Leadership and management skills are vital if you’re going to keep moving up through a business to the C-suite. However, these don’t come naturally to many people and often have to be learned. If you’re keen to ensure that you’re in the best possible position to excel in senior roles then take a tip from some of the top CEOs and opt for a leadership and management skills strategy that includes the following.
● Clear communication skills. Being able to communicate is key for anyone at any level in a business but especially for those who lead and manage. This is about being able to speak the language of employees, to be transparent about decisions and to be able to explain how changes will affect individuals. A big part of this is listening - communication is a two-way skill after all.
● An open mind. This is all about being receptive to new ideas and ideologies and being able to effortlessly handle change. CEOs that are stuck in a singular mindset or perspective tend to hold a business back and can’t see past what exists in the now. Being able to develop a more open mind means nurturing progress by exploring new processes and procedures with a view to expanding the business.
● Being approachable. Gone are the days when hierarchy worked in companies to the point where employees of different levels didn’t interact or speak. That kind of out of date snobbery is the reason that many businesses lost the faith of their people - and, ultimately, the chance to grow. One of the most valuable management skills today is being approachable - being someone to whom others can bring ideas and who is willing to listen to constructive feedback.
● Able to handle failure. If failure is not an option then the business will not succeed because this mindset simply doesn’t recognise all the advantages of failure. CEOs that model a growth mindset are able to show that failure represents an opportunity to learn, to evolve and to come back and do something better. This is an invaluable strategy in business and one that makes you almost undefeatable. Where leadership and management skills are rooted in a growth mindset, the habits and behaviours of the workforce will be too.
● Confident decision making. There is so much wrapped up in the way that senior people make decisions, from whether they have the trust of their workforce to whether they are seen as decisive. Part of this is recognising that no one has the ability to predict the future and so there is always uncertainty where decision-making is concerned. Being able to adapt and be flexible is as important as being able to commit to a decision and follow it through.
These are just some of the key leadership and management skills that set the best CEOs and managers apart from the rest. Any strategy that includes developing skills like confident decision making and a growth mindset is setting you up for success.