4 Essential Guide to Developing Leadership Skills
Back on the table, penning down different thoughts and passing knowledge in order to learn more. I hope your day is going well or coming on well.
Today’s topic is all about leadership. A lot of us, in one way or another, have worked with someone or worked under someone before. If not, you have a couple of people working with or under you, depending on your leadership methodology. Yes, you heard me correctly, there is what we call ‘Leadership Methodology’ where you want people who you are working with to become someone better, showing them the way and making sure they are more significant than you in all they do. Okay, calm down, you are about to eat me raw; this is my own leadership methodology/approach.
I would throw more light on the general leadership methodology in another write-up. Stay tuned. We might have this question in mind, ‘How will someone I’m training be better than me?’ Well, being better off should always be the goal of a good leader, where the opinion of those you lead matters. A good leader asks the followers, ‘How should we do this problem or task at hand?’ and the followers raise suggestions, and a debate on the suggestions would be carried out.
During the debate, both the leader and followers learn and unlearn. And as a leader, during the debating period, you are to sit back and listen; this gives room for the followers to grow in interpersonal relationships with co-followers, and it will build the self-esteem of the followers.
The main reason for the debate is to rob minds and not to dictate to the followers. They also have minds of theirs and just to add, “No two human beings think the same way,” and likewise, there is no single way to solve a problem. I learned all these by relating with different people and different word problems in real-life scenarios.
Still, in the leader-follower relationship, a leader should not always wear the cap “I know it all.” Well, truth be told, you might have ways that work fine for you, why not take a chill pill and listen to others’ points of view on the matter at hand? Even Uncle Einstein didn’t know it all; he failed 99 times before reaching for success. So, Mr. General Leader, please take a cup of cold Zobo 🤣 and listen to whether it makes sense or not. From nonsense comes common sense.
When I was growing up, someone said something that common sense is not always common. But I stand today to say common sense is always common. Everyone is right in their own way, and no one knows it all. So always give room for mistakes, just as no one is perfect, perfectionists do miss it also 💁.
Always try to correct in love. Everyone makes mistakes, as I aforementioned, but the way you handle other people’s mistakes shows how intelligent and sound you are. It is not about pointing out the mistakes; it is about making the person who made the mistake realize that a mistake was done, and if there is a need for correction, make it straight and professional. Nobody likes to be shouted at and lay emphasis on past mistakes, which does not encourage the person or some even go to the extent of abusing the fellow. You know it all today because someone at some point in your life corrected you of your past mistakes.
So what are some characteristics of a good Leader? We will be going through the 4Rs together.
- Ready to become a follower: How do you know this person is a good leader when he/she can drop his/her title as the leader and roll with his/her followers like they are in the same group? This way the leader would be able to know his/her followers well, they can come to him/her like a friend which is the goal.
- Ready to listen to corrections: Yes, it is not only the followers that should be corrected, but leaders are also human beings and they are prone to errors. So a good leader is ready to be corrected, unlearn and re-learn. The only people who know it all are already in the grave. Kindly note this: one day a follower will become a leader and he/she might lead your child. So lead by example.
- Ready to Fight: A good leader not only fight for his/herself but for the betterment of his/her pack. Not sure you’ve seen Teen Wolf or any Wolferer movies. The alpha is always the strongest but he still fights for his pack no matter the position of the followers in the pack. This is a good attribute of a leader. A leader is selfless every day, his/her interest comes last over others.
- Ready to share both good and bad stories: A good leader won’t only share his/her good stories but shares his/her bad days before reaching the position of Leadership. Likewise, he/she is ready to be in the followers' loop of success.
How Do You Know A Good Leader?
The bible says by their fruits you shall know them. So let me drop some of the attributes which I called “PAMZ”.
- Positive Mindset: A good leader keeps a positive mindset, no matter what, he sees good in people. And a good leader doesn’t fake his affection with his followers to get their trust. Don’t think you are the only smart person, others are also. People share their personal info based on the relationship you have with them. You might think you know everything about someone but you would be shocked that you know nothing about them. So don’t try a too-smart technique with your followers.
- Active Listener: As we all know the majority of us are passive listeners, we do listen to respond and not to hear or learn. So a good leader is an active listener, he listens to every detail provided to him/her and he/she has enough reference points.
- Meekness: A good leader would be meek in every way and calm in every situation. Don’t get me wrong I’m not saying those that go all out when they are angry aren’t good leaders, rather I am saying a good leader stays calm in odd situations in other to get tangible evidence.
- Zeal To Learn: A good leader doesn’t stop learning, he/she picks up the stepping of the stairs or ladder by making a pathway for the followers.
4 Hows To Develop Leadership Skills
Are you already a leader, looking for more tips or are you a follower looking for an upgrade in status? Don’t look too far, I’ve brought the life-changing tips for you all 😁. Introducing “CIPiW”.
- Change Your Clique
- Improve your communication skills
- Pick up books on past and current leaders
- Write
Change Your Clique
Most times when we hear change your clique we think of just our friends, yes friends are part of it, but what I am talking about here is dropping every distraction. If before now, your Ig is about Celebrities while not try following people whose posts will help you and leave the stories for the celebs. Let me share some people to follow, well I got most of the lists from effective people on Google:
- Lewis Howes
- Richard Branson
- MarissaLevin1
- Danielle LaPorte
- Brene Brown
A little message for the followers, it is not always about the other person, but you. No matter what negative words people say to you, just have this at the back of your mind no one can get deep to you except you allow them. No matter what others perceive of you, just know you will shine(in Selena Gomez’s voice) and sure enough you will. It is you and your imagination in your lifeboat. If you think you are the best, yes you are and I second that for you.
Improve Your Communication Skills
Well, this can be related to your clique update also, but here you take courses on communication skills, public speaking, and interrelationship matters. Wait, don’t rush things. I would explain them one after the other.
So first, taking courses on communication skills, some of us are good at talking to ourselves but when it comes to talking to others, it is World War III, so this skill can be developed or learned. There are people that talk like others not because they are the same but because one of them decided to learn about the other. So let me share some materials with you:
— — Reading Books such as:
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
- Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler
- Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
- Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen
- The Art of Communicating by Thich Nhat Hanh
I have not read them also, so don’t beat yourself up, I requested some books needed for developing communication skills online and these were the lists I got I would be reading them alongside you because I also need to develop my communication skill. And if you are thinking of where to get books in pdf format or soft copies. kindly check the links below:
(https://www.pdfdrive.com/) or www.gutenberg.org or https://www.google.com.ng/books
— — Online Articles and Blogs
Many websites and blogs offer articles and blog posts on communication skills. Some popular sources include Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Medium. Look for topics like active listening, non-verbal communication, and effective presentation skills.
— — TED Talks
TED Talks are informative and inspiring presentations on various subjects. Many TED Talks focus on communication and public speaking. Some notable talks include:
- “Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are” by Amy Cuddy
- “How to Speak So That People Want to Listen” by Julian Treasure
- “The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown
Enough niche on the Improvement of Communication Skills, I wasn’t planning on writing that very long explanation on it, but I guess it does worth it. So the third on how to develop a leadership skill which is the “Pi”
Pick Up Books on Past and Current Leaders
Okay, so sorry I am here to make you read and read, I know 😩. But reading and acquiring knowledge makes one smarter, knowledgeable and of course you have to practice them.
Reading about past and current leaders can provide valuable insights into their leadership styles, strategies, and experiences. Here are some books that delve into the lives of notable leaders:
- “Leadership” by Doris Kearns Goodwin: This book explores the leadership qualities of four U.S. presidents — Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson — and analyzes their approaches to crisis management and decision-making.
- “Steve Jobs” by Walter Isaacson: This biography delves into the life of Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc. It offers an in-depth look at his visionary leadership, innovative thinking, and the challenges he faced while building one of the most influential companies in the world.
- “Nelson Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom” by Nelson Mandela: In this autobiography, Nelson Mandela shares his journey from being an anti-apartheid activist to becoming the first black President of South Africa. It offers insights into his resilience, forgiveness, and transformational leadership during a time of political and social change.
- “Alexander Hamilton” by Ron Chernow: This biography delves into the life of Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. It explores his leadership in shaping the economic and political systems of the country and his role as the first Secretary of the Treasury.
- “Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future” by Ashlee Vance: This biography provides an inside look into the life and leadership of Elon Musk, the entrepreneur behind Tesla, SpaceX, and other ventures. It explores his relentless drive, risk-taking approach, and vision for the future. I personally need to read this, because I've been a lover of Elon Musk since I got to know about the idea of moving to Mars, this taught me that just think it and nothing is impossible. Funny enough, there was one time I was thinking of writing to him about my interest in doing my internship with him or just being his PA 🤗. I just want to be part of this big dream.
Last but not least, “Write”
Yes, writing is not for everybody some people do say that, but I would like to tell you everyone can write. Don’t worry about your grammar we all make mistakes. Put your thinking into writing, you don’t know who might be needing it. You can start by blogging about your experience, everyone has one experience or the other either good or bad. Keep on writing, write, write, and re-write, you will get there. Most of the great writers aren’t just great in one day, they all started small. So start your humble beginning now. Use your friends as editors if you don’t have money to hire one now. Let them be useful for you 😂.
Let me gist you, how I got into writing. Well, I’ve had the idea of starting my blog since when I was small and I do write inside books. Then in 2019 during my internship program, I joined Medium just to be reading articles, and then a colleague of mine gave me his write-up to review which I did and he was like why don’t I start writing also? And this prompted my first write-up on Medium which was about where I did my internship. So what is your excuse? Do you want to say you need a Laptop? Don’t worry your system will come but in the main time, write or draft using your phone.
So today let me be that person that will encourage you also to start, I need you out there with your own words of motivation. I love you and I would always be here to support you.
I will be dropping the pen here for today. Thanks for going through today’s write-up to the end. You are my champ and you are doing well, great Leader of today, tomorrow, and days to come.
I so much love you all deeply 🥰🥰❤️.
