This is a key trait many civilian leaders lack, they don’t think far enough ahead.

They only see the near term picture and before they know it their competition has moved ahead of them.

A good leader stays one step ahead at all time and is constantly studying his competition and ways he can improve.

5. Make Tough Calls instantly

Army officers do this is a matter of course the whole safety of his group depends on it.

If you are a civilian leader you have no room to procrastinate you need to make the hard calls that ensure the survival of your business.

6. Optimism and Perseverance

Army officers will suffer setbacks but they have ultimate confidence in their team and vice versa.

“When the going gets tough the tough get going”

Army officers don’t contemplate throwing the towel in, they remain optimistic and are prepared to persevere.

They remain strong and in control and this is an essential trait of civilian leaders.

If you show you’re worried, not in control and unable to cope your teams moral will drop with disastrous consequences.

You need strength in the bad times and perseverance – All leaders have this trait and are confident they can confront and deal with anything.

Final words

An army officer acts as part of a well oiled team.

He commands respect because he can lead and his men will follow orders unquestionably because they have faith in his ability.

Acquire the traits of army officers above and maybe you to can become a great leader.

About the Author:

MORE FREE INFO PDF AND AUDIO DOWNLOADS

On all aspects of self improvement and leadership visit our website for a huge resource of articles, features and downloads and at http://www.net-planet.org/index.html

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Leadership Skills – Learning From the Best

Leaders Under Construction – Developing Leadership Skills

admin — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 18:40:38 +0000

Are leaders born or made?

Well, leaders are born, but only in la la land!!! You can be born with the traits of a leader but the right encouragement is a must for developing leadership skills.

While developing leadership skills at an early stage has its advantages, it’s never too late to start if you haven’t yet discovered the leader in you! And that’s not a whole load of motivational hogwash.

In this piece, let’s take a look at the why and how of developing leadership skills.

Successful management requires more than just assigning tasks to the team. It calls for a leader who can inspire team members to achieve their full potential. People want to be guided by a person they respect, someone who has a clear sense of direction. To be that person, there are certain things that you must BE, KNOW and DO. And that’s what developing leadership skills is all about.

Robert K. Greenleaf

”The only test of leadership is that somebody follows.”

If you want to set an example for others to follow, may we suggest the following check-list?

1. Test the waters: find out what people think about your style of management. This could be a real eye opener, and the key to making changes to your leadership style. Employ a 360 degree approach wherein you receive feedback from your team members and peers. Let your team in on the objective behind the survey. A relaxed and open environment will help draw out their honest opinion.

2. Listen hard: when your team members speak to you about all their work related worries, hear them out. You could convey empathy, suggest alternatives and create harmony within the team. GREAT LEADERS ARE GREAT LISTENERS!!!!!

3. Connect: take complete responsibility for how you are heard. Always rephrase your message to make it sound positive. Effective communication is a fine art.

4. Be a people’s person: an integral part of developing leadership skills is to learn to respect your team’s capabilities. Let the team members take decisions on certain issues. Trust them with their work; don’t be a watchdog.

5. Lead by example: your team must believe in your integrity, and that you really mean what you say. Be prepared to put your money where your mouth is. It works like a charm!

6. Share leadership: distribute tasks among group members depending on the situation and individual strengths. You become a better leader by involving more people in the leadership process.

7. Evaluate your success in tandem with that of the team: your prime responsibility is to ensure success and development of the team. Focus on building their skills as this will enhance motivation and team performance. Remember, their success is yours too!

Harvey S. Firestone said “The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.” We couldn’t agree more!

About the Author:

Hi, I’m Akhil Shahani, a serial entrepreneur who wants to help you succeed. If you like to work smart, check out http://www.SmartEntrepreneur.net . It’s full of articles and resources to help you start and grow your business successfully. Please visit us & download our special “Freebie of The Month” at
http://www.smartentrepreneur.net/freebie-of-the-month.html

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Leaders Under Construction – Developing Leadership Skills

Do Your Managers Need Leadership Skills Training?

admin — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:22:29 +0000

esses today recognise the importance of good management that is based on firm and basic management skills-but how are these managers taught what are good leadership skills? Previously before the advent of training courses managers were expected to know the principles of good management and practise them with little in the way of assessment or training to ensure that all managers met certain standards. This would inevitably lead to inconsistencies in how leadership was practised and also result in poor practises being the norm-something which is not acceptable in the workplace of today.

If a business wants to have the best management and team leaders it is vital that they all possess excellent leadership skills such as the ability to work with people, to motivate others, provide negative and positive feedback, encourage their teams to strive for their targets as well as other aspects of the role. These are attributes that are not always inherent in a person and in order to provide a management structure that is positive and objective lead leader skills training can be a huge benefit.

Leadership skills courses can tend to be ‘hit and miss’ there are many company’s out there who will tell you that their leadership courses are the best and get many delegates this way, but who can you trust to deliver what they say? Any business that is looking to create a team of managers that have outstanding leadership skills which make them a credit to that business it is important that the training courses they attend build upon their existing skills and develop new ones. To be able to do this successfully training courses should be not only designed to include the objectives, vision and beliefs of the but also be cost effective and delivered in a timely fashion.

One way of doing this is to have an on-site training department that is responsible for training all employees but for the majority of small to medium sized businesses this is simply not a viable option as it is too costly. Instead it makes more sense financially and in terms of time spent training to use the services of an outside company to provide all your training needs. Deciding on the company that provides your leadership training can be difficult, so it is important to look to a company that will take the time to tailor a training course for your business and be on hand after the course to provide ‘after care’ for any questions or queries that delegates may have.

Premier Training are a training company that go out of their way to provide leadership training that is cost effective, efficient and gets you the results that you want for your management team. This is done by creating leadership skills training courses that are in line with the needs and requirements of your business and totally relevant, thanks to communication between the training planner at Premier Training (who is not a salesperson but a training expert) and yourself the business owner. Tell Premier Training your needs and they will develop a leadership Training course that is right for you.

About the Author:

To get the most from a leadership skills course contact Premier Training for the very best in cost effective and business need driven training courses.

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Do Your Managers Need Leadership Skills Training?

Leadership Skills and Leadership Qualities

admin — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:31:53 +0000

BASICS OF LEADERSHIP SKILLS AND QUALITIES, BUSINESS AND EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP EXAMPLES

(Based on author’s site www.geocities.com/ldrsp)

Leadership qualities matter in business, in education. Yet the doctoral student can’t find information on leadership skills. If the discipline isn’t leadership she has to cry for help: What’re leadership qualities?! Others would like to know too what are the personal qualities of leadership! Business leadership is important. Educational leadership is in demand. But, what are leadership skills, qualities?

Reason for Leadership

Interest they have in business or educational leadership. Perhaps also leadership qualities. Knowledge of what is leadership, not. If they see a worker a few times resting who routinely unloads, sorts, stacks, rests, repeats, he is lazy. That’s not good leadership! If leadership qualities or skills are lacking it causes annoyance, loss of production.

Need for Leadership

Leadership in education or business are acquirable skills.

In Britain there is confusion on what is leadership. The Department of Employment has publications on how to train, e.g., supervisors. Yet even supervision are known to have been deemed by the Training & Enterprise Councils to be an inherent quality, by the Employment Tribunals with members from the Trades Union Congress and the Confederation of British Industry not an acquirable skill. In the USA the position is not dissimilar.

Leadership qualities aren’t the same as leadership skills.

There are exceptional ‘born leaders’, extraordinary circumstances calling for inherent leadership qualities for exceptional motivation with no apparent incentives. But routine administration, business leadership or educational leadership demand only professional acquirable skills.

Leadership qualities are different than leadership skills.

Popularity in Leadership

Approaches to administrative leadership differ. Business leadership strategies vary. Educational leadership policies change. So do leadership skills. The value of leadership qualities never change.

Leadership is about people. Good leadership is popularity based. A French emperor called his soldiers his children, after a defeat again raised volunteer armies. A popular Scottish preacher got nominated for the US senate.

Leadership qualities are inherent. But leadership skills often suffice. Both involve popularly interesting people.

Popularity aids leadership qualities. It helps leadership skills. So in business or educational leadership.

What is Leadership?

Charisma alone it isn’t. Nor is it love, care, perseverance that enables popularity in successful leadership. It is also an interest in understanding the human nature, knowing what motivates. That is the basis of leadership.

A car plant boss praises the night shift’s work, the day shift competes for equal pride, production increases.

A congressional medal, the offer to be Education Secretary, a biographical movie for a Chicago school teacher who enabled exam. success for eleven pupils was because she could get from them what an education authorities’ educational leadership skills couldn’t.

Personal Qualities of Leadership

Depending on approaches, business and educational leadership classifications vary. Basically all leadership are of two kinds: leadership and exceptional leadership.

The former is leaderships skills; acquired, ordinarily, routinely at work: e.g., leadership in education, business.

The latter is based on inherent leadership qualities. It enables exceptional motivation with incentives hardly perceptible in extreme inappetence. It is the most rare extraordinary leadership, enhanced by the most exceptional leader’s charisma, communication ability, wit, trustworthiness, with much philosophical, sociological, psychological insight, high logical reasoning ability, the vision, heroic courage, love, care, dedication, passion of rational sensible idealism, sacrifice in time, effort. This ‘moves mountains’; be it leadership in education, culture, religion, politics, business, it reforms: socially and historically visibly, lastingly, memorably changes established culture, life styles, society.

Exceptional leadership, business or educational or other -in one field or more, of historical noteworthiness demands personal qualities, for it begins with popularity that is not coerced but is by virtue of, irrespective of wealth or position, at personal level earned and deserved trust and faith in the genuineness, sincerity of one’s intentions -honesty in intention.

Professional Leadership

What is routinely at work is skills based leadership. Mostly it is leadership in education or in business, of the kind that acquirable skills are adequate for. It does not demand any exceptional leadership qualities. Acquirable are interested behaviour and competence. Proportionately to one’s degree of interest, basic leadership skills often suffice to function as a professional leader, to lead in one’s field.

On professional leadership many have written. There are commonly agreed basic modern leadership principles generally adequate in any field of average competence.

Effective Leadership

Leaders with leadership qualities or skills know this: The average employee does like to be so directed as presumes that he generally wishes to avoid responsibility with relatively little or no ambition and dislikes work except to the extent essential for survival with basic security. People have an inherent need in an adult way to exercise their understanding, capacities, skills motivated by incentives also non-economic and culturally varying. This appreciation is a must for effective leadership.

Leadership Values

Trustworthiness is one of the personal qualities of leadership that can never be imitated in professional leadership for truly great achievement. But the skilful appearance of trustworthiness succeeds. Usually the only task of professional leadership is obtaining the co-operation of colleagues and employees.

This is best done, by making the organisation’s objects or visions pursued or desired of personal significance to people. That must be based on their values and expectations to generate their energy and enthusiasm. Good leadership on that basis can prepare people for the various controllable and uncontrollable changes, appreciating that leadership attitudes matter above all and must be ‘trust’ based… In the 1990s’ England an industrial strike over pay continued after Railtrak agreed: the workers had discovered that the government had secretly sought to influence the negotiations.

Leadership Strategies

Trust is the most useful of leadership values. Good leaders’ people feel valued. Job satisfaction enhances performance and productivity and job satisfaction includes feeling valued. This leadership strategy avoids dissatisfaction, increases job satisfaction. Co-operation is based on others feeling valued enough to be trusted.

Information works at two levels: it shows trust and contributes to the leader’s objective others’ valid views.

The value of other’s valid views which free flow of information (or the successful [but risky] appearance of it) enables is not overlooked in good leadership. In, e.g., educational leadership staff’s familiarity with consumer culture, in business leadership workers’ consumer choices reduce the risk of missing the wood for the trees.

In leadership strategies learning from experience by trial & error is unaffordable in the short term. The complexities of long term results necessitate cultured thought.

Leadership Policies

If one looks at some educational leadership policies and business leadership examples one sees these:-

In the 1980s’ UK’s teacher surplus was followed by teacher shortage; in c. 2000 allegations of easy examination questions came to be replaced, with accusations of unanswerable examination questions being set, by allegations of school pupils being deliberately failed.

The British farmers union’s lateness in taking into account the effects of the European Union agreements enabling workers general employment rights in member states as opposed to previous restrictions on the types of employment, in 2007 resulted in loss of profits to many farmers because tons of strawberies could not be picked with less students and holiday workers from member states available for that particular type of employment.

In the 1980s’ USA, People’s Express Airlines folded – cheaper seats but they couldn’t see seat booking preferences. In the 2000s’ UK, Aria Technology Limited, its owner telling of having sold goods at 500% profit, in a matter of refunding about £100 for re-saleable goods estimated only the faxes it received to have cost it about £500. The USA’s regarding failure as experience for businesses meant an average pre-bankruptcy life of 11 years; and by the time it saw and began to adopt the European thought of motivating for pride in the job, Japan and Germany had captured 38% of the car market.

In thought based leadership ~in verse by Orhan Seyfi Ari -translated:

To overtake and win, like horses that race

Compete ideas in a head keen, to make the best choice

Leadership Qualities

In leadership it is generally agreed that personal leadership qualities mater. Success in leadership depends also on the degree of the knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the needs and the expectations of those who are to be led, and of how the group is structured -especially as to the relevant situation immediately confronting them in their environment.

What exactly are the personal qualities of exceptional leaders, in leadership of historical noteworthiness, have not been able the psychologists to ascertain in terms of specific character or personality traits. But professional leadership also is people based and it often suffices to ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’

Leadership Skills

Personal qualities of leadership enhance professional skills. But in no field are called for exceptional personal leadership qualities or even professional skills routinely. In ordinary, e.g., business or educational leadership to envision and enable, to empower and energise routinely basic leadership skills suffice. These comprise simply of the knowledge of, and an honest intention to also cater for, the expectations of those to be lead, any problems faced in terms of their means, abilities, social influences.

In ordinary routine leadership, subject to average competence in one’s field, nothing is basically essential other than this leadership appreciation and reasonable honesty -i.e., simply treating people as people.

May interest -he ‘moved mountains’ Teacher’s Leadership

About the Author:

The author’s favourite site is the Teacher of Teachers

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Leadership Skills and Leadership Qualities

Leadership Development, Developing Building Learning Leadership Skills

admin — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 07:40:10 +0000

Leadership is vital for any organization’s sustained success. A great leader at top makes a big difference to his or her organization. Everyone will concur with these statements. Experts in human resources field mention the importance of leaders at all levels, and not just that of the leadership at the top. It is not without reason that companies like 3M, Proctor & Gamble, GE, Coca Cola; HSBC etc. have known to put in place processes for developing leaders continuously.

Mention this subject, however, to a line manager, or to a sales manager, or any executive in most organizations and you will probably deal with diffident responses.

Leadership development -a strategic need?

The subject of leadership is dealt with in a general way by many organizations. Leadership is usually understood in terms of personal attributes such as charisma, communication, inspiration, dynamism, toughness, instinct, etc., and not in terms what good leaders can do for their organizations. Developing leaders falls in HR domain. Budgets are framed and outlays are used with indicators like training hours per employee per year. Whether the good intentions behind the training budgets get translated into actions or not, is not monitored.

Such leadership development outlays that are based on only good intentions and general ideas about leadership get axed in bad times and get extravagant during good times. If having great or good leaders at all levels is a strategic need, as the above top companies demonstrate and as many leading management experts assert, why do we see such a stop and go approach?

Why is there skepticism about leadership development programs?

The first reason is that expectations from good (or great) leaders are not defined in operative terms and in ways in which the outcomes can be verified. Leaders are expected to achieve’ many things. They are expected to turn laggards into high performers, turn around companies, charm customers, and dazzle media. They are expected to perform miracles. These expectations remain just wishful thinking. These desired outcomes can not be used to provide any clues about gaps in leadership skills and development needs.

Absence of a comprehensive and generic (valid in diverse industries and conditions) framework for defining leadership means that leadership development effort are scattered and inconsistent in nature. Inconsistency gives bad name to leadership development programs. This breeds cynicism (these fads come and go….) and resistance to every new initiative. This is the second reason why the objectives of leadership development are often not met.

The third reason is in the methods used for leadership development. Leadership development programs rely upon a combination of lectures (e.g. on subjects like team building, communications), case studies, and group exercises (problem solving), and some inspirational talks by top business leaders or management gurus.

Sometimes the programs consist of outdoor or adventure activities for helping people bond better with each other and build better teams. These programs generate ‘feel good’ effect and in some cases participants ‘return’ with their personal action plans. But in majority of cases they fail to capitalize on the efforts that have gone in. I must mention leadership coaching in the passing. In the hands of an expert coach a willing executive can improve his leadership skills dramatically. But leadership coaching is too expensive and inaccessible for most executives and their organizations.

Leadership -a competitive advantage

During my work as a business leader and later as a leadership coach, I found that it is useful to define leadership in operative terms. When leadership is defined in terms of what it does and in terms of capabilities of a person, it is easier to assess and develop it.

When leadership skills defined in the above manner are present at all levels, they impart a distinct capability to an organization. This capability gives a competitive advantage to the organization. Organizations with a pipeline of good leaders have competitive advantages over other organizations, even those with great leaders only at the top. The competitive advantages are:

1. They (the organizations) are able to solve problems quickly and can recover from mistakes fast.

2. They have excellent horizontal communications. Things (processes) move faster.

3. They tend to be less busy with themselves. Therefore they have ‘time’ for outside people. (Over 70% of internal communications are about reminders, error corrections etc . They are wasteful)

4. Their staff (indirect) productivity is high. This is one of the toughest management challenges.

5. They are good at heeding to signals related to quality, customer complaints, shifts in market conditions and customer preferences. This leads to good and useful bottom-up communication. Top leaders tend to have less number of blind spots in such organizations.

6. It is easier to roll out programs for strategic shift and also for improving business processes (using Six Sigma, TQM, etc.). Good bottom-up communications improve top-down communications too.

7. They require less ‘supervision’, since they are strongly rooted in values.

8. They are better at preventing catastrophic failures.

Expectations from good and effective leaders should be set out clearly. The leadership development programs should be selected to develop leadership skills that can be verified in operative terms. Since leadership development is a strategic need, there is a need for clarity about the above aspects.

Hemant Karandikar advises companies on business & brand strategy, on business transformation, and for achieving breakthroughs in business processes. He leverages this expertise in product creation projects for companies along with his design associates. He coaches business leaders and executives for developing leadership skills. Hemant founded Exponient Consulting and Learning Leadership.

Previously, Hemant was Managing Director, GWT Global Weighing (now Sartorius Mechatronics) and held position of General Manager at Philips India. He is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, India.

For Onsite and online coaching for leadership development, please visit http://www.learning-leadership.com/

About the Author:

Post from: Good Leadership Skills

Leadership Development, Developing Building Learning Leadership Skills

Discount Leadership Books

admin — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 11:14:06 +0000

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Discount Leadership Books

How to Learn Charismatic Leadership

leadership — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:15:02 +0000

The technique of charismatic leadership isnt entirely new, but it is something that more and more people are finding themselves interested in. Its a good technique to use combined with other leadership skills, and its a pretty easy concept to grasp.

The fist thing to do when learning leadership skills is to learn the basics and then grow from there. After you understand the basics and you are comfortable as well as successful in your role, trying new techniques is a great way to enhance your leadership skills.

Learning New Techniques

Charismatic leadership techniques are a great addition to those who participate in Do as I do, not as I say leadership practices. When it comes to learning new techniques, youll first want to know what the technique is about and what it means, after which youd decide how to educate yourself on the technique and then put it into practice.

What is Charismatic Leadership?

This type of leadership is centered around how the leader builds up enough self confidence to attract others. By using grace, charm and self belief you will create a persona that that draws others to it because they want to be as confident and self assured as you.

By being in a charismatic leadership role, you wont use power or leverage over people to get their cooperation. Instead, youll use friendship and a strong willed personality to maintain being a leader. This technique also requires the ability to easily scan and take in an environment at any given time.

Charismatic leaders also tend to move from person to person, all the while making the person they are talking to feel as if theyre the only person in the room. This makes memorable communication between a leader and a team of people.

Showing great confidence in followers is a good sign of well developed charismatic leadership skills. A leader may even show self sacrifice for something they believe in which helps to build trust within a team environment.

Body language as well as verbal language will play a big role in your ability to develop great charismatic leadership skills, youll learn that displaying self confidence at all times is the best way to learn proper body and verbal language for any situation. Finally, continuing to lead a team in the same manner will help build a solid foundation in your progress.

You can find online and community classes to learn charismatic leadership skills so check with your local community college for more information.

Post from: Good Leadership Skills

How to Learn Charismatic Leadership

Find Out How to Build Good Leadership Skills

leadership — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 04:33:06 +0000

How to Become an Ideal Leader

When you are at work, do you get frustrated because things don’t seem to be happening the way they’re supposed to be? You see people milling around but nothing gets accomplished. And in the daily hustle and bustle, do you feel that your goals remain just that – goals. Then maybe its time for you to stand up and do something about it.

Most people are content just to stand around listening for orders. And it isn’t unusual to adopt a follow-the-leader mentality. But maybe, somewhere inside of you, you feel the desire to make things happen – to be the head, not the tail. Then maybe leadership just suits you fine.

Some people believe that great leaders are made, not born. Yes, it may be true that some people are born with natural talents. However, without practice, without drive, without enthusiasm, and without experience, there can be no true development in leadership.

You must also remember that good leaders are continually working and studying to improve their natural skills. This takes a commitment to constantly improve in whatever endeavor a person chooses.

First of all, let’s define leadership. To be a leader, one must be able to influence others to accomplish a goal, or an objective. He contributes to the organization and cohesion of a group.

Contrary to what most people believe, leadership is not about power. It is not about harassing people or driving them using fear. It is about encouraging others towards the goal of the organization. It is putting everyone on the same page and helping them see the big picture of the organization. You must be a leader not a boss.

First of all, you have to get people to follow you. How is this accomplished?

People follow others when they see a clear sense of purpose. People will only follow you if they see that you know where you are going. Remember that bumper sticker? The one that says, don’t follow me, I’m lost too? The same holds true for leadership. If you yourself do not know where you’re headed to, chances are people will not follow you at all.

You yourself must know the vision of the organization. Having a clear sense of hierarchy, knowing who the bosses are, who to talk to, the organization’s goals and objectives, and how the organization works is the only way to show others you know what you are doing.

Being a leader is not about what you make others do. It’s about who you are, what you know, and what you do. You are a reflection of what you’re subordinates must be.

Studies have shown that one other bases of good leadership is the trust and confidence your subordinates have of you. If they trust you they will go through hell and high water for you and for the organization.

Trust and confidence is built on good relationships, trustworthiness, and high ethics.

The way you deal with your people, and the relationships you build will lay the foundation for the strength of your group. The stronger your relationship, the stronger their trust and confidence is in your capabilities.

Once you have their trust and confidence, you may now proceed to communicate the goals and objectives you are to undertake.

Communication is a very important key to good leadership. Without this you can not be a good leader. The knowledge and technical expertise you have must be clearly imparted to other people (free communication skills discussed here).

Also, you can not be a good leader and unless you have good judgment. You must be able to assess situations, weigh the pros and cons of any decision, and actively seek out a solution.

It is this judgment that your subordinates will come to rely upon. Therefore, good decision-making is vital to the success of your organization.

Leaders are not do-it-all heroes. You should not claim to know everything, and you should not rely upon your skills alone.

You should recognize and take advantage of the skills and talents your subordinates have. Only when you come to this realization will you be able to work as one cohesive unit.

Remember being a leader takes a good deal of work and time. It is not learned overnight. Remember, also, that it is not about just you. It is about you and the people around you.

So, do you have the drive and the desire to serve required of leaders? Do you have the desire to work cooperatively with other people? Then start now. Take your stand and be leader today.

Post from: Good Leadership Skills

Find Out How to Build Good Leadership Skills