Some people are natural-born leaders. They find that even at an early age they can lead a team and get the best out of other people. They excel in leadership roles and management comes easy to them. But this isn’t true of everyone. Many of us find ourselves in leadership roles without the skills that we feel make good leaders. We’re unsure of ourselves and uncomfortable managing others. Fortunately, even if leadership isn’t something that feels natural to you, there are plenty of things that you can do to improve.
Find the skills that do feel natural
You might not have what you would consider great leadership skills, but that doesn’t mean that you haven’t got any skills that you can use to your advantage. Think about things that you are good at or that you enjoy, looking at your experience and even skills that you use in day-to-day life, and see if there are ways that these skills can help you in your leadership role. For example, if you are very creative, you might also have excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Learn to delegate
Even great leaders have things that they aren’t good at or don’t enjoy. Instead of letting their weaknesses hold them back, they become great delegators. Being a good delegator isn’t just about asking other people to do things. It’s about being able to identify the best people for the task, and inspiring them to do their best work.
Take a course
There are plenty of courses and seminars that you can take, both online and in-person to help you to develop your leadership style and the related skills that you need. A leadership seminar can be a great idea if you are lacking in confidence, feeling as though you are struggling to inspire others, or you want to maximize your existing skills.
Ask for feedback
Managers are often great at giving feedback but not as good at asking for it. It’s okay to ask your team how you are doing, what they’d like to see from you, and what else you could be doing to support them.
Work on your communication
Communication is incredibly important for all leaders. As a good communicator, you can delegate well, get your point across quickly, inspire others, give them what they need, and build positive relationships. Try to improve your written and verbal communication skills, and make sure you are listening more than you are speaking.
Learn from others
Chances are you’ve had some managers or teachers that you can learn a lot from. Think of other people’s skills but also their weaknesses and mistakes that they’ve made. Thinking about what went wrong, and what you’d do differently is a great way to learn.
Some people are born to be great leaders, and others have to put in the work to get there. In many cases, however, it’s the people who commit to putting in the time and improving themselves who see the best results, while the natural leaders take things for granted and fall behind. If you struggle with leading a team, these six things could make a big difference to both your management style and your confidence.
