Key Leadership Skills

Planning/Critical Thinking

"A goal without a plan is just a wish"- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. If any goal is to be reached, not including luck, there must be a plan on how to accomplish that goal. From rollercoasters to the transplant of organs, everything requires a plan to be successful. Even further, every plan requires critical thinking. Leaders must always keep in mind that there are multiple outcomes to every situation and they must be acknowledged so that you may properly prepare for them. If we take a look at one of the worlds most successful innovators, Steve Jobs, we see that even from the grave, his plans are still being enforced because he thought critically of the future and how the world would change and the required technology for that change. There is no good leadership that lacks thorough planning.

Communication

On my journey to becoming the best version of me, I have learned that leaders are only as influential as their communication skills. Being a leader requires you to define and deliver results to those who have certain expectations of you. The only way to know those expectations and follow up to ensure those expectations are being met is if one can communicate effectively with their desired audience. Knowing when to listen versus when to speak, when to end a discussion versus let it continue, and knowing what words to use based on the audience being catered to, is vital to any professional that wishes to be successful.

Inspiration/Encouragement

Sometimes, no matter how much you plan for, things do not go the way you or your team desired. In these cases, it is very easy for the individuals involved to be discouraged or lack motivation. The leader must always be prepared to serve as their teams cheerleader to increase morale so that the goal that was originally desired can be achieved. It is also pertinent that a leader knows how to effectively address the team members and what went wrong and how to, then, move forward. Without the driving factor, in the form of encouragement, all teams would be destined to fail.