Many of us aspire to reach the top of the tree when it comes to setting career goals. If you’re keen to climb the ladder until you’re the boss or the person in charge, you need to be ready to lead. Whether you work in healthcare, marketing, sales, finance or retail, being at the top carries a great deal of responsibility. Some people say that leaders are born ready, but it’s hugely beneficial to develop skills and use personal experiences along the way. If you see yourself as a leader, here are some crucial skills to master before you leave college.
The ability to listen
We all know that communication is critical when leading a team, but we often focus on talking, rather than listening. A good leader will motivate and support others through what they have to say, but they will also understand when to listen. Listening enables you to gain an understanding of how others feel and to use this information to improve morale and make changes to the way a business or organization works. If you tend to be one of those people who are always talking in meetings, seminars or discussions, take a step back and make a concerted effort to listen to what other people have got to say. By all means chip in and share your thoughts and ideas, but let others talk too. We can all learn from each other, and often, there is no clear right or wrong answer.
Adaptability
If you consider some of the world’s most famous leaders, you’ll come across a diverse range of characters. Not all leaders possess the same strengths, and people work in different ways. One of the most useful skills a person in authority can have is the ability to adapt to different scenarios and communicate with people with unique personalities and traits. There are multiple leadership styles and some are more suited to specific roles or situations than others. You have to be able to read and understand your audience and to adjust the way you operate to work towards objectives. You might find that tough love works for one group, but is counterproductive for another. If you have experience in leadership in college, for example, you were captain of a sports team or head of a society, for example, the style you adopted might not work in a sales team, a healthcare setting or a legal firm.
Confidence
When you lead others, you need to have confidence in yourself and confidence in your team. If you doubt your own credentials, it will be harder to persuade those around you to have trust and faith in you. Be realistic about what you want to achieve, set manageable targets, and push yourself without going too far. It’s critical to have confidence, but don’t cross the delicate line and become arrogant.
Learning from mistakes
Life can be a steep learning curve at times, and every single person on the planet makes mistakes. The key to being a good leader lies in knowing when you’re wrong and taking steps to bounce back and learn from those errors of judgement. Think about why things didn’t pan out as you hoped and work on making sure that you don’t end up in the same situation again in the future. Analyzing your performance can highlight potential weaknesses, which you can address.
Passion and enthusiasm
If you’re in a position of authority, and people are looking to you for inspiration, ideas and motivation, the last thing they want is a leader that lacks energy, passion and enthusiasm. If you can’t give 100% to every task, how are you going to motivate your team? You don’t have to whizz around an office with a beaming smile all the time, but show why each project or task is important to you and don’t be afraid to show a human side. If you’re excited about a new product, or you have an obvious passion for the job you do, this will rub off on those around you.
Do you aspire to be a leader? Are you working towards a career path that involves climbing the rungs of the ladder and assuming a position of responsibility? Leaders have a diverse range of skills and they’re not always the strongest, biggest or loudest people. Being able to listen, being adaptable, having confidence, learning from mistakes and being passionate about what you do can all make a difference. Think carefully about the kinds of character traits you have and take steps to hone your leadership skills before you leave college.
