Amid an ongoing worldwide pandemic, businesses and their work environment experienced difficulties and challenges like never before. Many of these challenges included adapting to a remote work environment, experiencing budget cuts, and going digital, which all called for a new approach to leadership. Leaders had to adapt to these new changes, acquire new skills, and come up with new strategies for their businesses in order to survive today’s complex and competitive business world.

While many view leadership as a skill one is “born” with, others disagree and believe that leadership skills are learned and perfected over time through work and life experiences, academic programs focused on leadership and business administration, or other instances where one has to take on leadership roles. Regardless of the path to becoming a great leader, mastering a certain skill set is crucial to establishing an effective work environment and empowering your team. Here are some of the skills that each leader of the 21st century needs:

Industry Expertise

Current trends in business are constantly changing the way we see leadership when it comes to hands-on skills, which back in the day were not considered a crucial part of being a leader. In contrast, in this day and age, a leader’s good understanding of the business itself is an important factor that contributes to a business' success. As a leader, knowing the ins and outs of the industry in which you work means you will make better and more informed decisions.

Sharing a Vision

Motivating and driving team members towards common goals and objectives is an underrated skill that sets good leaders apart from others. By understanding the personal goals of your team members and the way they envision themselves within the company, you can find common ground with more ease and inspire a shared vision. This will empower both you and your team to employ a forward-looking approach to every project and opportunity.

Delegation

Delegation is a crucial skill that leaders must master. This means you will build a team that you can entrust with responsibilities and tasks in order to have time to perform your duties as a leader and focus on the bigger picture. Building delegation skills requires leaders to mentor and motivate team members to contribute their best work in order to achieve common goals. It also demands a deeper knowledge of your team members’ strengths and weaknesses to be able to strategically assign tasks to be performed in the most effective way.

Effective Communication

Being a leader means that people will want to listen to you, however, you will want to listen to what others have to say as well. Effective communication is a powerful tool in motivating your team, therefore you must sharpen it by listening intently, recognizing body language, speaking clearly, and being aware of the tone of your voice. The manner in which the team approaches a project, the workflow, and eventually, the final output all depend on clearly and concisely communicating the objectives, goals, tasks, and other information crucial to the project.

Trustworthiness

Being a trustworthy leader goes hand in hand with being transparent and honest. These critical relationship-building skills can make a significant difference in how your team sees you as a leader and whether they truly feel as part of one team. One of the most effective ways to build trust within your team is to include them in decision-making processes and ask for their input. This shows that you value their contribution and are willing to listen to their voice rather than being authoritative.

Being Perceptive

Having an eye for things that often go unnoticed is a skill that can make the biggest difference when it comes to leadership. Being perceptive toward your team and the work environment means not only communicating and asking for feedback, but also looking for nonverbal cues and observing how members are working together. Moreover, apart from developing social awareness, perceptive leaders should also look within themselves, evaluate their own faults and weaknesses, and work towards self-improvement.

Problem-solving

Being a good problem solver is one of the essential skills that a good leader needs to possess. Problem-solving requires tackling problems with a can-do attitude and objectivity, as well as thinking strategically and providing concrete plans and solutions. By being a good problem solver, your team members will see you as a reliable leader whom they can trust and get inspiration from.

Time Management

As people with a great deal of responsibility, leaders must often juggle between various tasks that require their attention. Seeing as time is of significant and even monetary value in today’s business world, another necessary leadership skill to have includes efficient time management. By controlling your priorities, you will be less likely to become overwhelmed and burned out, and consequently, you will be able to eventually make time to listen to your team members’ concerns and needs.

Giving Constructive Feedback

By building trust, your team will welcome feedback and advice. When it comes to this aspect of improvement, a good leader must provide constructive criticism and specific points in which a team member can improve. However, feedback does not revolve around points for improvement only. Each team member will appreciate positive feedback on a project’s work well done, therefore make sure to check in during both outcomes.

Empathy

Empathy is one of the core skills that lets leaders step into the shoes of others and view any potential problems or issues from their perspective. By being empathetic and considering other viewpoints, you can make decisions that benefit both the business and the individuals behind it. Through developing empathy, you can have a better grasp of a problem’s roots and provide a safe space where team members will feel free to address any of their concerns.

Conclusion

These were some of the leadership skills that leaders and their teams can benefit from. By developing your skills and competencies as a leader, you will create a collaborative work environment and empower your team to work together toward shared business goals and vision.

10 Leadership Skills You Need For Empowering Your Team