What sort of manager are you? Every manager is different and usually has their own way of leading and motivating their teams. There’s no right way to lead a team but being able to recognise what constitutes good leadership will allow you to also be an effective manager. As a leader you need to be able to motivate others to complete a task, or project, usually within a given timeframe using a combination of different skills.
Having effective leaders within a business is crucial. They inspire others and build strong, effective teams, increasing employee engagement and creating positive working environments. They do this by having the very best communication and interpersonal skills.
The most successful leaders not only use their innate talents – those they are ‘born with’, they understand and develop their own personal strengths as well as their skills and behaviours by recognising other management styles.
So what personal strengths do you have that you can develop and enhance to help you start growing a successful team? There are several examples such as patience, positivity, dependability, decisiveness or the ability to give effective feedback but here are are our top 3!
Integrity
Integrity is about having strong core beliefs and values…and standing by them! Being honest and making the right choices sets a positive feeling and culture within a business. As a leader and manager you need your team to be honest with you and for them to follow you, so if you lack these qualities you won’t achieve success.
Negotiation skills
To be able to negotiate with your team you need to have the skills to build strong working relationships and be ready and able to manage conflict. Getting to know each member of your team will help ease any tensions that might arise when the time comes to negotiate with them; for example, if they don’t agree with a change you are proposing. Always be prepared with facts, data and information that back up your reasons for having to make a change. Listen to what others are saying if they have a different perspective and be prepared to bargain and think of alternative solutions that might still achieve your end goal – remaining calm and patient throughout!
Able to Teach and Mentor
Offering support and coaching to less experienced colleagues is an important part of leadership. One of the skills that differentiates leadership from many other competencies is the ability to teach and mentor. If you can effectively teach others within your team you will be helping the business grow. To be successful at this you will often need to think less about yourself and focus on how you can work and develop others to make the team successful as a whole. Leaders who can recognise not just their own strengths but those of others are far better equipped to build strong, productive, successful teams.
Identifying and honestly appraising your strengths and weaknesses will help you grow into a successful leader, so take the time to work out which you need to develop and learn. Your success as a leader requires an awareness of your strengths and the ability to pursue them proactively.
