If you have recently been offered a leadership position or have plans to grow your own business, then it is vital to start learning about what it takes to become a good leader. I have compiled a list of basic but essential skills and explained why they are important to your growth as a leader and your business.

At the end, I have also added an infographic that will explain some of the critical skills you need as a leader in the modern age.

The Basic Leadership Sills You Need To Succeed Are:

Delegation

As a leader, you need to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your team members and delegate tasks accordingly. As you get to know your team, you will start to know how they work and the type of skills they excel at. By keeping a note of their skills and experiences, you can make the most of their abilities.

Delegation is something that many leaders and business owners fail to do. This is because it is hard to give up control. How many times do we just do it ourselves because it seems easier at the time?

Over time, if you do not delegate, you will burn out and your business may fail because of it. You will also alienate your staff because they will feel undervalued and unuseful. Yes you may have to train someone to do some tasks and this will take some time. But once you have, then you will have a more competent member of staff and one that is likely to stay because they feel valued and useful.

Communication

Arguably one of the most important skills to learn is communication. This can be broken into several sub skills, such as being able to listen to your employees and clients, talking with a clear voice, and also being able to explain both simple and complex concepts. Body language is also important to understand. Both your own and theirs. Take a read of my post on this subject on another of my websites which aims to help those who have to do presentations. As a leader this is another vital skill.

Trustworthiness

While not necessarily a skill, it is important to foster a positive relationship with your employees so that they feel that they can trust you. This includes being accountable for mistakes, being ethical with your practices and also projecting an air of confidence to help them put their faith in you. You have to be consistent with this behaviour or else it will seem strange and out of place.

A leader does not have to be liked to be successful but they do need to be respected and trust is a big part of achieving this.

Infographic from: University of Southern California