5 Leadership Skills You Learn in a Short Time
Focus on what you can achieve quickly.
It takes years to become a leader. Even longer to become a good leader.
But what can you realistically achieve quickly to function well with your team?
Self-awareness? No, it takes a lot of time. Emotional intelligence? The same. Strategic thinking? It also takes time.
So?
Don’t bother to think about how to motivate others. You want to focus on accountability, communication, flexibility, delegation, and honesty.
1. Accountability
Really? How many times are we going to talk about accountability?
Ehm. Yes, by now, you think I am an accountability freak. Yet, stay with me.
If there is one thing you can learn straight away and become a better manager, it’s accountability. You can do it now—I mean it—NOW!
Immediately start taking responsibility for your actions, decisions, promises, and what you’re saying.
There is no better and more powerful example of leading by example. Admit your mistakes. Keep your word. Explain why you decide like this.
Your team will be eating from your hand. Don’t hide in your office. Get out there and feel the weight of responsibility.
Accountable leader = accountable team.
2. Effective communication
A big one. But also quite easy to practice and achieve in a short time.
Two things to start practicing more:
Listen more.
Be clear when speaking and check in to see if your message is understood.
You’re welcome and give me 150$ for this great piece of advice. (haha!)
Effective communication stands on this:
Two assumptions for effective communication: what you say is coded the way others can understand it well, and they actually listen.
There are troubles with channels and noise. Too many past experiences, language barriers, and other noise prevent effective communication.
To go around it. Use as simple language as possible and ask. “Did you get that?” “What is the deadline, then?” “What should we do?”
It is not silly. It is effective.
3. Flexibility
Do you get itchy when you hear about unexpected changes? “No, again?!”
Flexibility is what you need when you manage a team. Embrace change with a positive attitude and be willing to pivot when needed.
No hard feelings.
It could be really difficult for you if you cannot flex. Yet, my experience is leaders let go of their standards because they have to. They have no time, anyway.
Good enough is your friend. Tolerance is another.
When you hear the news today, take a deep breath. It still gives you an eye tick. But! Let go of your stress and hop on it. Nothing can be done if you wind up.
Flexibility cannot be learned in training.
Flexibility is a choice.
4. Delegation
Stress comes from too much to do.
Don’t.
Delegate.
Time management is a joke if you don’t delegate. Managers cannot do everything. It is their huge mistake. They turn into micromanagers and people who experience burnout.
Start delegating immediately. Don’t wait for next year. They don’t have the right skills? They will learn.
Yes, not every delegation will lead to a successful end. But that's okay.
When you begin delegating tasks, you show you trust your team. Some will be annoyed (more work for them!). Others will love it (more responsibility, yay!).
Unsure where to start? Common, you have read about it already:
5. Honesty
Is honesty a leadership skill? Honesty is a trait of adulthood and maturity.
The least you can do is to start being transparent and truthful in all interactions. Some informations are confidential which does not mean you cannot act with integrity.
Honesty lets you get to know others and yourself.
Honesty helps you build trust quickly. It is a ‘skill’ you will find the most useful in a short time.
No lack of leadership training can stop you from being honest today.
TL;DR
What can you achieve quickly?
A lot. Instead of reading all self-help books and sophisticated but abstract pieces of advice. Focus on what you can do now and today.
For sure, you can be honest, accountable, and listen more. Don’t tell me, you can’t. So, what are you waiting for? Go for work! Ivona
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