Leadership: The Underrated Career Success Skill

Leadership is a challenging task. It requires the ability to motivate, inspire, and direct a team or organization toward its goals.

A great leader is hard to come by but easy to recognize; they'll have the skills necessary for Career Success — including communication, Coaching, and feedback.

Being a leader doesn’t necessarily mean being a manager, supervisor, director, or executive. You can be a leader in many ways! Even without a job title – all it takes is the right skills, attitude, and values.

Let's take a look at why good leaders matter so much, why they’re so hard to find, and what it takes to become one.

The Importance of Leadership

Leadership is a vital component of any successful organization or community. It is the ability to inspire and guide others towards a shared vision or goal, and it requires a unique blend of charisma, intelligence, and ambition.

Strong leaders have the power to shape the world around them. And their influence can be seen in everything from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

In fact, some of the most powerful and transformative leaders in history include figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, who led India to independence through non-violent civil disobedience, and Martin Luther King Jr., who fought for civil rights and equality through peaceful protest. More recently, leaders such as Bill Gates and Malala Yousafzai have used their innovative thinking and enterprising spirit to make a lasting impact on society.

The importance of leadership cannot be overstated. It’s the driving force behind progress and change, and it has the power to inspire and empower others to achieve their full potential.

Whether in a small team or on a global scale, strong leadership is essential for success and making a positive difference in the world.

Why Are Good Leaders Hard To Find?

Here’s the catch: while there’s a high demand for good leaders, not everyone in a leadership position fits the description. The Centre for Creative Leadership reports that 20% of first-time managers are doing a poor job (so say their subordinates, anyway) and 50% of managers are rated as ineffective.

What makes good leadership such a tough nut to crack?

• The skillset: It’s one thing to learn hard skills like how to use a CRM system; it’s another to develop soft skills, like empathy, communication, strategic thinking, motivation, and confidence. Leadership often requires a unique combination of soft skills and characteristics that aren’t easy to come by. And without the right training, well… we’ve shared the numbers.
• The dirty work: Not every decision is an easy one – or a popular one. Hiring and firing decisions often fall into the hands of leaders, along with decisions around budgeting and targets, which may lead to leaders becoming disliked. Especially when they’re in a position to lead former friends and colleagues.
• The commitment: Good leadership requires a significant amount of time, effort, and energy. Balancing the workload will demand a new set of time and stress management skills. Not everyone is willing to make the necessary commitment.

The 3 Skills Every Leader Should Have

While it may be hard to find good leadership, it’s possible to build good leadership skills! Once you learn these three key skills and give them some real-world practice, you’ll be well on your way to becoming the leader you’ve always wanted to be.

1) Communication

The ability to communicate clearly with your team is essential for any leader. It’s your job to help your team understand what needs to be done, why it’s important, and how to do it.

So you need to be able to articulate your vision for the company and explain tasks clearly. In the end, it’s up to you to make sure the people on your team can do their jobs efficiently and effectively.

2) Coaching

Once your team knows what they’re doing and why good leaders continue to provide guidance and support when needed. They pay attention to the ongoing development of each individual player, toward a shared goal for success.

This helps build trust between the leader and the team while also fostering an environment of growth where everyone can learn from each other.

3) Feedback

Providing constructive feedback on a regular basis is key for any successful leader because it allows them to get an accurate assessment of how well their team members are performing.

If the team is missing its goals, leaders identify areas where improvement is needed so that those issues can be addressed quickly and effectively. On the other hand, if the team is performing well, good leaders recognize and celebrate wins big and small.

How Do These Skills Drive Career Success?

You don’t need to be in a leadership position to build and practice these skills! Wherever you are in your career, they’re a valuable addition to your resume. Here’s why.

• Communication skills are essential for Career Success because they allow you to effectively convey your ideas, thoughts, and feelings to others. By communicating clearly and concisely, you can build and maintain strong relationships with colleagues and customers, as well as negotiate for promotions, raises, and other career opportunities.
• Coaching skills contribute to Career Success because they allow you to help others reach their full potential. By providing guidance, support, and feedback, you can help those around you grow and develop in their careers. This, in turn, can lead to better team performance and increased productivity. That’s a win-win-win-win: you, your colleagues, your entire team, and your organization come out ahead!
• Feedback is also an important aspect of Career Success because it allows you to receive constructive criticism and guidance on your performance – whether it’s positive or negative. You can use feedback to identify areas where you need to improve and make necessary adjustments to your work. This can help you learn and grow in your career, and ultimately lead to greater success and fulfillment.

Is Good Leadership Part of your Career Success?

Being a great leader isn't easy — but it's worth the effort! Whether you’re looking for a new career in tech sales or interested in growing within the career you have, it’s time to start working out those leadership muscles, including communication, Coaching, and feedback skills.

Leadership is all about common goals, and we share that goal with you! That’s why we focus on these Career Success skills (and so many more!) in our Courses and Workshops.

From Sales Foundations to Sales Leadership Foundations, our Career Success Catalog is full of opportunities to become a leader, no matter where your career takes you!

The only question left is this: are you ready to rise up through the ranks as a good leader?