15 Critical Leadership Skills You Need Today
15 Critical Leadership Skills You Need Today
In this article, I have documented what I have found to be the leadership skills and abilities that are valued in leaders today. If you are looking to build a high performance team or company, these are the leadership traits that you and your managers should be focused on to improve personal and business performance.
1. Vision
Leaders have the ability to see things as they should become. Defining the organization’s direction, the leader defines the organization’s future.
2. Communication
Leaders are able to get others to share in their vision. They communicate in a clear and powerful way. Whether in large meetings or personal discussions, they never miss an opportunity to pass along their message.
3. Flexibility
Leaders are willing to learn. Leaders will be committed to furthering their own knowledge as well as making sure others keep up with the demand for a better educated workforce.
4. Action Oriented
Leaders know that it is not enough just to gather up the good ideas of others. When new ways of doing things can be implemented, putting them into action will fall on the shoulders of the entire team.
5. Bottom Line Thinker
Leaders know the financial conditions and limitations of the organization. Once they have the same information as senior executives, it is expected that they will reach the same decisions.
6. Builds Rapport
Leaders let the person or group know they understand their viewpoint, whether they agree or not.
7. Listening
Leaders have a mutual interest in the matter under discussion. Letting the other party speak first shows they are thought of as equals.
8. Respect
Leaders do not talk at people, they communicate with them. They treat them with respect. Do not patronize them. Leaders help them remember that they have an equal stake in finding an acceptable solution.
9. Focus
Leaders focus on the emotional issues that connect them with their followers. Leaders always stress values shared by their employees, enlisting their employees in a mission that gives their work purpose and direction.
10. Innovative
A leader can think on his or her feet. In critical situations, they have to come up with the answers, not look in textbooks.
11. High Expectations
Leaders have found, higher expectations from their workers, the better results achieved.
12. Passion
Leaders hate bureaucracy and all the nonsense that comes with it.
13. Change
Leaders stimulate and relish change. Do not become frightened or paralyzed with fear. They see change as an opportunity, not a threat.
14. Energy
Leaders have an enormous amount of energy and the ability to energize and invigorate others. They understand speed as a competitive advantage and see the total organizational benefits that can be derived from a focus on speed.
15. Support
Leaders surround themselves with competent, responsible, and supportive people.
15 Critical Leadership Skills You Need Today - To learn more about this author, visit Dennis Sommer's Website.
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In today's tough business climate, managers and executives are becoming obsolete and are being replaced by leaders. The new manager/executive must be an expeditor and leader rather than an order giver and manager of people.
In this article, I have documented what I have found to be the leadership skills and abilities that are valued in leaders today. If you are looking to build a high performance team or company, these are the leadership traits that you and your managers should be focused on to improve personal and business performance.
1. Vision
Leaders have the ability to see things as they should become. Defining the organization’s direction, the leader defines the organization’s future.
2. Communication
Leaders are able to get others to share in their vision. They communicate in a clear and powerful way. Whether in large meetings or personal discussions, they never miss an opportunity to pass along their message.
3. Flexibility
Leaders are willing to learn. Leaders will be committed to furthering their own knowledge as well as making sure others keep up with the demand for a better educated workforce.
4. Action Oriented
Leaders know that it is not enough just to gather up the good ideas of others. When new ways of doing things can be implemented, putting them into action will fall on the shoulders of the entire team.
5. Bottom Line Thinker
Leaders know the financial conditions and limitations of the organization. Once they have the same information as senior executives, it is expected that they will reach the same decisions.
6. Builds Rapport
Leaders let the person or group know they understand their viewpoint, whether they agree or not.
7. Listening
Leaders have a mutual interest in the matter under discussion. Letting the other party speak first shows they are thought of as equals.
8. Respect
Leaders do not talk at people, they communicate with them. They treat them with respect. Do not patronize them. Leaders help them remember that they have an equal stake in finding an acceptable solution.
9. Focus
Leaders focus on the emotional issues that connect them with their followers. Leaders always stress values shared by their employees, enlisting their employees in a mission that gives their work purpose and direction.
10. Innovative
A leader can think on his or her feet. In critical situations, they have to come up with the answers, not look in textbooks.
11. High Expectations
Leaders have found, higher expectations from their workers, the better results achieved.
12. Passion
Leaders hate bureaucracy and all the nonsense that comes with it.
13. Change
Leaders stimulate and relish change. Do not become frightened or paralyzed with fear. They see change as an opportunity, not a threat.
14. Energy
Leaders have an enormous amount of energy and the ability to energize and invigorate others. They understand speed as a competitive advantage and see the total organizational benefits that can be derived from a focus on speed.
15. Support
Leaders surround themselves with competent, responsible, and supportive people.
15 Critical Leadership Skills You Need Today - To learn more about this author, visit Dennis Sommer's Website.
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Dianne CramptonDianne Crampton is an executive leadership coach, team culture consultant, author and president of TIGERS Success Series, Inc. Dianne has been helping CEO's and Executives connect their employees to their core values and goals for over 20 years using the trademarked TIGERS team culture process, which stands for trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success. To download a free white paper on behaviors that build strong teams and behaviors that will predictably tear them down go here. Dianne's contribution to the 2010 Pfeiffer Consulting Journal (an imprint of John Wiley and Sons Publishers) entitled TIGERS Hearted Teams is available in November 2009. Her new book TIGERS Among Us: 5 Winning Business Team Cultures And Why, Three Creeks Publishing will release in March 2010. To receive publishing discounts, subscribe to the free TigerTracks Newsletter here. - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
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