Vince Lombardi, the late football coach of the Green Bay Packers, said: “Leaders are made; they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.”
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every time we promote someone into a leadership position, they automatically gained all the skills necessary to be a great leader, to be able to inspire, coach, communicate – LEAD?
To some extent, the capacity for outstanding leadership is born within each of us. However, as Lombardi said, learning how to be a more effective leader is something everyone can understand – whether you lead multiple teams, an entire company, or just one staff member.
We’re not just talking about newly promoted leaders either. It’s a sad truth that once someone has been in a leadership position for a while, their skills and energy lags as time goes on. We all need that rejuvenation of new training – something to keep us inspired, energized, and ready to take on the world again.
And while great leaders may sometimes be born that way, there are certain traits that great leaders share in common that anyone can practice and adapt to become more effective. What kind of skills? Communication, listening, dealing with stress, conflict, emotional intelligence, understanding your influence – the list goes on. Let’s address a few of them.
Communication
Experts agree that communication is the key to everything. If you have a great vision but can’t communicate your dream, no one can follow you. Sharing is something we do every day, but it is a quickly forgotten skill. George Bernard Shaw said, “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
Emotional Intelligence
Research has shown that the most influential leaders have a high degree of emotional intelligence. What is it? In its simplest definition, it is the ability to manage emotions in oneself and others to reach desired outcomes. It goes beyond our intellectual knowledge and technical skills. We’ve known that we need to manage our emotions to achieve results, but can we manage others? Is that possible? Emotional intelligence is a fundamental key to success, and you can learn this skill.
Understanding Your Influence
What’s the difference between power and influence? What is the most effective use of each, and when do we wield it? Influence is like a stone dropped into a pond; the ripples caused by the stone extend forever. Henry Adams said, “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” The influence you have over your peers and your staff has far-reaching impacts that we may never see. The effect can be positive or negative. Understanding how your behavior influences others is critical in a strong leader, creating a stable and healthy work environment, which keeps employees motivated, hard-working and successful. Remember, you are only as strong as your team.
These are a few of the skills that we should constantly be training our leaders and the next level of leaders.
Berni Hollinger helps companies solve problems through Leadership Training, Interim Leadership consulting, and Restructuring. As a professional Training Instructor and CFO / Controller, she sees things differently. As a highly experienced CFO, Controller, Accountant, and Financial Consultant, Berni has led financial departments for Fortune 100 companies increasing bottom-line growth and compassionately coaching and training employees and restructuring processes to maximize profitability in the publishing, printing, subscriptions/fulfillment, manufacturing, and transportation sectors. She is a Professional Quilter and Quilting Instructor, creating lasting memories through exclusive designs of one-of-a-kind memory quilts.
