4 Key Leadership Skills for Driving Team Success

Leadership is often misunderstood. Many times, people consider a strong or effective leader as someone who is commanding and authoritative. The archetypal drill sergeant may come to mind, inspiring fear in their subordinates through excessively high standards. Simon Sinek, an inspirational speaker who specializes in teams and leadership, disagrees. When posed the question “how do I get the most out of my employees?” Simon responded, “you can’t wring them out like a towel.” It’s the wrong question, and instead, leaders should be asking what sort of environment they are creating and whether it is conducive to the health of their team. In other words, good leaders provide what their subordinates need to flourish. Here are four leadership skills that will prove fruitful for your team’s success.

Courage

Leaders assume the responsibility of everything that happens underneath them. They are willing to risk their reputation and keep things moving in the best direction by experimenting with new approaches. More important than having charisma or vision as a leader is bravery. People will follow a leader that will step up to challenges that are too daunting for most people and forge the way ahead confidently. Courage is contagious, and when you prove that you are worthy of the responsibility of your position, your employees will feel that they are part of a broader cause.

Sacrifice

The counter-intuitive way to lead your subordinates is to serve them. This is the most effective way to show people working under you that you are both committed to the mission and committed to their personal wellbeing. People are happy to serve someone who values them. Conversely, when people feel unappreciated, or that the leadership would never do the same tasks that they dole out, a small ask becomes a burdensome request. No one wants to go to battle for someone that wouldn’t fight on the front lines with them. If you exhibit that you are willing to work harder than anyone else, then you have earned your right to delegate tasks to others. 

Listening

Believe it or not, listening is a skill. There is a difference between simply hearing someone’s words and understanding their perspective. It sometimes takes active effort to turn off the narrative inside your own head and truly listen to someone else. Sometimes leaders get so wrapped up in their vantage point of the organization that they forget what things look like at the ground level. When there is a disconnect between a leader’s assumptions and an employee’s reality, it can become a breeding ground for discontentment. The best way to prevent that is simply to listen to employees’ concerns and understand their needs. The process might be scary for some—what if people tell you things you don’t want to hear? What happens when you open the door for others’ concerns? Will it just turn into a free-for-all that upends the chain of command? These are risks worth taking to become an effective leader.

Adaptability

Adaptability is the engine that gives your listening action. Without adapting to the advice you seek or the concerns of your employees, you are like a ship captain who disregards weather reports. If you see the storm coming, you must find a way around it while still reaching the destination. Adaptability is also your proof of courage. Changing your mind takes the right kind of confidence, and people tend to support someone who is willing to admit when they are wrong. After all, you can’t be right unless you adapt when you’re initially wrong. But adaptability isn’t about being right or wrong; it’s about resilience – and if you’re not resilient, you may struggle making it through unexpected challenges.

In conclusion, the most important qualities of a leader are not that they have superhuman qualities that others are in awe of. Great leaders are just very “human”, and people gravitate to them when they feel valued. As Simon Sinek says, there is a difference between being an authority and being a leader. If you have the right position title, you might be an authority. But creating an environment that is hospitable to the people you are leading is the true test of effective leadership. This is our belief at Group Dynamix and our initiative when groups come to us for leadership training. If you are looking to improve leadership skills within your group, our Develop Events may be the right option for you.