Leadership Skills That Are Desired and Get You Noticed

If you aspire to be in a leadership role, do you know what skills you need and that are desired and valued to be truly effective in the role? If you are currently in a leader role, I’d ask the same question. I look at this as a three- level answer: new or emerging leaders, middle managers, and the C-Suite; I will add those who are small business owners or solopreneurs in this latter category.

Here are desired traits for each level:

New or emerging leaders:

• shows initiative
• good communicator
• understand work goals and able to coordinate people and processes to get them done
• team player – cares about the welfare of others (i.e. no “I”)
• critical thinker
• establishes positive interactions with others

Middle Managers (includes Supervisors, Leads, etc.) – all of the above, plus:

• analytical abilities
• sees the big picture
• able to set work goals that translate from idea to implementation
• able to think fast on your feet (put out fires quickly)
• time management
• emotionally aware (self, others)
• pitches in when needed; don’t forget where you came from

C-Suites – all of the above, plus:

• visionary – look to growth (1, 5, 10, etc. years)
• passionate – about their work, their people, the possibilities
• connectors – good at making connections with others
• bold – courageous in their ideas and in promoting them; willing to take risks an stand behind their decisions
• integrity – they have ethics and stand behind their word
• know their people – they make rounds every morning to greet their workers; they talk with them to better understand their needs to see how they can meet them
• they have heart – they care about their workers and the needs of the organization
• they transform – they recognize that their employees have skills and talents they hired for and allow them to do so in their way, while being available and supportive
• they serve – they ask how they can help and often will roll up their sleeves to ensure work tasks get done

All levels:

• work on their personal and professional development – reading relevant books on business as well a mindset, human behavior, etc. daily
• they set personal goals for themselves and follow them
• they make mindfulness practices a part of their daily routine – meditation, exercise, journaling, breathing exercises, yoga, etc.
• they treat their body well – eating right, getting enough sleep
• they know when to ‘shut off’ – they have good boundaries in their work schedule

As you can see, the higher the rise the more skills are needed. However, all of them are transferable and relatable to all levels of leadership. I believe a newbie can be good at making connections and inspiring others as a CEO can. Knowing the skills that organizations want and desire, which includes those who are in business for themselves, will put you head and shoulders above others if you work on these daily; start small and soon they will be part of your daily routine, becoming effortless. You will become the great leader others aspire to be.

If you’d like to learn more about leadership development and how to get the most out of yourself, and your people, we’re here to serve. We have our Fableader program where we will:

• Look at your goals, challenges you are facing, and opportunities you might be missing. 
• Uncover any hidden problems that may be sabotaging your desired results
• Create an action plan and implement it together so that you finally get the results you have been looking for but were unable to find.
• Address challenges that come up along the way, leaving you feeling renewed, re-energized, and inspired to take action and get faster results

If you’re ready to get started, contact us today to schedule your Fableader Breakthrough Strategy Session. barbara@cyscoaching.com Visit our website at http://cyscoaching.com and our blog at https://allaboutcareerssite.com.