The Key Skills In Self Development And Growth
Call to mind the best leader you can imagine. How does she think, act or speak? Close the gap between the leader you are today and the leader you wish to be by rethinking how you view your role. There is no simple strategy for becoming a better leader. You know you must inspire and motivate your team to deliver their best results, but how? You possess a wide array of management skills but according to The London Business School , these 3 skills are key in self development and growth which will ultimately translate to a winning strategy for everyone.
Leadership Resilience and Authenticity: Merriam-Webster.com defines resilience as “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness,” and authenticity as “genuine or worthy of belief.” Or perhaps, being true to yourself. However, we have many selves, depending on the different roles we play on each stage, in each play. We evolve and transform our selves with each experience. “What got you here won’t get you there”. Herminia Ibarra, Professor of Organisational Behavior, London Business School says. “Authenticity is not a trait but a lifelong process of learning.” Resilience here is about adaptability and growth. Your ability to cope is about what you do to build a more resilient organization around you; one that is able to adapt to environmental changes effectively. A person or organization seen to be trustworthy is deemed authentic. Resilience is that ineffable quality that allows some to be knocked down by difficulties and bounce back stronger than ever. America loves a comeback story!
Emotional Intelligence: What is your relationship performance? How well do you establish strong ties with your colleagues? Leaders are often taught to put emotions to one side when interacting with colleagues. We strive for harmonious workplaces, where feelings of frustration, disappointment and anger are viewed as disruptions. But consider this, encouraging people to bottle their emotions, good or bad, may actually hinder their performance within the organization. Michael Parke, Asst. Professor of Organizational Behavior at London Business School believes that organizations with staff who feel more comfortable and safe in expressing legitimate feelings tend to be more productive, innovative and creative. If achieving stategic goals is part of your definition of successful leadership, fostering an environment where colleagues can constructively speak their minds and share their emotions has been demonstrated to pay-off. Think Google, Zappos or Ben & Jerry’s.
Keen Problem Solving Skills: What defines a leader is their ability to make smart responses to setbacks and adapt to shifting or turbulent times. What is your smart response to setbacks? Failure can be defined as a ‘lack of success’ so problems are not failures. Rather, they are opportunities for innovation. Innovation is often built on trial and error. Disruption is inevitable, but derailment is not!
Approach each opportunity with infectious enthusiasm. This positive attitude will help develop your ability to analyse, plan and negotiate outcomes. As your confidence and capabilities mature, you become better equipped to resolve conflict, strengthen relationships and face a broader range of situations. Best practices include being resilient, intuitive, and strategic in understanding your end-game. You do not have to win at everything you do, but you should be able to step up to the plate and take careful, practiced swings.
