How to Strengthen Leadership Skills for Long-Term Success - By Ian Kirkby
- Ian Kirkby
- 5 hours ago
- 5 min read
Developing strong leadership skills is essential for anyone looking to achieve lasting success in their career or organisation. Leadership is not just about managing tasks or people; it is about inspiring, guiding, and creating an environment where everyone can thrive. This article explores practical ways to enhance your leadership skills, ensuring you remain effective and influential over the long term.
Understanding the Core Leadership Skills
Before diving into strategies for improvement, it is important to understand what core leadership skills entail. Whilst innumerable lists attempt to capture them, here are my thoughts based on many qualifications and decades of experience in different sectors, companies and cultures:
Vision: The ability to set a clear goal and to inspire others to follow.
Awareness: A keen understanding of one's own and others' strengths and weaknesses, and an ability to understand the bigger picture.
Tip: Psychometrics can help here.
Flexibility: The knowledge and skill to be able to flex leadership style according to the needs of the task, team and individual in different situations.
Decisiveness: Not rashness! Making and communicating good decisions in a clear and timely manner.
Courage: The willingness to do what is right, even when it is difficult.
There are many competencies which support the above, e.g., emotional intelligence, public speaking, etc., but a leadership development programme that uses this list as a guide will significantly improve capability.
Each of the skills plays a vital role in how a leader performs daily. For example, a leader with strong awareness and flexibility skills can prevent misunderstandings and build trust within their team, resolve conflicts and motivate employees.
To strengthen these skills, set specific goals in your most important development areas.
Tip: An external coach can be a great help in formulating this list.
Regular self-assessment and feedback from peers and line managers can also highlight areas for growth.
Practical Ways to Develop Leadership Skills
Improving leadership skills requires intentional practice and continuous learning. Here are some actionable steps you can take:
Seek Feedback Regularly
Ask your stakeholders for honest feedback on your leadership style and use the information to identify strengths you can use more and areas that need improvement.
Engage in Leadership Training
Participate in workshops, seminars, or online courses focused on leadership development. These programs often provide tools and frameworks that can be applied immediately.
Practice Active Listening
Focus on truly understanding what others are saying before responding. This builds respect and encourages open communication.
Set Clear Goals and Priorities
Define what success looks like for your team and clearly communicate these goals, and their supporting measures. Prioritise tasks to ensure focus on what matters most.
Develop Emotional Intelligence
Work on recognising your emotions and managing stress. Also, work on your colleagues' motivations and conflict/stress triggers to build stronger relationships. Tip: Team workshops utilising SDI, DiSC or similar tools can save time and generate deep information here.
Lead by Example
Demonstrate the behaviours and work ethic you expect from your team. Consistency in actions builds credibility!
Build a Support Network
Connect with other leaders to share experiences and advice. This network can provide valuable insights and encouragement.
It is especially helpful to have an external coach or mentor with whom you can be completely open.
By integrating these practices into your routine, you will gradually enhance your leadership capabilities and become more effective in guiding your team. You will also enjoy your role more as you are better equipped to realise opportunities and deal with issues.
The Role of Continuous Learning in Leadership
Leadership is not a static skill set; it evolves with experience and knowledge. Thus, embracing continuous learning is important for long-term success. This means staying curious, open to new ideas, and being willing to adapt.
Reading books on leadership, following industry trends, and learning from failures and case studies are all helpful parts of this process. Study with an enquiring mind: "What would I have done differently?", "How could it have gone wrong?", "What do I need to learn to do to replicate a success story?", etc.
As noted, engaging with a leadership development consultancy can offer tailored support and expert guidance to help identify your unique challenges and design personalised development plans. This will ensure faster, better results than undertaking generic training.
Building Resilience and Managing Challenges
However good a leader you are, there will always be challenges and setbacks. Thus, building resilience is a key leadership skill that supports long-term success.
To develop resilience:
Maintain a Positive Mindset: Focus on solutions rather than problems.
Learn from Mistakes: Analyse what went wrong and how to improve.
Manage Stress Effectively: Use techniques such as exercise and protected down-time to refocus.
Stay Flexible: Adapt your approach when circumstances change.
Communicate: A trouble shared often loses some of its potency when it has been aired. Confiding in a coach and/or trusted confidante can be very helpful.
Building your own resilience will also help your board or team. For example, when a project fails, a resilient leader will assess the situation, communicate transparently with the team, and adjust plans without losing motivation. Colleagues will respond in light of the energy shown.
Note that supporting your colleagues when they go through difficult times is a powerful way to strengthen trust and loyalty.
Enhancing Leadership Through Effective Delegation
Delegation is often overlooked but is essential for leadership growth. It allows you to focus on strategic priorities while empowering your team members (and showing trust in them!).
To delegate effectively:
Identify Tasks to Delegate: Choose tasks that others can handle or that provide growth opportunities.
Select the Right People: Match tasks with team members’ skills and interests.
Provide Clear Instructions: Explain expectations and deadlines.
Offer Support and Resources: Be available for questions and guidance.
Follow Up and Give Feedback: Monitor progress and recognise achievements.
Tip: Take care not to micro-manage and allow for the fact that they may approach the task differently than you would.
Effective delegation not only improves productivity but also develops your team’s capabilities, creating a stronger organisation overall.
Sustaining Leadership Growth Over Time
Leadership development is a lifelong journey. Here are some tips to sustain growth:
Set Long-Term Development Goals: Regularly update your objectives as you progress.
Reflect on Your Leadership Style: Periodically assess what works and what doesn’t. This is particularly important if your team has changed.
Stay Open to Change: Embrace new challenges and opportunities.
Celebrate Successes: Acknowledge milestones to stay motivated.
Mentor others: As your leadership develops, use your newfound competencies to empower others.
By committing to ongoing improvement, you ensure your leadership skills remain relevant and impactful even in highly dynamic environments.
Summary:
Strengthening your leadership skills is a continuous process that requires dedication, self-awareness, and a willingness to learn. By focusing on core competencies, seeking feedback, embracing learning opportunities, building resilience, and delegating effectively, you can achieve long-term success and inspire those around you.
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