You Can Develop Good Leadership Skills-Ten Basic Tips

Do you have what it takes do become a good leader?  Not everyone is born with leadership traits. Individuals that are born with leadership traits can naturally demonstrate good leadership characteristics and are usually very successful in leading others. However, it is possible to learn leadership skills if you have a passion to lead others.  So if you have the ability to inspire others, coach, teach, and help others achieve desired goals, you have what it takes to become a good leader.  It takes time to develop good leadership skills but it can be done.  Read further to learn how you can develop good leadership skills.

PEOPLE’S PERSON

1. First and foremost, in order to be a good leader you must be able to relate to people from all walks of life.  If you don’t like dealing with all types of people then you would not make a GOOD leader.  You will need to have a great personality as to attract people to you.  In short, you must display a friendly demeanor and show concern towards all people if you expect them to follow you.

LEAD BY EXAMPLE

2. Next, a good leader must lead by example. If you are going to talk the talk you must be willing to walk the walk. You must set a good example to those who follow you if you want to be an effective leader…and here’s why; proceed to next step.

HONESTY

3. Leaders should be honest. A lack of trustworthiness can erode your credibility as a leader.  Your followers must be able to trust you before they can follow you.  In the event you fall short, learn to take accountability for your actions. In other words, you should apologize when you make a mistake(s).

COMMUNICATION

4. A good leader makes plans and set goals and then communicates the vision to the group. It’s imperative that you reveal to your followers any deviations from the original plans.  Keep them abreast about the directions in which you are headed.  Scheduled meeting, e-mails, phone calls, etc. are ways in which you can communicate effectively with your group.

INNOVATIVE THINKER

5. As a leader, you will need to be able to “think outside of the box."  You should implement fresh new ideas that will help lead your followers to a more successful future.

PASSIONATE

6. A good leader exhibits great passion about their role and can motivate their group members to follow their lead even in the most difficult times.

SHOW EMPATHY

7. A good leader should be empathetic towards their members when they need support. You should be sensitive to their troubled feelings and emotions that they might display. You should take time to actively listen to them if they should encounter difficulty and need your advice.

ENGAGE TEAM MEMBERS

8. A good leader will connect with the group and take interest in their individual talents and successes.  You should make them feel appreciated.  Good leaders will involve their team members in all aspects of the business and help unleash hidden potential in each.

DELEGATE AUTHORITY

9. A good leader will share responsibility with team members to ensure that you achieve desired goals and objectives in a timely manner.  Don’t be afraid to appoint individuals who are capable of performing various tasks, to do so.  This will free you up time to do other things.

GOAL ORIENTED

10. And finally, a good leader sets goals and relies on the assistance of the team to help achieve the goals.  You must realize that you are part of a team and achieving desired goals will take team effort.

How to Effectively Facilitate a Business Meeting in Seven Steps

As the facilitator, your key role is to demonstrate effective leadership skills while your focal objective is to encourage group participation.  You should initiate a collaborative correlation with your participants where you create a positive environment for learning while allowing participants to give their input as well.  Here are steps for facilitating your next business meeting.

Step 1

ADVANCE PREPARATION

First and foremost, you will need to gather materials needed for the meeting beforehand.  Such as handouts, flip charts, technological equipment, and set up seating arrangement.   You should familiarize yourself with the topic and should be prepared to competently facilitate the meeting.

Step 2

INTRODUCTION

You should arrive before your participants.  At the start of the meeting, you will need to introduce yourself and convey the purpose of the meeting and the desired goals and objectives.  You should also use this time to pass out any handouts that will be needed. You can ask someone to pass out the handouts for you. This is a good way to bring about audience participation.  You should also allow time for refreshments, if any.

Step 3

ELABORATE ON THE TOPIC

Enunciate your words so that everyone can clearly comprehend your message and be sure to sustain eye contact and good body language. Try to stay on topic and predetermine how much time you will need to spend on each subject matter and try not to go over the time limit. And remember, you want to remain as neutral as possible.  Don’t try to force your opinion.  Ask open-ended questions to allow ideas and suggestions from your participants.  Display a good sense of humor and demonstrate sensitivity to the needs of your participants.   Utilize your visual aids for a more effective facilitation technique.

Step 4

ACTIVE LISTENING

Remember, you want to allow your participants ample time to give their input.  Allow your participants space to express themselves.  You will need to listen attentively to each individual.

Step 5

ENGAGE PARTICIPANTS

You want to motivate your audience to participate. Role-play is an excellent way in which to engage your audience.  Try to foster an environment in which everyone will feel comfortable.

Step 6

BE TIME CONSCIOUS

You should start the meeting on time and try to end at the allotted time frame.  Remember to allow time for a review and feedback.

Step 7

SUMMARIZE

Lastly, review your topic towards the close of your meeting. Ask your participants if they have any questions about anything that was mentioned in the meeting.  Try to answer each question as efficiently as possible.  As the meeting comes to a close, be sure to thank your participants for coming and tell them that they were a great group.