If there’s one thing essential to a successful management career, it’s an arsenal of carefully honed leadership skills. If you’re hoping to progress into a management role, you’ll need a finely tuned skill set.
These are the attributes you’ll be expected to possess if you’re going to land a coveted managerial position.
If you’re not already in possession of these essential skills, investing some time in their development is the best thing you can do for your career.
#1 Interpersonal Skills
Let’s start with the obvious; a manager’s role is people-orientated. That is the whole function of a manager; to manage people. To do that, you’re going to need to be great at successfully building relationships with your team.
To effectively lead your team, you will have to get to know everyone. Yes, that means on a professional level, but it also means on a personal level. What are your team’s strengths, weaknesses, hopes, fears? How can you motivate them? What will draw them out and build them into the best version of themselves? What will make them shut down and retreat into themselves?
At the same time, you need to know how to maintain healthy boundaries and earn their respect.
#2 Motivation And Communication…
There’s nothing more demotivational than a poor manager who doesn’t know how to communicate. Yet, the ability to motivate and effectively communicate with your team can’t be underestimated. If you’re going to be a manager, you need to master all types of communication, both oral and written.
You will be the front line where communication is concerned, connecting staff members to senior management and those higher up the ladder. You’ll need to liaise with every level of the company, from entry-level to CEOs and everyone in between. Not only that, you’ll need to be comfortable communicating via all modern forms – phone, email, Skype, video conference, software solutions like Asana and Slack, the list is endless.
#3 Delegating And Organising
Becoming a manager is a little like joining the circus. First, you need to learn to juggle. There are many balls to keep in the air, all at once. Any good manager has a keen sense of what to do and what to delegate. They’re also highly organised and capable of effectively organising others.
Part of this is managing workload, but an equally important element is the organisation of employees, maintaining order in meetings, running effective training, completing appraisals, etc.
When you’re an effective organiser and a diligent delegate, the entire team should have a balanced workload. Never too much or too little, but just the right amount. Stress is reduced, time saved, and deadlines swiftly met.
#4 Strategic Thinking And Forward Planning
Seeing the big picture while having the ability to laser focus on the priorities of the day is no small achievement. You will need to learn how to set priorities that align with company goals effectively. Your policies and systems will need regular reviews. Training will have to be foreseen, planned, and managed. All this while providing motivation and encouragement.
#5 Decision Making And Problem Solving
A keen mind that decisively meets every challenge is another hallmark of a great manager. The pressure will be high, and you will need to keep your cool and address any issues that crop up quickly and efficiently.
In addition to this, you will need to have excellent problem-solving abilities. Attention to detail is a precious asset when solving problems, as are innovation and creative thinking.
Creating A Successful Management Career…
If you’re serious about a career as a manager, now is the time to start building these skills. We have a range of courses dedicated to helping you develop and hone these skills and many more…