how to build leadership skills

Connect with Katie on LinkedIn.

Katie Piekielski | Fitness Franchise Business Manager.

There are so many ways to build your leadership skills, but one of the most important factors that will allow you to grow as a leader is for you to be open minded and flexible.  One of the biggest mistakes people make as a leader is that they are too rigid in their mindset.

Here are some great ways to build your leadership skills:

• Learn your leadership style - We all have different personality characteristics which are reflected in our leadership styles.  In order to be an impactful leader, you must have strong self awareness.  Understanding how you lead and coach can help you adapt to your team's needs.  There is no right or wrong type of leadership style, however, some may be more effective than others depending on how individuals on your team are motivated, how they like to be coached, etc.
  
  
• Improve your Emotional Intelligence (EQ) - Having high Emotional Intelligence is extremely valuable when it comes to leadership.  Emotional Intelligence allows you to have strong "people skills", which helps build relationships, influence and motivate, and relate to others.  You can improve your emotional intelligence by observing others and taking time to understand, being an active listener, performing self-evaluations to increase self-awareness, and by taking responsibility for your actions.
  
  
• Take someone under your wing - The best way to build leadership skills is to get into action and lead!  Grab someone on your team and find out more about them.  Ask them about their strengths and weaknesses, what motivates them, and how they like to be coached.  Then, create small, achievable goals for them, along with a timeline, and commit to working on getting there together.  Schedule set times to meet with them to train and then do regular check-ins with them to discuss their progress.
  
  
• Be open to learning - Leadership is the ability to influence.  Your leadership style should be adaptable and flexible, depending on who you are leading.  Understand that each experience allows you to continue to learn and grow as a leader.  Commit to being better each day and put in the work.  Even simple things like reading a leadership book will enhance your skills and provide you with new perspectives!

Connect with Joe on LinkedIn.

Joe Cooper | Co-Founder @ Evolv.

• What I wish I knew when I was thrust into my first leadership role? - It’s okay to not always be popular. I think if you’ve built up a good enough relationship with your team then they’ll know that you’re going to have to make decisions that aren’t easy but they’ll still respect you for it. There will even be times that your team will genuinely not like you, but that’s okay. Eventually you’ll make a decision that will win them back and they’ll respect you for doing hard things.

• What not to do if you want to be a better leader? - Don’t act like you have all the answers. Be humble. Ask for input. That doesn’t mean you delegate the responsibility of making decisions to other people, but recognizing the strengths of your team and the people around you will make everything better. Understand your weaknesses and utilize other peoples strengths.

• One mistake leaders make and what to do instead? - Leading with ego. This is one of my core philosophies about leadership. You can’t have an ego and be a successful leader. I think it’s natural for that to creep in when you’re in a leadership position, so keeping yourself in check by openly and genuinely asking for feedback and help on a regular basis is helpful. But there has to be a conscious effort to be humble or you’ll find yourself in a bad spot before long.

Connect with Bobby on LinkedIn.

Bobby Kleinau | VP Operations and Branch Development.

What is your brand?  Brands are not unique to corporations or businesses.  You have a brand whether you are aware of it or not. All elevated, successful and progressive leaders put a lot of time into making sure their personal brand is reflective of their character, leadership style and personality.  What separates the brand of elite leaders from the "wannabes" is one powerful word, but an even more powerful action: Intention.

Intention simply means doing things with a purpose and goal.  From the moment your alarm clock goes off in the morning and you put your feet on the floor, what is your mindset?  Is it, "here we go again... another day to dredge though"?  Or is it, "Hell yes!  Here we go. Today is going to be a day of impact, challenges and victories"?  What is the big difference between those 2 thoughts?  Are they contingent on where you are in life and what is going on around you?  Leaders don't allow the surrounding world to dissuade them from their purpose.  They are way too intentional for that.  How did these leaders land in this wonderful world of evolved thinking and intentional living?  Well.... They chose it.

Every day is filled with hundreds of choices.  Cereal or eggs? Caffeinated or non? Good day or miserable?

When you CHOOSE to be INTENTIONAL about your mood, words and actions combined with the continual (as in never stopping) exploration of self development and how to maximize your personal brand--only then-- will you be on the pathway to elite leadership.

Connect with Lauren on LinkedIn or Lauren Hess Coaching.

Lauren Hess, EdD | Founder @ Lauren Hess Coaching.

Tip for building leadership skills:

The hallmark of good leadership is self-awareness. Without knowing ourselves deeply, it’s difficult to lead from a place of presence and authenticity. Mindfulness is a foundational skill for building self-knowledge and self-understanding.

In addition to promoting self-awareness, a consistent mindfulness meditation practice - as little as 5-10 minutes per day - can enhance clarity, promote self-compassion, and expand tolerance and objectivity (among a sea of other benefits). Essentially, practicing mindfulness means being with the present moment - not ruminating on the past or thinking about the future. Leading with mindfulness helps ground you in the here and now, making you more adept at picking up on the energy and cues of those around you.

Mindful leaders are excellent listeners who are able to focus on the conversation at hand. Mindfulness is a buzz word for good reason. If you ask me to show you a capable, empathic leader, I will show you someone who has learned the art and science of mindful leadership.

Connect with Nazmina on LinkedIn.

Nazmina Mohammed (She/Her) | Senior Learning Consultant | Leadership Developer | Meditation Instructor.

The "leader" title is something you can give yourself. You don't need to be promoted into a certain role to have a greater impact on your work and those around you. Just remember the responsibility that comes with the title; the mindsets and behaviors that differentiate a bad leader from a badass one.

So what are some of these mindsets and behaviors of a badass leader?

• Committing to growing your self-awareness on a daily basis. The more familiar you are with your inner world, including simple things like how you're feeling in this moment, the easier it will be for you to show up with intentionality. You will be more cognizant and thoughtful of the impact you are have on others. Most of all, people will notice.
  
  
• Creating opportunities for your peers and team members to do their best work. Spotting someone's superpower is fairly easy (and if you don't know, just ask them). The more opportunities they'll have to do work they're both good at and love, the more energy they'll give you and the more they'll want to work with you. If you want to learn more about how to do this, I highly recommend the book "Multipliers" by Liz Wiseman.
  
  
• Deepening your cultural awareness. This means recognizing the nuances of other cultures as much as your own. More than ever, employees want to be around leaders who contribute to a sense of belonging and recognize the myriad of benefits of a more diverse workforce.

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