Essential Leadership Development Activities
What is leadership development? Simply put, it is an effort to develop those skills and characteristics necessary to lead other people effectively. An individual who is a manager or leader must be able to set a direction and guide the team/employees in that direction. Leadership development helps those with basic talent and skills further enhance their capacity to lead.
Leadership development encompasses many things; those who make effective leaders need courage, tact and skill. In your role as a leader, it is necessary that you are able to manage dilemmas, make good decisions, take risks at times and occasionally face ridicule from other people. Leadership development also helps you understand that at some point you will fail, but failure is often an opportunity to learn so that you can adjust the course of action you must take.
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Below are suggestions for leadership development activities that will make you a stronger, more effective leader:
Reading books – By reading about other effective leaders and the principles or styles of leadership, you can gain further insight as to what makes a great leader.
Training programs – It is highly suggested that those with the capacity to lead further their knowledge and skills through leadership development training.
Interaction with superiors and subordinates – Getting feedback on your current skills as a leader and what could be done to make your efforts more effective is crucial in leadership development. Those on the outside can often see weaknesses or faults that you cannot see yourself; they have a different perspective on your abilities.
Planning for leadership development – You can actually lay out a training plan to develop your leadership skills. Some of the activities that may be effective in further enhancing your abilities include hiring a professional coach, having someone mentor you, or requesting a leadership position.
Leadership development also requires that strong character is built; otherwise, your employees or team will not be motivated to give of their energy and talents. Some of the qualities necessary to become a strong leader include integrity, credibility, accountability, collaboration and accessibility. These traits can be made stronger through a good leadership development program.
In most business settings, power-hungry leaders that take the approach that nothing can be done unless they do it themselves is ineffective. Employees are much more motivated and driven to improve their own abilities to complete a task or take direction when they feel part of a team. You need the support of your team, so that everyone works together as a “whole” to create a company that is highly productive and experiences growth. The best leadership development plan will help you reach the level you desire, so that you have what it takes to perform as a leader that is able to accomplish any task with the help of your team.
Leadership development will assist you in gaining the loyalty of your workers, so that they willingly engage in any task and work diligently toward the expected result.
What makes a good leader, and how did some of the most successful people in business get to where they are today? Learn their strategies and attitudes first hand from this leadership development video by Meet The Boss TV.
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