Leadership is more than a job title. Becoming an effective leader is defined by impact and goes beyond just checking boxes 鈥� it means showing up with purpose.
Whether you鈥檙e interested in new leadership roles or looking for ways to have a more influential presence in your organization, strong leadership is about earning trust, inspiring others and making decisions that move people and projects forward.
We鈥檝e created an essential cheat sheet on how to lead a team: the core leadership traits, habits and mindsets that turn good professionals into great leaders.
Invest in Yourself
Developing leadership skills is a continuous journey, and great leaders are built through years of practice and trial-by-fire. Becoming a leader takes patience and reflection, as leadership development skills are built over time through intentional practice and growth.
Learning how to develop successful leadership characteristics starts with understanding your own strengths and areas for growth. Some effective leadership skills include:
- Self-awareness: Understanding your strengths, weaknesses and the impact of your behavior on others is the foundation of strong leadership. One way to do this is through the use of leadership assessment tools such as Myer-Briggs Type Indicator and Gallup鈥檚 StrengthsFinder. You鈥檒l gain insight into your natural leadership style, motivations, preferences and potential areas of growth.
- Communication: Great leaders listen actively, provide clear direction and know how to tailor their message to different audiences. They are aware and sensitive to different work styles. This is another instance where personality or leadership assessments could be valuable, especially if your team or colleagues have also taken them and you have results to compare and contrast.
- Confident decision-making: Yes, this includes uncertain or high-pressure situations. Strong decision-making requires critical thinking, emotional intelligence and a willingness to take responsibility. Successful leadership is about building trust, empowering others, and creating a culture where people feel valued and motivated.
- Continuous learning: Read, seek mentorship, attend leadership workshops and ask for feedback often. Surround yourself with people who challenge and support you. Most importantly, lead by example. The way you handle conflict, navigate change and treat others defines your leadership style.
If you鈥檙e wondering how to develop leadership skills in order to grow in your current role or career, start by embracing opportunities to lead 鈥� even in small ways. Take the initiative on projects, offer support to teammates and don鈥檛 shy away from challenges. Or keep an eye out for common pain points or problems that don鈥檛 necessarily fall within any one person鈥檚 domain 鈥� you could be the one to step up, propose solutions and lead changes that could greatly benefit your organization.
Remember, leadership doesn鈥檛 only happen in leadership roles. It also doesn鈥檛 only happen in roles that manage people or teams. If you pay attention, you鈥檒l find that leadership opportunities are everywhere.
Decision-making, collaborative work and adaptability are all qualities of a successful leader. Taking these opportunities to improve with experience and feedback will build rapport with your team. The more you grow, the more you鈥檒l inspire others to do the same.
Set Norms as a Leader
Leadership skill development takes time, and leadership transitions can be challenging.
Of course, no leader can do it all, and trying to do so can leave you feeling burned out. Part of effective leadership is learning to set appropriate boundaries that empower those around you but don鈥檛 leave you feeling depleted at the end of the day.
One way to effectively establish professional boundaries is through the development of norms. Norms are your set of agreed-upon expectations that help processes and teams move forward with one purpose. For example, the norm, 鈥淲e speak with one voice, but respect individual opinions鈥� encourages unity and safety when communicating as a team. Whether you are leading meetings across institutions or just your immediate team, norms can help you establish boundaries that prevent unnecessary frustration and burnout.
If you鈥檙e coming in as a new leader, taking the opportunity to set new norms invites a fresh start and collaboration on reaching organizational goals. Some helpful questions to ask your team include:
- What do you think will help us work well together as a team?
- What do we need from each other to build trust?
- How should we handle conflict or disagreements when they arise?
- What does a great day at work look like for you?
- What鈥檚 the most effective way for you to give and receive feedback?
Understand Your Role as a Leader
The best leaders are also the ones who know where their scope starts and ends. Understanding how to be a successful team leader involves developing the confidence to delegate and trust your team. Don鈥檛 be afraid to 鈥渟tay in your lane鈥� and encourage your team to ask others for help, too.
New leaders can struggle to define their roles and often feel the pressure to be everything to everyone. But after those initial exhausting weeks of onboarding, you鈥檒l likely want to schedule those higher-level meetings to create clarity around your responsibilities 鈥� and that鈥檚 a good thing! Learning how to say 鈥淭his is a question for the VP/director/team lead聽 鈥� do you know how to get in touch with him/her?鈥� will preserve your sanity in the process.
Being a leader also does not mean you always have all the answers. In fact, pretending like you do have all the answers when you don鈥檛 can harm your relationship with your team members. Conversely, being upfront and transparent about when you don鈥檛 know something can help build trust. To take that trust one step further, work with your team to find the answers you need together.
Show Up Consistently
Strong communication is one of the most essential qualities of a good leader. One of the most essential leadership qualities that fosters effective communication is the power of being available. This isn鈥檛 to say the best leaders are on-call 24/7. It just means consistently giving your team access to you at predictable, regular times.
鈥淒o you need anything?鈥� is a dangerous question to ask for anyone in a leadership role trying to get out the door, but these kinds of check-ins build trust.
Whether your 鈥渢ime鈥� as a leader is before meetings, a regularly-scheduled 1:1 or weekly staff check-ins, being regularly available for those you鈥檙e supporting builds others鈥� confidence in you as a leader.
Find Your Ray of Sunshine
The demands of any rewarding career are high, and serving in a leadership role only multiplies them. But that doesn鈥檛 mean that your approach needs to be all business all the time. Find your 鈥渞ay of sunshine鈥� 鈥� the parts of your day that bring light and joy to your interactions with those you support.
Maybe you鈥檙e the team member who always brings candy to collaborative planning, or the strategist who鈥檚 known for starting every meeting off with a meme. Perhaps you keep the staff room refrigerator stocked with (the good) coffee creamer, or you leave notes of encouragement in your mentee鈥檚 mailbox. Whatever your leadership style, find ways to regularly remind yourself that leading with joy is an effective way to boost employee engagement.
So forge ahead confidently, leader! And remember 鈥� developing the qualities of a leader takes time, self-awareness and consistent effort. While there are no perfect leaders, you have what it takes to be a great one.
If you are ready to take on a leadership role, 番茄视频 offers a variety of leadership programs to help you hone your skills, including a fully online MBA, M.S. in Organizational Leadership and M.Ed. in Educational Leadership.
