Growth And Skill Building Exercises For Aspiring Leaders

Leadership Development and Growth Opportunities for Professional Success 

Leaders are role models to their colleagues and organization. Many will develop their leadership skills in a managerial or executive position. Those who are interested in becoming a leader, first need to think about their vision. Break ideas down into smaller steps and then work towards achieving each step. You can then figure out a route to get there. Why do you want to be a leader and what will you accomplish?

As a leader you will also be required to manage conflict. Conflict is stressful but it is not necessarily a bad thing because it can cue a leader that workers need to change to increase productivity. You may consider working with your groups in growth exercises to translate leadership principles into practical on the job behaviors. Leaders should pay attention to their reputation and understand how they are being perceived. A good skill building exercise is to ask others about your reputation and view your behavior the way others would see it. Additionally, a leader needs strong communication skills. This will help you share your vision with others. If you are not a good communicator people will be unsure of what they are being asked to do. In particular, a leader should pay attention to the amount of communication they have with others. Strong communication skills will increase work satisfaction, strengthen collaboration and work relationships and increase company productivity.

Furthermore, leaders also need to have self-awareness and understand their own strengths or weaknesses. Typically, a leader will develop leadership wisdom composed of lessons and anecdotes that they use to address new challenges. This information is developed after many experiences and ongoing practice in decision making. A leader’s action may be scrutinized when things are going bad. An effective leader should motivate others and propel them to do their best during difficult times. Companies face risks of falling behind competition if they do not innovate. As part of growth exercises, leaders should take time out of their day to think about the future of their company or their industry. How will things work in the future? Are there growth opportunities or threats that might come up?

As a final note, leaders should embrace networking as part of skill building by building relationships with people who aid them in doing their job. Some leaders will reach beyond their company to others who may be part of a professional organization or an alumni group to provide important referrals and developmental support. Lastly, good leaders should also consider looking into continuing education opportunities. This could include taking continuing education courses online through universities. Many leaders working in companies may want to consider focusing on taking business-related coursework in order to improve their understanding of a company. All leaders have had ups and downs in their life. Think about the type of leader you are now as opposed to the type of leader you would like to be. What do you need to do to get to the level that you are interested in?