Leadership characteristics

Leadership Characteristics
Leadership characteristics are an interesting topic because some people wonder if
they possess these characteristics without completely understanding what they might be. In other
words, we have people trying to figure out if they are leaders, but they don't really understand
what defines a leader. Let's take a close look at some of the characteristics of a leader so you can
figure out how you measure up.

Characteristics of a Leader
Listed below we have a total of eight leadership characteristics that we believe help to define a
leader today. As you read through each characteristic, you'll notice the word "skill" is used many
times. That's because for many of us, becoming an effective leader takes practice.

Interpersonal Skills

The first leadership characteristic we're going to discuss Additional Resources
is interpersonal skills. Leaders that have earned the trust
and respect of their followers can use this trust to move Leadership Characteristics
the organization towards the achievements of its goal. Leadership Qualities
These leaders are able to use their interpersonal skills to Leadership Traits
work through difficult relationships, and keep the peace Leadership Skill
in their departments. These individuals are good at Leadership Skills Assessment
listening as well as providing constructive feedback. Developing Leadership Skills
Understanding Soft Skills
Communication Skills

Leaders demonstrating communication skills are both good speakers and listeners. Through their
words they can help keep the workforce motivated and committed. They also listen to their
followers, and ask questions when they want to make sure they have a good understanding of
what is being expressed.

Values

Leaders must also value the diversity of a workforce, and understand that a diverse group of
employees will bring a broader perspective to the organization. They will treat followers with
the respect they deserve, and do not display favoritism. They operate with a high level of ethics,
which becomes an example for others to follow.

Organizational Consciousness

Leadership characteristics sometimes go beyond personal traits, and touch on areas such as
organizational consciousness or knowledge. These are leaders that understand what the
organization wants to achieve, and know how it can be accomplished. They create networks

within the organization to help their groups get work done, and are just as adept at breaking
down organizational barriers to progress.

Confidence

Leaders need to carry themselves with confidence, and are not afraid to take ownership for both
popular and unpopular decisions. They must be able to learn from criticisms, and are often
acutely aware of their own shortcomings. Confident leaders are able to maintain a calm
demeanor even during emergencies, and this can be contagious when it needs to be.

Flexibility

Another important characteristic of leaders are their ability to remain flexible, and adapt their
leadership style to meet the demands of the current work environment. They must be able to
work with others to meet organizational goals, and shift focus as necessary.

Creativity Skills

Leaders demonstrating creativity skills are able to develop innovative solutions to old problems.
The diversity they build in their organizations helps them to develop more comprehensive
answers to routine questions. Creative leaders are able to translate technical information into
solutions that are understood by everyone.

Achieving Results

The last leadership characteristic we're going to discuss is achieving results. Leaders just don't
set the example for others to follow; they also play a big role in achieving the goals of the
organization. Through their leadership skills, they maintain a high level of performance in their
organizations, and they are able to help keep their workforce motivated even when faced with a
seemingly impossible situation.

Since they have a deep understanding of what an organization needs to accomplish, they are able
to quickly identify and solve the important objectives of an organization.

Final Thoughts on Leadership Characteristics
This last point is an important one that often separates true leaders from the rest of an
organization. Leadership is much more complex than merely earning a high-status position in a
company, and the ability to order people to do things. It is a participative journey that the leader
must be willing to walk with others.

It's a skill that's acquired over a lifetime, and these characteristics are something we can
"practice" just about every day of our life. Keep in mind that great leaders are not born, they are
made. Great leaders also make mistakes.

But one thing that a great leader does very well is learn from their mistakes. Practice these
characteristics; avoid repeating the same mistake, and one day you'll no longer be wondering if
you are a leader - you'll know in your heart that you are one.

Leadership Qualities
One of those intangible characteristics that people often search for in their careers is
leadership qualities. People ask of themselves: Do I have what it takes to be a leader in this
organization? On the flip side, you might think that you have what it takes to be a leader, but
you are left wondering: Does my boss see the leadership qualities that I possess?

Leadership Theory Studies
To answer either of these questions, you first need to understand what it means to be a leader.
The subject is quite intriguing, and many scholars have devoted their careers to the development
of leadership theories.

History tells us of many great leaders. These are men and women that have risen above the rest,
and accomplished what seem like impossible tasks or changes to society. There is no doubt that
society will continue to be challenged in the future and, as the term goes, history tends to repeat
itself.

So therein lays the reason for the study of leadership, and the qualities of those leaders. If we can
recognize these characteristics, or train people to be better leaders, then solving the problems that
the future holds for us should be much easier than it was the first time around.

Leadership Qualities versus Leadership Style
Some people mistakenly believe that leadership qualities are the same as leadership styles. In
fact, the basic study of leadership includes this hierarchy:

Qualities - the characteristics that are the fundamental building blocks of a leader's
persona.
Leadership Style - the logical bundling of leadership qualities that, when assembled, help
to define a style that the leader practices.
Situational Leadership - the alignment of leadership styles to the social, political or work
environment that is surrounding the leader.

Given this understanding, it is easier to visualize where the qualities themselves fit into the wide
variety of modern leadership models.

Fundamental Qualities of a Leader
Figuring out if you have the right leadership qualities to be considered a leader in your particular
organization then becomes one of sorting through all the leadership literature to develop the list

of the most important qualities found in leaders. Fortunately, the five components of emotional
intelligence seem to cover the majority of these characteristics except one - intelligence.

If you remember the story told by Goleman in his book, he talks about the components of
emotional intelligence. Goleman argued that this theory accounts for characteristics that are
beyond pure intellect. It is therefore fitting to include intelligence as the first, and essential,
quality of a leader.

Intelligence as a Leadership Quality

Business acumen, political savvy, a deep understanding of social issues, knowledge - these are
all ways to describe the intelligence quality of a leader. So intelligence becomes our first
fundamental leadership quality. Effective leaders have a good understanding of what needs to
get done, and how to go about changing things.

Emotional Intelligence and Leaders

Emotional intelligence is a form of intelligence that goes a long way in describing what separates
smart people from leaders. That is to say, that there are many more smart people than there are
effective leaders. You might not agree with everything written about emotional intelligence, but
it is hard to find a quality in a leader that is not described in these five components:

Self Awareness - the ability to recognize and understand your own emotions, moods, and
motivations. Self awareness is the talent of understanding who you are, which leaders
must be able to do before they can begin to understand the motivation, moods, and
emotions of others.
Self Regulation - the ability to control your own emotions, counterproductive impulses,
and moods. Self regulation is the leadership quality of remaining in control of your
emotions.
Motivation - a drive and passion that goes beyond money or status. Motivation and
leadership are often tightly coupled when an organization is realizing above-average
results.
Empathy - the ability to really understand another person's point of view. Empathy is
different than sympathy, which is the emotion of feeling sorry for someone else.
Social Skills - the ability to manage relationships and networking. "Social skills" is used
to describe a leader's ability to get along with others in the organization.

Final Thoughts on Leadership Qualities
Keep in mind that being a leader often involves striking a balance, and the same can be said
about the skills and intelligence qualities of a leader that are described above. You can use other
adjectives to describe leadership qualities, but the components described by emotional
intelligence and intellect cover all the bases pretty well.

If you think you are a leader, then measure yourself against these components. Leadership is a

lifelong learning experience: leaders are made, they're not born. If you want others to recognize
that you are a leader; then make sure you practice these leadership qualities so that others can see
them in you too.

Leadership Style
Managers often get feedback on their leadership style through formal training. But
that training usually only identifies the leadership styles that you're currently exhibiting. You
might learn the strengths and weaknesses of each style, but that's only scratching the surface
when it comes to leading others.

Leadership Styles at Work
We believe that the focus of this type of training should be on the situational use of leadership
styles, and the flexing of those styles to varying circumstances at work. For example, what is the
most effective style to use when placed in a certain situation? This is one of the guiding
principals behind the various models of leadership styles.

This last point is an important one. Research has Additional Resources
demonstrated that the leader's ability to adopt his or her
leadership style to the situation at hand is important to Leadership Theories
their organization's success. The best leaders are skilled Leadership Style
at several styles, and instinctively understand when to use Transformational Leadership
them at work. Situational Leadership
Transactional Leadership
Choosing a Leadership Style
In the following sections we are going to explain the six different leadership styles that were
identified by Daniel Goleman in connection with his theory of emotional intelligence. We've
chosen Goleman's model of leadership style because it's both simple and all-encompassing.

In his writings, Goleman described a total of six different leadership styles. Much of this
information already appears in our article on situational leadership. If you're interested in the
effective application of different leadership styles, then you might want to look at that article too
because it also speaks to the theory put forth by Ken Blanchard and Paul Hersey.

The examples of leadership styles appearing below contain a brief description of the leader's
characteristics, as well as an example of when the styles are most effective.

Coaching Leaders

In the Coaching Leadership Style the leader focuses on helping others in their personal
development, and in their job-related activities. The coaching leader aids others to get up to
speed by working closely with them to make sure they have the knowledge and tools to be
successful. This situational leadership style works best when the employee already understands

their weaknesses, and is receptive to improvement suggestions or ideas.

Pacesetting Leaders

When employees are self-motivated and highly skilled, the Pacesetting Leadership Style is
extremely effective. The pacesetting leader sets very high performance standards for themselves
and the group. They exemplify the behaviors they are seeking from other members of the
group. This leadership style needs to be used sparingly since workers can often "burn out" due
to the demanding pace of this style.

Democratic Leaders

The Democratic Leadership Style gives members of the work group a vote, or a say, in nearly
every decision the team makes. When used effectively, the democratic leader builds flexibility
and responsibility. They can help identify new ways to do things with fresh ideas. Be careful
with this style, however, because the level of involvement required by this approach, as well as
the decision-making process, can be very time consuming.

Affiliative Leaders

The Affiliative Leadership Style is most effective in situations where morale is low or
teambuilding is needed. This leader is easily recognized by their theme of "employee first."
Employees can expect much praise from this style; unfortunately, poor performance may also go
without correction.

Authoritative Leaders

If your business seems to be drifting aimlessly, then the Authoritative Leadership Style can be
very effective in this type of situation. The authoritative leader is an expert in dealing with the
problems or challenges at hand, and can clearly identify goals that will lead to success. This
leader also allows employees to figure out the best way to achieve those goals.

Coercive Leaders

The Coercive Leadership Style should be used with caution because it's based on the concept of
"command and control," which usually causes a decrease in motivation among those interacting
with this type of manager. The coercive leader is most effective in situations where the company
or group requires a complete turnaround. It is also effective during disasters, or dealing with
under performing employees - usually as a last resort.

Mastering Multiple Leadership Styles
The formula for a leader's success is really quite simple: The more leadership styles that you are
able to master, the better the leader you will become. Certainly the ability to switch between
styles, as situations warrant, will result in superior results and workplace climate.

In fact, Goleman's research revealed that leaders who were able to master four or more
leadership styles - especially the democratic, authoritative, affiliative and coaching styles - often
achieved superior performance from their followers as well as a healthy climate in which to
work.

It's not easy to master multiple leadership styles. In order to master a new way of leading others,
we may need to unlearn old habits. This is especially important for leaders that fall back on the
pacesetting and coercive leadership styles, which have a negative affect on the work
environment.

Learning a new leadership style therefore takes practice and perseverance. The more often the
new style or behavior is repeated, the stronger the link between the situation at hand and the
desired reaction.

You can work with a coach, a mentor, or keep your own notes on how you reacted under certain
conditions. Learning a new skill requires time, patience, feedback, and even rewards to stay
motivated. If you're going to attempt to learn a different leadership style make sure your
approach contains each of these elements.

Leadership Traits
We've all heard of the stories about how someone stepped up and became a leader.
You may have even heard someone make the comment "Well that kid was born a leader."
Unfortunately, it is not all that simple. Leadership traits are not necessarily hereditary - the
particular debate goes back to your beliefs about nature versus nurture.

Nurture, Nature and Leadership Traits
The Nature or Nurture argument in a leadership setting means this: Was the person born that
way (nature), or did they learn about leadership from someone else (nurture)? The theories of
leadership we've studied as well as the traits of a leader, lean more towards nurture.

Leadership traits are learned from observing the Additional Resources
successes and failures of others, or through direct trial
and error experiences. Whether or not a person accepts Leadership Characteristics
the responsibility of being a leader is a function of their Leadership Qualities
personality. The difference is subtle but important. A Leadership Traits
person's experience allows them to understand what it Leadership Skill
takes to be a leader, but whether they express these Leadership Skills Assessment
leadership traits themselves is a personal choice. Developing Leadership Skills
Leadership Traits and Emotional
Intelligence
Daniel Goleman has written extensively about what makes a person a leader. In his book

Emotional Intelligence, Goleman divides leadership traits into two broad categories:

Self Management Skills, and
The Ability to Relate to Others

Within these two broad categories, Goleman goes on to describe five components, or traits, of
emotional intelligence that help to make a person into a leader. Below is a brief summary of
Goleman's findings.

Self Management Skills

This first broad category of leadership traits has to do with the abilities of leaders to "manage"
themselves. The hypothesis here is that leaders must first look inwards, and be in control of
themselves, before they can start to lead others.

Self Awareness - When we have a deep understanding of ourselves, including our
strengths and weaknesses, then we are said to be self aware. For example, if you know
that you do not work well under pressure, then you are exhibiting the trait of self
awareness.
Self Regulation - The leadership trait of self regulation leverages self awareness but takes
it one step further. People that exhibit self regulation are able to not only understand
their impulsive behaviors, but also control them.
Motivation - Have you ever been asked this question: How can I get this worker
motivated? Well, the answer is quite simple: You cannot motivate others. Motivation
comes from within, and is a driving passion that exists inside a person. The most a leader
can do is to create an environment where motivation thrives. Understanding the nuances
of motivation is an essential trait for anyone in a leadership role.

The Ability to Relate to Others

The second broad category of leadership traits you need to master are those involving your
ability to relate to those around you. They describe, quite simply, a leader's ability to relate to
others.

Empathy - In order to be a successful leader, you must be able to deal effectively with
others. The first step in understanding another person's viewpoint is through the
leadership trait of empathy. Putting yourself in their shoes, and taking into account their
reaction to your decisions.
Social Skills - Goleman maintains that all of the other leadership traits culminate in this
skill. In this context, social skills are defined as the ability to build rapport with others,
and get them to work together towards a common goal.

You may not see a lot of nature in the above leadership traits. People are not born with good
social skills. They develop them by observing what is acceptable in society, and what is
effective. We also talked about personalities that will accept the role of a leader. That is where
motivation becomes so important. We can learn to master these leadership traits, but without the

right motivation you are simply a bystander.

Leadership Traits versus Leadership Styles
As a reminder, all of these leadership traits should not be confused with leadership styles. In the
above, we are talking about the traits or characteristics of a leader. The things we might see in
ourselves, or in leaders around us. This is not to be confused with how to effectively lead others,
which has more to do with leadership styles.

Leadership Skill
We've all questioned the strength of our leadership skills at one time in our career. If
you've ever had the chance to supervise or manage a group of individuals, then you've probably
wondered if that group felt you were a leader. You may have even tried to guess if peers around
you feel you're a leader. Perhaps you have even hoped that your boss sees the leadership skills
that you possess.

Let's face it, to get ahead in the business world today you need to separate yourself from the
pack. Competition at work is fierce. You can go to school, get a college diploma, and you can
even get advanced degrees in very specialized areas. We're not arguing against the importance
of school; but in today's workplace, a well-educated individual is becoming commonplace.

Leadership Skill and Career Growth
If you have specialized technical skills, then they will Additional Resources
only take you so far in your career. That's what this
article on leadership skills is going to address. You Leadership Characteristics
might be recognized as a specialist, or even a subject Leadership Qualities
matter expert. But without good leadership skills, it is Leadership Traits
very likely that you are only qualified to reach the end of Leadership Skill
a "technical" career path. There is even a term for people Leadership Skills Assessment
in those positions in an organization: individual Developing Leadership Skills
contributors. And for many of us, we can feel very Understanding Soft Skills
successful wearing that label.

If you want more career growth options, then you need to demonstrate effective leadership
skills. Every hiring manager that fills an opening for a manager or supervisor hopes that person
they are going to hire is a leader. That's because even managers that have successfully
demonstrated that they can deliver superior results can have their careers derailed by weak
leadership skills.

Skills and Characteristics of Leaders
So what exactly are the characteristics and / or skills that are found in leaders, and how can they
be learned? Well, we've all heard the expression "natural born leaders" but it's hard to believe

that genetics has much to do with true leadership ability. It could easily be argued that
individuals demonstrating leadership skills early in life are probably just emulating someone
very close to them - a father or mother - someone that has subconsciously taught them leadership
skills.

In fact, nearly everyone exhibits leadership skills or characteristics under certain situations. This
could happen in a work setting, at home or in the community. These are skills that are developed
and honed over a lifetime. They grow in complexity as our personalities grow. The trick then is
to accelerate the leadership skills development process, so that we are able to exhibit these
characteristics early in our career.

This website has already published several articles that can help you to better understand the
finer points of leadership. We've provided hints on how to further develop these skills in the
following publications:

Transformational Leadership

Our article on transformational leadership explains a concept that James MacGregor Burns
developed when describing these types of leaders. Specifically, the article covers the concepts of
transformational leadership, transactional leadership, moral and amoral leaders.

Situational Leadership

Our article on situational leadership explains the four styles of leadership developed by Ken
Blanchard: directing, coaching, supporting, and delegating. We also review the situational
leadership model developed in Daniel Goleman's emotional intelligence. One of the key skills of
situational leadership theory is the ability to flex your leadership style to the current work
environment.

Leadership Styles

Finally, our article on Leadership Styles discusses the six leadership styles identified by
Goleman. In that article, you will find descriptions outlining the most appropriate time to use a
particular leadership style. That article concludes with some hints on how to become skilled in
the art of mastering multiple leadership styles.

Leadership Skills Training Programs
If you're interested in developing your leadership skills in a more compressed timeframe, then
you might want to take a look at our publication on Leadership Training. Here you'll find some
practical advice on the basics of leadership training programs, as well as where you can go to
find some very effective executive leadership training courses.

Leadership Skills Assessment

There are many tests that you can take that will help you assess your leadership skills
or style. You can spend hours filling out questionnaires that will help you determine your
leadership style, your strengths, and weaknesses. Our leadership skills assessment is much
simpler than those detailed assessments, but we promise the results to be nearly as insightful.

Our assessment is broken down into two sections. In the first section of our assessment, we'll
help uncover what makes your personality so special, using examples from the Myers Briggs
Type Indicator (r). Our second section will help you understand your leadership style, especially
at work. In that second assessment, we're going to help you by identifying the attributes
associated with each of Daniel Goleman's leadership styles.

This leadership skills assessment is meant to whet your Additional Resources
appetite for more robust tests. There are certainly more
detailed assessments that you can take, and they usually Leadership Characteristics
charge a fee. If you're looking for a quick introduction to Leadership Qualities
these types of skills assessments, we think we can help. Leadership Traits
Leadership Skill
Personality Style Assessment Developing Leadership Skills
Our first leadership assessment is the Myers Briggs Type
Indicator (r) or MBTI. You may have overheard
coworkers talking about their "type" using four letter abbreviations such as ISTJ. These four
quadrants are often used to describe the leadership, learning, and working styles you may
exhibit. There are a total of eight preferences along these four quadrants, meaning there are
sixteen possible types.

In this part of the assessment, you will pick the description that best fits your style from each of
the following four pairs.

Extroversion / Introversion

The first two letters of the type describe whether or not you're introverted (I) or extroverted (E).
This dimension describes how you gain energy.

Introversion (I) - Introverted people keep their energy inside themselves. They often
pause and think carefully before responding, and may enjoy communicating through
voicemail and email rather than face-to-face.
Extroversion (E) - Extroverted people often communicate with energy and emotion.
They like to communicate with others, even large groups. They'd much rather visit
someone so they can talk face to face than call or use email.

Sensing / Intuition

The next dimension describes how you perceive things around you: through sensing or intuition.

Sensing (S) - Sensing individuals like to be presented with the facts. They like realistic
and practical information. They rely on information they can touch or feel, and often
follow a precise pattern when they communicate.
Intuition (N) - Intuitive people like broad ideas that consider the future and possibilities.
They like to use insights as information, and prefer general concepts. Logic is a
secondary consideration.

Thinking / Feeling

This third dimension has to do with how you make decisions: via thinking or feeling.

Thinking (T) - Thinking people like to list out the pros and cons of each approach. They
prefer to think about things objectively, and use emotions as a secondary consideration.
Feeling (F) - Feeling people seek out the involvement of others when making decisions.
They prefer to be personable, and reach agreement, before making a decision. They are
concerned with the decision's impact on values and people.

Judging / Perceiving

The final dimension in this skills assessment has to do with the lifestyle the person adopts.

Judging (J) - Judging people like schedules and timelines, not surprises. They expect
others to follow through on promises and commitments. Judging people like to hear
about results and achievements.
Perceiving (P) - Perceiving people don't like to commit to deadlines. They like to hear
about opportunities or options and enjoy flexibility. Perceiving people enjoy surprises
and easily adapt to last minute changes.

To get a gauge on the MBTI that might apply to your leadership style, you should have picked
one description from each pair. For example, if you were Introverted (I), Sensing (S), Thinking
(T), and Judging (J), then your MBTI type would be described as ISTJ.

Some of you may see yourself in both sides of each pairing. That is one example of how more
detailed leadership skills assessments can help. That being said, most things are not black and
white in this world but shades of grey, and the same can be said of these types of skills
assessments.

Leadership Style Assessment
This second leadership skills assessment has to do with your predominant leadership style.
There are a total of six leadership styles described by Daniel Goleman. Keep in mind that most
leaders will flex their leadership style to the situation; this is appropriately termed situational
leadership. However, most leaders do have a predominant style that they often fall back into -
usually in times of stress.

Coercive Leadership Style - Coercive leaders often demand immediate compliance with their
orders. This type of leader has an extreme drive to achieve. They also exhibit a great deal of self
control, and often take the initiative when they spot a problem. Over the long haul, coercive
leaders can have a negative impact on the workplace.

Authoritative Leadership Style - Authoritative leaders often try to mobilize workers towards a
vision. They allow workers to see how they fit into the big picture. They are seen as experts in
their area, and demonstrate a lot of self confidence. Authoritative leaders also demonstrate a lot
of empathy.

Affiliative Leadership Style - The Affiliative leader likes to create harmony and build
relationships in the workplace. They believe that people come first, and like to communicate
with others.

Democratic Leadership Style - The Democratic leader likes to get others involved in the
decision-making process. They enjoy coming to consensus through the active participation of
others.

Pacesetting Leadership Style - Pacesetting leaders set high standards of performance for
themselves and others around them. They have a great deal of drive to achieve targets, and
expect the same type of drive from those around them. Unless workers are just as driven as the
leader, this style can also have a detrimental affect on followers over the long term.

Coaching Leadership Style - Coaching leaders enjoy developing people that may one day be the
leaders of the company. They have a great deal of self awareness, and enjoy helping others
improve their skills.

Skills Assessment
That's all there is to our leadership skills assessment. We've covered two of the most important
aspects of leaders at work: how they operate themselves, and how they interact with others.

It's not easy to understand others, but as leaders it's important to understand what motivates
people. Throughout your career, you may be asked to take a variety of leadership skills
assessments. Our advice is to use each occasion as an opportunity to learn a bit more about
yourself, and how you interact with others. If you do, then you'll be a more effective leader in
the long run.

Developing Leadership Skills
Essentially, leadership skills are the behaviors that you would exhibit when placed in
various situations. That's the foundation for various leadership theories such as situational
leadership. Assessing your leadership style can help you not only in identifying your strengths
and weaknesses as a leader, but also in developing your leadership skills.

Leadership Skills Defined
So what exactly are good leadership skills? One way to answer this question is through this
simple statement:

Good leadership skills are the behaviors that allow you to get the results you're after, while at
the same time positively motivating your followers.

Now while this might sound like an easy rule to follow, Additional Resources
in practice it's not all that simple. Many "leaders"
achieve remarkable short term results at the expense of Leadership Characteristics
the long term morale of employees. This article on Leadership Qualities
leadership skills is going to avoid a discussion of that Leadership Traits
type of approach. We're going to focus on identifying Leadership Skill
leadership skills that should provide both short-term and Leadership Skills Assessment
long-term results that are sustainable. Developing Leadership Skills
Emotional Intelligence and
Leadership Skills
Daniel Goleman and his approach to Emotional Intelligence provided us with a great deal of
insight into the types of leadership skills we're seeking. That's because by its very nature,
leading other individuals is all about successfully interacting with people. Emotional
intelligence helps us to understand the dynamics of those interactions.

The core leadership skills that we all need as potential and existing leaders can be summarized
via the following five attributes. It is via these five attributes, or skills, that we are able to
manage not only ourselves, but our interactions with those around us. Understanding these
competencies allow us to recognize the skills that will make us successful.

Self Awareness

Self awareness is our ability to understand what makes us who we are at work or at home. It is a
leadership skill that allows us to understand not only our own emotions, but also the impact they
can have on our work performance and our relationships with coworkers.

Self awareness is the ability to understand our own emotions, moods, and motivations.

Self Regulation

While the leadership skill of self awareness asks us to take a deep look inside ourselves, the skill
of self regulation is the ability to control our emotions that are counterproductive to achieving
our goals.

How often have you observed a manager / leader and thought to yourself - they are their own
worst enemy? Did they allow their emotions and impulsive behavior to lead them down the
wrong path? Self regulation is the skill used to control the moods, impulses, and emotions that
can hurt our relationships with coworkers.

Motivational Skills

Motivation can be an entire topic unto itself. In fact, we have an article dedicated to motivation
and leadership. We define motivation as the drive or passion that goes beyond money or status.
With that in mind, motivation can take two forms:

Extrinsic Motivation - this is the motivation that comes from external sources, such as a
manager's recognition for a job well done.
Intrinsic Motivation - this is the motivation that comes from within, often referred to as
self motivation or internal motivation.

As a leader, it's important to develop your skill at identifying what motivates yourself as well as
those around you. Finding out what motivates others is often accomplished by trial and error.
There are a number of approaches suggested to improve this skill in the motivation article
referenced earlier.

Empathy Skills

Empathy is perhaps the most important leadership skill that involves your relationship with
others. Empathy is the leader's ability to understand the other person's point of view. Many
leaders-in-training mistakenly believe that sympathy is the same skill as empathy - it's not.

Empathy is your ability to truly put yourself in the other person's shoes and understand how they
are feeling. It's the ability to understand the impact change can have on someone else, and taking
their feelings into consideration before making a change.

Social Skills

The last leadership skill we're going to discuss is social skills. To be an effective leader you
need to socialize with others. In this way, social skills are very much like effective networking
skills in a work setting.

Your followers need to understand that you're a human being - just like them. You need to take
an interest and listen when employees talk about their families or loved ones because they play
an important role in their lives. You need to be able to develop and guide others, and you do that
using the rapport you develop via social skills.

Development of Leadership Skills
Now that we have a foundation in the understanding of the types of leadership skills that are

important in the workplace, we can move onto a discussion of the development of leadership
skills. These are the techniques you can practice to help you become a more effective leader.

Golden Rule at Work

Perhaps the single most important leadership skill you can practice nearly every day is treating
others the way you wish to be treated. Unfortunately, among the chaos we find at work, this is
not always as easy as it sounds.

Pressures to improve the "bottom line" and "just get it done" are two examples of attitudes that
might prevent us from following this golden rule. As leaders in an organization, we need to
strike a balance of short term results and long term job satisfaction. You need to practice this
balance every day by asking yourself this question: Is this the way I would want to be treated?

Autocratic and Coercive Leadership Styles
While these two leadership styles have a place in certain situations, the autocratic leadership
style and the coercive style are arguably the two most destructive styles a leader can practice.

Autocratic leaders, by definition, make all the decisions themselves and take responsibility for
the results achieved. Autocrats can be extremely hard to work for over the long haul, and are
characterized by the statement "just do as I say."

Coercive leaders were found to have the most negative affect on the workplace climate. This
type of leader demands immediate compliance, and uses threats to pressure coworkers into
compliance. If you're a leader that practices one of these two leadership styles, you better have a
good reason - such as the need to turn around an organization.

Coaching and Teaching

Another leadership skill you'll want to develop has to do with coaching and teaching others.
This is especially effective in a situation where you might be viewed as an expert. As a leader,
you should be extremely interested in the growth and development of the people directly
reporting to you.

The benefit of coaching and teaching others is threefold. For example, you have an opportunity
to develop a replacement for yourself from a succession planning standpoint. You can also rest
easier when away from the office when you know you have a good backup. Finally, many
employees like the challenge of new assignments, and the act of teaching and learning can
motivate many individuals.

You can develop your coaching skills by working directly with others. Or you can simply ask
them if they have any questions, or would like some help with an assignment.

Delegating Tasks

Here we're talking about true delegation of tasks - not dumping work on your coworker and
running away. The proper delegating of tasks by leaders will not only result in an additional
learning experience for the follower, but also serves as a signal that you trust in their abilities.

You can develop your delegating skills by starting small, assigning tasks you're certain can be
successfully completed on time and with acceptable quality. As you and your direct reports
become more comfortable and confident, you can begin delegating more important and difficult
tasks.

Democracy at Work

The final leadership skill we're going to discuss is what we're calling "democracy at work." This
is simply encouraging independent thinking, and allowing coworkers to believe they have a say
in the direction that the team is going.

There are a couple of things you need to watch out for when practicing this particular leadership
skill. The first thing has to do with timing. The democratic leadership style can often result in
delays in getting work done. By allowing others to "vote" on how and what to do, you need to
be prepared for the debate and dialog that often comes with this freedom to speak up and be
heard.

As was the situation with delegating tasks, an example of how to practice this skill is in order.
You can start with a relatively trivial question or assignment and gather your direct reports
together and ask them their opinion on how to proceed.

This should not be a matter so trivial that their reaction is "why bother asking us this question?"
Again, think of how you'd feel if your manager asked you this type of question.

Final Thoughts on Developing Leadership Skills
Developing any skill takes practice; especially if you've never done something like this before in
your career. Remember your goal here - you want to be a better leader, and that can take time.

You might also want to take a look at several of the articles we've already published concerning
leadership styles and situational leadership. These publications will outline the attributes of the
leadership styles discussed, and also help you to understand when each style is most effective.

Finally, don't be afraid of making mistakes. Good leaders take calculated risks, and therefore
will make mistakes. Learning from those mistakes is a valuable lesson in leadership. When you
cannot remember what to do in a certain situation, you always can fall back on this one simple
principle - follow the Golden Rule.

If you're intelligent enough, it's easy to learn the technical skills you'll need to be

successful at work. But if you're looking to climb that corporate ladder, you're going to need
superior soft skills too. Unfortunately, all too often we see people promoted to leadership
positions that lack the soft skills required to be successful.

In this publication, we're going to talk about the concept of soft skills. We'll provide a definition
of the term, as well as presenting some examples. We'll also talk about the difference between
soft skills and hard skills. Finally, we'll explain how you can use soft skills to enrich your
resume.

Soft Skills in the Workplace
While technical expertise is always appreciated, and Additional Resources
something of value, moving up the ranks in the
workplace means going beyond being recognized as a
Leadership Characteristics
subject matter expert, or SME. Soft skills are often what
Leadership Qualities
separate individual contributors from managers and
Leadership Traits
business leaders.
Leadership Skill
Definition of Soft Skills Developing Leadership Skills
Soft skills are best defined as the wide variety of business
skills that fall into one of the following three categories:

Interactions with Coworkers
Professionalism and / or Work Ethic
Critical Thinking or Problem Solving

Each of these categories of skills can be applied to almost any position in nearly every company.
That's one of the reasons so many institutions of higher education offer students the opportunity
to develop soft skills as part of their curriculum.

In the sections that follow, we're going to expand on this list of soft skills through both examples
as well as explanations.

Interactions with Coworkers

This first category of soft skills includes the ability to interact effectively with coworkers and
clients. Examples of this category of skills include:

Networking - this is the building of strong relationships or alliances with others. Networking is
important in building connections across an enterprise. If you do not know something yourself,
it's important to know who can help.
Communication - the effective sharing of information with others - including oral, written, and
even non-verbal communication.
Teamwork / Collaboration - the ability to work successfully in a group setting, including
assuming the role of a team player. This is someone that puts the goals of the team ahead of

their personal goals.
Demonstrating Empathy - the capability to share one's feelings with others, as well as
understanding the emotions of others.

Professionalism and / or Work Ethic

This second category of soft skills focuses on how a person conducts himself or herself at work.
Examples of this category of skills include:

Professionalism - includes dressing appropriately for the work setting, arriving on time, speaking
in a respectful manner to coworkers, customers and clients.
Integrity - acting in a truthful and honest manner. This skill is typically aligned with the values
expressed by the company.
Optimism - this person anticipates the best possible outcome, and provides positive feedback
when someone is faced with adversity.
Enthusiasm / Motivation - the skill required to remain devoted to, and supportive of, an idea,
corporate goal or work assignment. To continue to remain engaged in the pursuit of a goal.

Critical Thinking or Problem Solving

This last category of soft skills deals with one's ability to think critically, and solve problems at
work. The ability to pull together data to solve a problem in the workplace is a widely-valued
talent in a business setting.

One of the keys to being an effective problem solver is developing the solution to the problem in
a reasonable timeframe. It is also important to be able to explain how the solution to a problem
was solved in both a logical and systematic manner.

Soft Skills versus Hard Skills

Perhaps the easiest way to differentiate between soft skills and hard skills can be described in
this manner:

Hard skills are those that are easily observed and quantified (perhaps via a scientific test). It's
also relatively easy to teach someone a hard skill in a formal classroom setting or using an on-
the-job situation. Hard skills include abilities such as working with spreadsheets, operating
machinery, speaking a foreign language, or using a personal computer.
Soft skills are sometimes referred to as people skills. And based on the examples provided
earlier, soft skills are not easy to quantify, and are sometimes described as intangible. That said,
it's often easy to identify a coworker that appears to possess strong soft skills - mostly due to
what seems to be their natural ability to work effectively with others.

Soft Skills on a Resume

By now, it should be obvious why a company would value an employee with superior soft skills
in addition to the technical expertise they're seeking. Individuals looking to move up or move

out of an organization need to highlight their soft skills on their resumes if they want to separate
themselves from the rest of the crowd.

Functional and combination style resumes both contain a careers skills / knowledge section
where a bulleted listing or table of the skills and knowledge appear. This section is placed near
the beginning of the resume, so it only makes sense to take a great deal of time making sure it
projects the right image of the applicant's talents.

Resume Example - Soft Skills

The following demonstrates how the skills section of a resume can highlight a job applicant's soft
skills. This particular example lists hard skills on the left hand side of the table and soft skills on
the right:

CAREER SKILLS / KNOWLEDGE

Financial Planning and Analysis Problem Solving
Accounting Application Design Critical Thinking Skills
Operational Budgeting Training and Development
Long-term Planning Interpersonal Skills
Capital Budgeting Teamwork / Collaboration

Leadership characteristics

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