There are dozens of skills that every leader should develop and each assumes a different importance in a different situation. So picking three top ones is a risky task but one I was asked to perform recently.
Here’s an expanded version of how I responded:
- Inspiring shared vision
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Shared vision
With a shared vision, everyone pulls in the same direction. When this happens, less energy and time are wasted on unessential work—everyone’s efforts are aligned in support of achieving this goal.
- When the right vision is shared, something in alignment with an organization’s business goals, the financial and transformational results can be fantastic.
- And this is one aspect of what a high-performing team looks like.
- Determining the “what” and the “why”
- Leadership concerns itself with figuring out what the “right thing” is and why it needs to be. From there, managers see to it that the thing is done right.
- This isn’t to say that Leaders and Managers are two distinct entities, but that they are complimentary skills and very powerful when found in the same individual.
- And understanding both the what and the why are important elements in inspring that shared vision.
- Innovating
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Boundaries
Even within frameworks, structures or severe restrictions, it’s possible to see things anew and be creative inside the boundaries.
- Imagine the sonnet, a poem of set length, a strict rhyme scheme and specific structure. Can anyone truly say that all innovation in this genre has ceased?
- How different is your corporation with its technology standards, tight budgets and organizational hierarchy?
These are just three skills of dozens that a leader needs to employ from time to time.
What are three toward the top of your list?
