In my experience, the ability to lead effectively is based on a number of key skills, which serve
as a foundation to be built upon. In Part 1 of our ’10 Key Skills for Effective Leadership’ series,
we discussed Honesty, Communication, Delegation, Confidence, and Commitment. We
continue the series with the last 5 skill sets and traits every effective leader should work to
possess.


6. Positive Attitude. You want to keep your team (and yourself) motivated towards the
continued success of the company, and keep the energy levels up. For your team, that may
range from providing snacks, coffee, or career advice. It may mean just complimenting a job
well done, or providing encouragement when a challenging situation arises. Regardless of
how you choose to display it, your attitude as a leader sets the tone. Keep the office mood a
fine balance between productivity and playfulness. If your team is feeling happy, upbeat, and
motivated, chances are they won’t mind staying that extra hour to finish a report, or devoting
their best work to the task at hand.


7. Creativity. Some decisions will not always be so clear-cut. You may be forced at times to
deviate from your set course and make an on-the-fly decision. This is where your creativity
will prove to be vital. It is during these critical situations that your team will look to you for
guidance, and you may have to make a quick decision. As a leader, it’s important to learn to
think outside the box; sometimes that means choosing which of two not-so-great choices is
the best option.


8. Intuition. When leading a team through uncharted waters, there is no roadmap on what to
do. Everything is uncertain, and the higher the risk, the higher the pressure. That is where
your natural intuition has to kick in. Guiding your team through the process of your day-to-day
tasks can be honed down to a science. But when something unexpected occurs, or you are
thrown into a new scenario, your team will look to you for guidance. Drawing on past
experience is a good reflex, as is reaching out to your mentors for support. Eventually though,
the tough decisions will be up to you, and you will need to depend on your gut instinct for
answers. Learning to trust yourself is as important as your team learning to trust you.


9. Inspire. Make your team feel invested in the accomplishments of the company. Whether
everyone owns a piece of equity, or you operate on a bonus system, generating enthusiasm
for the hard work you are all putting in is so important. Being able to inspire your team is great
for focusing on the future goals, but it is also important for the current issues. When you are
all mired deep in work, morale is low, and energy levels are fading, recognize that everyone
needs a break now and then. Acknowledge the work that everyone has dedicated and
commend the team on each of their efforts. It is your job to keep spirits up, and that begins
with an appreciation for the hard work.


10. Approach. Not all human beings are the same. No surprise there, right? It’s a basic
concept, but something that is often overlooked. There are cultural perspectives, language
barriers, different educational backgrounds, personality traits and varying value systems with
which individuals come pre-conditioned, that greatly affect how information is processed and
interpreted. Some people work well under pressure, others don’t. Some respond best to
tough love, others take it personally and shut down. In order to optimize your effectiveness as
a leader, you must have the ability to customize your approach on a person by person basis,
based on the situation at hand. Your capacity to execute this concept will play a huge role in
your ability to get the best work out of your team.


A focused leader is not the person concentrating on the three most important priorities of the
year, or the most brilliant systems thinker, or the one most in tune with the corporate culture.
Focused leaders can command the full range of their own attention: They are in touch with
their inner feelings, they can control their impulses, they are aware of how others see them,
they understand what others need from them, they can weed out distractions and also allow
their minds to roam widely, free of preconceptions.