Leadership Skills - 7 Secrets of Great Managers

What do you think separates a good manager from a great one? It all comes down to having effective leadership skills.

Many managers have great ideas, but they struggle to execute them. Their teams don’t achieve the results they want, which means their organisations (and their careers) struggle.

Instead of looking for somebody to blame, you need to think critically. Are you struggling to get the results you want because you don’t have the necessary leadership skills?

Great managers have a lot of skills. Here are seven that are absolutely essential.

Leadership Skills #1 – The Ability to Look Inward

Nobody is perfect. That’s a fact of life, but it is one that some managers struggle to recognise when it comes to themselves.They lack the self-awareness to look at the actions they take. As a result, they can’t figure out why their teams don’t produce results.

Knowing what you have to offer is just as important as knowing what your team members can deliver. The ability to look inward allows you to highlight your own flaws and work to your strengths. This is always the first step you must take if you wish to improve as a manager.

Leadership Skills #2 – Emotional Intelligence

How well do you understand the people who work with you? Do you know what drives them? What about the things that demotivate and make them less productive?

Emotional intelligence determines your ability to handle your own emotions, as well as your ability to create relationships with others. Without emotional intelligence, you cannot learn more about your team members. Furthermore, you are more likely to take emotional decisions that aren’t in the best interest of your organisation or its people.

Leadership Skills #3 – The Ability to Communicate, Fearlessly

Did you know that almost half of employees leave meetings without a clear understanding of what they need to do next… or what that meeting was even supposed to be about? This issue usually arises when their managers are unable to communicate effectively.

Great managers get their points across. Whether it’s through verbal or written communication, they ensure their team members know what they need to do. Furthermore, a manager should not be afraid to have unpleasant conversations. Conflicts arise in the workplace, and a great manager must have the communication skills required to resolve the issues.

Leadership Skills #4 – The Ability to Set Clear Expectations

Great leaders understand that their organisations need clear direction. Your vision should inspire the people you work with, while also helping you to set the goals the organisation must follow.

An inability to set clear expectations means your messages become muddled, which confuses your team. Your team won’t understand its goals, or how you will hold them accountable for their work. As a result, the team lacks focus and will struggle to achieve the goals you set for it.

Leadership Skills #5 – Motivate

Over 70% of people are disengaged at work. They drag themselves into your workplace and do the bare minimum to get by, instead of working to their full potential.

This lack of motivation often finds its roots in poor management. This is borne out by statistics too. According to a Market, Inc. survey, 76% of respondents believe they don’t receive enough recognition for what they do.

The ability to motivate employees separates great managers from the rest of the pack. If you celebrate the successes of your team members, you give them one reason to want to achieve more for you & your organisation… Want to know other ways the top business owners motivate?

Leadership Skills #6 – Utilise Systems

The systems around you can have a huge effect on your ability to lead effectively. Your organisation’s systems are like a framework. If you aren’t using good systems, you may damage your organisation.

So what are systems? The term covers many things, such as HR policies, the training programs you have in place, and how you analyse the performance of your team members. Anything that has a defined approach within your organisation is a system. You must have the ability to look at these systems critically, so you can think of ways to improve them.

Leadership Skills #7 – An Eye for Talent

Hiring for talent and cultural fit is actually more important than hiring people with strong skill sets. Just because somebody seems good on paper, doesn’t mean they will mesh into your organisation’s workplace culture.

A great manager has an eye for the talent that will perfectly suit the culture of the organisation. You must understand that how well somebody works within your workplace culture will affect their performance, as well as the results of those they work with.

What to Do Next

Three-quarters of people believe their managers are the most stressful part of their job. Great managers have effective leadership skills to work with their teams, rather than create stress for them.

Ask yourself these questions: