What are the Human Skills of Leadership?

When looking to become a strong leader, what skills are required to achieve success?

Leadership skills are in high demand, but not everyone has mastered this set of human (soft) skills. While some leaders might grasp these skills pretty quickly, most leaders need to put effort into learning them.

In training leaders in organisations right around Australia, Thinka has found five leadership skills that made a big different to a leader’s success.

1. Inclusion

Progressive leaders know that diversity and inclusion is vital to the sustainability of an organisation, and they embrace it. Inclusive leaders welcome a range of unique perspectives, check their biases and challenge outdated systems and processes. This inclusive leadership style creates a sense of belonging and promotes a healthy, thriving workplace culture.

Continue learning. What to learn more on inclusive leadership? Why not watch our informative video?

2. Coaching

Coaching is a leadership skill that helps leaders build constructive relationships with team members – so they can keep ‘steering the ship in the right direction’.  Without a leader that’s skilled in the art of effective coaching, team members often find it harder to tackle difficult challenges and develop their own professional skills.

Interested in learning about the six different coaching styles? Watch the short clip below to find out more.

3. Feedback

Without mastering the art of providing balanced feedback, leaders aren’t getting the most out of their teams. Team members can become lost, complacent and disengaged, if they’re not given feedback on what they’re doing both right and wrong. Providing timely and specific feedback helps team members course-correct and make constructive changes.

Want to learn how to provide helpful feedback? Check out the video below.

4. Assertiveness

Having an assertive leader provides team members with the assurance that ‘their word is their word’. Teams have good guiderails when they know what’s tolerated and what’s expected. Assertiveness is a balancing act and great leaders should master this skill by always looking for the win-win in every situation, without being too rigid or too soft.

Watch this short video on the ‘Four Communication Styles’, so you can see how to grow skills in assertiveness.

5. Influence

Influential leaders are skilled in moving others towards action to achieve goals. Influencing involves the use of both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ tactics to encourage team members to move forward. This skill needs to be underpinned by trust, as this is what drives high performance and success in teams.

Want to build your influencing skills? Why not watch the video below?