One of the most important aspects of leadership is that not every leader is the same. Different
leadership styles are appropriate for different people and different circumstances, and the
best leaders learn to use them all. Leadership is all about having a vision of where you want to
be and working to achieve that vision. From my experience, the ability to lead effectively is
based on a number of key skills. Here are 10 Key Skills for Effective Leadership: skill sets and
traits every effective leader should possess, and learn to emphasize:

1. Honesty. Whatever ethical plane you hold yourself to, when you are responsible for a team
of people, its important to raise the bar even higher. Your business and its employees are a
reflection of yourself, and if you make honest and ethical behavior a key value, your team will
follow suit.

2. Communication. Knowing what you want accomplished may seem clear in your head, but if
you try to explain it to someone else and are met with a blank expression, you know there is a
problem. If this has been your experience, then you may want to focus on honing your
communication skills. Being able to clearly and succinctly describe what you want done is
extremely important. If you can’t relate your vision to your team, you won’t all be working
towards the same goal.

3. Delegation. Finessing your vision is essential to creating an organized and efficient
business, but if you don’t learn to trust your team with that vision, you might never progress
to the next stage. It’s important to remember that trusting your team with your idea is a sign
of strength, not weakness. Delegating tasks to the appropriate departments is one of the most
important skills you can develop as your business grows. The emails and tasks will begin to
pile up, and the more you stretch yourself thin, the lower the quality of your work will
become, and the less you will produce.

The key to delegation is identifying the strengths of your team, and capitalizing on them. Find
out what each team member enjoys doing most. Chances are if they find that task more
enjoyable, they will likely put more thought and effort behind it. This will not only prove to
your team that you trust and believe in them, but will also free up your time to focus on the
higher level tasks, that should not be delegated. It’s a fine balance, but one that will have a
huge impact on the productivity of your business. For small businesses don’t be scared to
outsource tasks you’re struggling to complete.

4. Confidence. There may be days where the future of your brand is worrisome and things
aren’t going according to plan. This is true with any business, large or small, and the most
important thing is not to panic. Part of your job as a leader is to put out fires and maintain the
team morale. Keep up your confidence level, and assure everyone that setbacks are natural
and the important thing is to focus on the larger goal. As the leader, by staying calm and
confident, you will help keep the team feeling the same. Remember, your team will take cues
from you, so if you exude a level of calm damage control, your team will pick up on that
feeling. The key objective is to keep everyone working and moving ahead.

5. Commitment. If you expect your team to work hard and produce quality content, you’re
going to need to lead by example. There is no greater motivation than seeing the boss down
in the trenches working alongside everyone else, showing that hard work is being done on
every level. By proving your commitment to the brand and your role, you will not only earn
the respect of your team, but will also instill that same hardworking energy among your staff.
It’s important to show your commitment not only to the work at hand, but also to your
promises. If you pledged to host a holiday party, or uphold summer Fridays, keep your word.
You want to create a reputation for not just working hard, but also be known as a fair leader.
Once you have gained the respect of your team, they are more likely to deliver the peak
amount of quality work possible.

Be on the lookout for Part 2 of this series, coming soon.