Leadership skills are the abilities and strengths possessed by people engaged in controlling processes and guiding initiatives and employees to achieve specific goals.
Leadership skills are an important component that allows managers to make educated decisions about the organization’s mission and goals, as well as to properly allocate resources to accomplish objectives. A list of valuable leadership skills includes not only the ability to plan work but also the ability to delegate competently, inspire people, and communicate effectively.
3 leadership skills for managing virtual teams
Let’s understand what qualities an effective leader should have. In reality, a significant number of novice managers who do not develop these qualities, lose their positions within a year and a half due to low efficiency.
Communication
A manager should be able to clearly and concisely explain everything to employees, starting with general purposes and peculiarities of work organization and ending with specific tasks. A supervisor must have communication skills in a variety of forms, including private and department-to-department communications, interaction with the entire staff, phone conversations, email/video correspondence, online chatting, and social media.
A set of basic communication skills includes:
- Ability to listen and understand an employee;
- Competent articulation;
- Business-like communication style;
- Clarity and conciseness;
- Competent correspondence;
- Ability to explain a complex task;
- Skills in organizing group conversations.
In addition, a leader should be good at non-verbal communication and have the ability to hold presentations. This means good public speaking skills and body language.
Motivation
A leader must inspire employees to do their best to achieve their goals. And it’s more than paying a fair wage, although this factor is also important. It’s necessary to have skills of non-material motivation: raise the self-esteem of employees, introduce game elements and add competition, assign new exciting duties to them, etc.
Leaders must understand their teams and choose the best motivation methods that will stimulate productivity and enthusiasm.
Here’s a list of the most commonly used motivational techniques:
- Increasing employee autonomy;
- Consideration of staff interests;
- Mentoring;
- Persuasion;
- Soliciting ideas and increasing interest;
- Willingness to address issues and support employees;
- Setting effective goals;
- Recognition and appreciation;
- Team building;
- Additional rewards;
- Understanding each employee’s individual characteristics.
Delegating
A leader who takes on too many tasks will have a hard time keeping up with his/her responsibilities. Effective leaders know how to delegate work properly, which allows them to be more productive and focus on the essentials.
Here are some qualities of a leader that will help delegate tasks competently:
- Assessing the strengths and weaknesses of each team member;
- The ability to get feedback from employees;
- Properly allocating resources to employees;
- Ability to make preparations and set tasks;
- Identifying the right measurable results;
- Evaluating employee performance.
A good leader should also be able to prioritize assigned tasks, define expectations and have trust in employees.
Other important leadership skills for managing virtual teams
Positivity
A positive atmosphere is essential to productive work. You should be able to laugh at yourself if something goes wrong and support other employees if something doesn’t work out for them. This is how a healthy work atmosphere is created in the workplace, including during periods of hard work.
Casual communication matters. Thus, even simple actions like asking employees about their weekend activities or vacation plans can boost morale in the office.
The following skills help create a positive atmosphere in the workplace:
- Taking care of employees;
- Managing conflicts;
- Developing rapport;
- Encouragement;
- Diplomacy;
- Sensitivity;
- Friendliness;
- Helping others;
- Humor;
- Respect for employees;
- Help and support;
- Social communication;
- Reliability.
Employees should feel comfortable if it becomes necessary to approach the supervisor with questions or concerns. It’s essential that, as a leader, you demonstrate honesty and goodwill – after all, people tend to trust leaders they respect.
By being honest and open, you also encourage these qualities in your employees.
Creativity
From time to time, any manager is faced with a situation that does not have a clear answer and requires non-standard decisions. If you master creativity and the ability to think outside the box, you will learn how to solve intractable problems.
Here are a few skills associated with non-standard creative thinking:
- Analytical mind;
- Cognitive flexibility;
- Critical thinking;
- Conceptualization skills;
- Curiosity;
- Identification of patterns;
- Adoption of different cultural views;
- Ability to anticipate the result;
- Interest in innovative solutions;
- The ability to hear other people’s ideas;
- Creating abstract links;
- Observation;
- Open-mindedness;
- Sanity.
Feedback
Leaders must constantly find an opportunity to convey useful information related to their work to employees. However, there’s a certain fine line between a regular “offer of assistance” and micro-management.
If you train employees on how to improve their work and motivate them to make independent decisions, you will feel much more confident when delegating responsibilities.
Here are a few skills that will be required for this:
- Openness to feedback;
- Building trust in employees;
- A clear statement of expectations;
- Coaching;
- Ability to listen to employee responses;
- Collecting feedback;
- Mentoring;
- Providing specific advice;
- Respect for employees;
- Ability to provide reliable support.
Responsibility
A leader is responsible not only for the successes but also for the failures of the team. If you, as a leader, point your finger at others and try to pin the blame for failure on team members without actually seeing their guilt, they will not trust you. Accept mistakes and failures, analyze them, and find solutions for improvement.
Here are some skills and qualities to help you become a responsible leader:
- Ability to admit mistakes;
- Openness to feedback from customers and employees;
- Forecasting;
- Ability to choose the best solutions;
- Ability to hear from employees and managers;
- Competent planning;
- Ability to recognize and solve problems;
- Honesty and transparency in the work.
Commitment to Set Goals
For any leader, it’s essential to be engaged in achieving your set goals. Thus, you should always be prepared to spend extra time completing the task if necessary. This way, employees will see your commitment to achieving goals and look up to you.
Some skills that will help you achieve your set goals:
- Commitment to company objectives;
- Application of feedback;
- Pursuit of professional development;
- Fulfillment of promises;
- Passion for your business;
- Perseverance;
- Professionalism;
- Ability to prioritize;
- Skills of organization of work in a team;
- Work ethic.
Flexibility
In the process of work, failures or some changes in the process are not uncommon, including at the very last minute. As a manager, you should be flexible in accepting changes and adapting to them. Your employees will surely appreciate your ability to find creative solutions in complicated situations.
An effective leader will always be open to receiving feedback and suggestions from employees. Thus, if your team is unhappy about a certain aspect of the work, you should listen to their opinions. You want to study the essence of their discontent and make appropriate changes. This will help avoid grievances and maintain the effectiveness of the workflow.
Skills related to flexibility include:
- Ability to respond to new issues or questions;
- Adaptability;
- Ability to acquire new knowledge and skills;
- Ability to improvise;
- Ability to negotiate;
- Openness to feedback;
- Recognition of employee’s strengths;
- Treating employees as individuals.
How to Develop Leadership Skills
You don’t necessarily have to become a leader to develop leadership qualities. Thus, you can start developing the latter in so many ways. Not only will you learn and make sure you are capable of being a leader but also attract the attention of managers to build a career.
Take Initiative
Do not limit yourself to tasks that your manager sets for you, indicated in the job descriptions. Think about how you can be useful to your department and company in the long run. Try brainstorming or taking on work that goes beyond the daily routine.
Demand Responsibility
If you work long enough to become an expert in your business, share with your leader your desire to develop leadership skills.
Ask how you can help. There may be projects where a coordinator or some other work is needed to help your manager lower his/her to-do list.
Focus on Developing Specific Skills
Choose specific skills you want to develop. Make a list of actions that will help you achieve your goals. You can read educational books, attend classes, or find yourself a mentor.
Talk to your supervisor and colleagues, as well as friends who can help you develop a plan to improve your chosen qualities.
How to Demonstrate Your Skills
If you are striving to move within the company through the career ladder, try to help your manager and demonstrate the ability to organize work, starting with your own and then as a project coordinator.
When looking for a new job, make sure to indicate your leadership skills in the CV. During the interview, provide examples and successful cases where you demonstrated such skills.
Be an honest and open-minded person. Show your skills in the process of communication, and you will definitely be noticed.
