College Success
05.15.2023 • 9 min read
Subject Matter Expert
There are various leadership styles. Regardless of personality traits, there is always room for improvement. This article defines and describes what is leadership and lists the skills good leaders have, plus ways to develop these leadership skills.
“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”
That’s how Jack Welch, former chairman and CEO of General Electric, defines leadership in business.
Did you catch that? Leadership is more about others than ourselves.
Being a leader means having the skills to help move a company and its people toward a shared vision. While most workers can describe the qualities of an effective leader, actually doing the job is much more difficult.
In this article, we’ll go over leadership, traits of a good leader, and several ways you can develop your leadership skills.
When you choose the right major for you in college, you’ll have a grasp on the type of career you want to pursue, and you’ll develop many valuable skills. Being a leader in your field means developing skills beyond your college education.
Effective leadership is about both the skills you have and the person you are. Many different leadership styles exist, but there’s a big difference between identifying good leadership skills you’d like to have and knowing how those skills fit with your unique style.
Good leaders can be themselves while moving their company forward. A large part of jumping into any leadership role is figuring out who you are as a leader.
Knowing your unique leadership style—and owning it—will get you started on the path toward effective leadership.
Consider these questions to discover your style of leadership:
How do you feel about making decisions as a team?
Should there be time and space for new ideas?
Are you able to trust others to do quality work?
How comfortable do you feel when others disagree with you?
These questions give you a sense of the type of leader you want to be. Keep in mind there’s always room for improvement and growth with the right mindset.
The core of leadership is being able to influence and guide people toward a common mission. While leaders can achieve this goal in multiple ways, establishing trust among those they work with is a key component to successful leadership.
Effective leadership is a hard thing to define because there are numerous styles. Most people know when their leaders are ineffective and can identify what they want to change. But knowing who will be an effective leader is much more complicated.
Leadership does not necessarily mean being the boss. Many people are considered leaders in their jobs but are not the head of a company. Any work experience, even finding the right college job, contributes to the type of leader you become.
A common misconception about good leadership is that extroverts are the best leaders because they’re more vocal and appear more confident. This is simply not true. Both introverts and extroverts can make good leaders.
A good leader motivates and manages people toward common goals in any work environment.
Competencies great leaders share include:
Leaders solve problems creatively. This requires thinking outside the box in ways competitors might not.
Being aware of potential problems and finding creative ways to solve them is a cornerstone of effective leadership.
Quality leaders show those they work with that they matter, both as a part of the company and as a person. Active listening also involves giving and receiving feedback while acting as a role model for the organization.
Active listening means slowing down in the moment to move faster in the long run. When you understand where others are coming from, you can help them continue forward.
Once those you lead know they matter, they will enjoy their work more, and employee engagement will increase.
When you have a growth mindset, you see new challenges as learning experiences. People who have a growth mindset tend to look at the larger picture and not become distracted by challenges at the moment.
Leaders with a growth mindset thrive on challenges and can adapt new strategies instead of relying on what has worked before. This skill means seeing hurdles as a part of the job, not something to jump over just for things to get easier.
Everyone has experienced the challenges that come with poor communication. In the workplace, it’s frustrating and disheartening and can hamper productivity.
True leaders articulate common goals and the issues that stand in the way of meeting them. When leaders are clear communicators, everyone in the organization understands what needs to be done and why.
A clear communicator will be a good listener and understand where their team members are coming from as well.
To be a good leader, those who work for you have to be able to lean on you. Dependability is much more than just showing up physically—it’s showing up authentically.
When you’re real with your employees and have the courage to do hard things, others know they can rely on you to help out when things get tough.
Are you ready to improve your leadership qualities? Whether you’re applying for a leadership position soon or exploring how to be a leader in the future, start developing leadership skills with these strategies.
Good leaders know what they do well—and what they don’t. This is more than having humility; it’s about surrounding yourself with a team to support you through your weaknesses.
Take the time to write out your strengths and weaknesses so you can articulate your leadership style. This self-awareness of what you do well and what you need help with ensures your team can move forward despite any issues that arise.
To reach your full potential, you need to do what’s challenging. Discipline helps. Having discipline means you remain focused despite difficult tasks and obstacles.
Discipline means you have boundaries. These boundaries create space, not limit it. You use this space for specific tasks—communicating with others, promoting staff well-being, managing projects, etc.
Boundaries ensure everything gets done and has your attention when needed. Leaders who lack boundaries end up falling behind because they focus too much (or too little) attention on the right tasks.
You can apply self-discipline in many areas of your life to become a better leader. Think about the things you want to do in your day or week, and set a specific time for them. Then practice sticking to it and following through!
Communication is probably the largest issue when it comes to strong leadership. If the people you’re leading don’t understand what they’re doing or why they’re doing it, tension and frustration will build.
Good leaders talk to their team in a way that identifies roles and objectives, which then builds trust.
You can build clear communication by honing your listening and speaking skills.
Make sure those you speak with understand what you’re saying. Leave the dialogue open for them to ask questions. Remember, clarity is a two-way street. The person you’re talking to needs to feel as if they’re an equal part of the conversation.
Leadership is all about setting goals and communicating those goals to your work teams. Where poor leaders fall short is seeing goals through. Don’t get sucked into the trap of constantly revising goals.
Practice this skill in your own life by setting personal goals each day or each week. Write down what you need to do to achieve these goals, and work on getting them done.
Even if the goal is simple, like making dinner on Wednesday night, think through what needs to be done to make this happen, then see it through. This practice will expand into other areas of your life.
Having great ideas is not as important as taking the initiative to make them a reality. When you know your strengths and weaknesses first, you know what you need to do to get a project moving.
Quality leadership involves making decisions and inspiring others to follow your lead. Taking initiative is also a great way to gain recognition for a leadership position. What can you take on right now in your life and your job?
According to a Pew Research study, 57% of U.S. workers left their jobs last year because they didn’t feel respected at work. Learning to trust that others will do their job well means showing them respect.
When workers feel micromanaged or that their opinions do not matter, they start looking for other jobs. Leaders can show their team they respect them through trust and open communication. This empowers employees and creates a sense of oneness in the organization.
Active listening is a crucial skill set of any good leader. Active listening involves hearing what others have to say in an open and non-judgmental way. Employees want to know that their boss cares about what they think.
Try practicing active listening in your daily life. Ask people questions to see what’s important to them right now. Think of yourself as a detective trying to learn more about the person. Be inquisitive.
Active listening is how you develop emotional intelligence and listen with empathy. When listening to others with curiosity, you can let go of the desire to prove yourself to them. Let the time be just about them and how much you care for them.
Your desire to take on any of these leadership development skills shows you want to be a good leader. Remember, you don’t have to do it all at once. No one becomes a good leader overnight.
Getting good at anything requires practice and commitment. As long as you keep learning and growing, you will continue to improve as both a person and a leader.
Your team will see your commitment to leadership training and will admire you more for acknowledging that you don’t know it all and are willing to learn.
Successful leaders are not born—they’re made. They take the time to invest in themselves and their soft skills. Future leaders should keep in mind that every business requires good leadership, no matter if you choose to get a degree in a high-paying field or not.
To be a good leader, you must be willing to develop your management skills and realize you will make mistakes. If you’re open to constructive feedback, you can become a quality leader.
John Maxwell believes, “All leaders make mistakes. They are a part of life. Successful leaders recognize their errors, learn from them, and work to correct their faults.”
A good leader cares about the company, the mission, the employees, and their own well-being. This isn’t an easy balance, but it can be learned. In fact, many of today’s best leaders have figured out this balance.
Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, has a democratic leadership style and practices full transparency with his employees. Not only does Cook manage one of the most profitable and innovative companies in the world, but he also finds the time to exercise every day.
Take the time to develop your leadership skills and find balance in your life, and you’ll be on your way to becoming a leader who inspires others toward success.
A common misconception about good leadership is that extroverts are the best leaders because they are more vocal and appear more confident. This is simply not true. Both introverts and extroverts can make good leaders.
Being a good leader means having the ability to motivate and manage people toward common goals in any work environment.
Competencies shared among great leaders include:
Leaders can help solve problems creatively. To do this requires thinking outside the box in ways that competitors might not be doing.
Being aware of potential problems and finding creative ways to solve them is a cornerstone of effective leadership.
Quality leaders show those they work with that they matter, both as a part of the company and as a person. Active listening also involves the ability to give and receive feedback while acting as a role model for the organization.
Active listening means slowing down at the moment to move faster in the long run. By really understanding where others are coming from you can help them continue to move forward.
Once those you lead know they matter, they will enjoy their work more and employee engagement will increase.
Having a growth mindset means seeing new challenges as learning experiences. People who have a growth mindset tend to look at the larger picture and not become distracted by challenges at the moment.
Leaders with a growth mindset thrive on challenges and use their project management team to solve problems with enthusiasm. This skill means seeing hurdles as a part of the job, not something to jump over for things to get easier.
Everyone has experienced the challenges that come with poor communication. In the workplace, it is frustrating and disheartening and can hamper productivity.
True leaders can articulate common goals and the issues that stand in the way of meeting them. When leaders are clear communicators, everyone in the organization understands what needs to be done and why.
A clear communicator will be a good listener and understand where their team members are coming from as well.
To be a good leader, those who work for you have to be able to lean on you. Dependability is much more than just showing up physically, it is showing up authentically.
When you take the time to be real with your employees and have the courage to do hard things when they need to be done, others know they can rely on you to help out when things get hard.
Are you ready to improve your leadership qualities? Whether you’re applying for a leadership position soon, or exploring how to be a leader for the future, start developing leadership skills with these strategies.
Good leaders know what they do well and also what they don’t. This is more than having humility; it is about surrounding yourself with a team to support you through your weaknesses.
By taking the time to write out your strengths and weaknesses you can articulate your leadership style. This self-awareness of what you do well and what you need help with ensures your team can move forward despite any issues that arise.
David Goggins’s book Can't Hurt Me provides this insightful quote for leaders: “You are in danger of living a life so comfortable and soft, that you will die without ever realizing your true potential."
To reach your full potential, you need to do what’s challenging. Discipline helps. Having discipline means you remain focused despite difficult tasks and obstacles.
Discipline means you have boundaries. These boundaries create space, not limit it. This space is used for specific tasks—communicating with others, checking and responding to emails, managing specific projects, etc.
Boundaries ensure everything gets done and has your attention when it is needed. Leaders who do not have boundaries end up getting behind because they focus too much or too little attention on certain tasks.
You can apply self-discipline in many areas of your life to become a better leader. Think about the things you want to do in your day or week and set a specific time for them. Then practice sticking to it and following through!
Communication is probably the largest issue when it comes to strong leadership. If the people you are leading do not understand what they are doing or why they are doing it, tension and frustration will build.
Good leaders talk to their team in a way that identifies roles and objectives, which then builds trust. You can build clear communication whenever you talk to others. Developing clear communication requires working on listening skills and speaking skills.
Make sure those you speak with understand what you are saying. Leave the dialogue open for them to ask questions. Remember, clarity is a two-way street. The person you are talking to needs to feel as if they are an equal part of the conversation.
Leadership is all about setting goals and communicating those goals to your work teams. Where poor leaders fall short is seeing goals through. Don’t get sucked into the trap of constantly revising goals.
Practice this skill in your own life by setting personal goals, perhaps each day or each week. Take the time to write down what you need to do to achieve these goals, and work on getting them done.
Even if the goal is something simple like making dinner on Wednesday night, think through what needs to be done to make this happen, then see it through. This practice will expand into other areas of your life.
Having great ideas is not as important as taking the initiative to make them become a reality. By knowing your strengths and weaknesses first, you know what you need to do to get a project or idea moving.
Quality leadership involves decision-making and having others follow your lead. Taking initiative is also a great way to get recognized for a leadership position. What can you take on right now in your life and your job?
According to a Pew Research study, 57% of U.S. workers left their jobs last year because they didn’t feel respected at work. Learning to trust that others will do their job well means showing them respect.
When workers feel micromanaged or that their opinions do not matter, they start looking for other jobs. By learning to trust others and having open two-way communication, leaders can show their team they respect them. This empowers employees and creates a sense of oneness in the organization.
Active listening is a crucial skill set of any good leader. Active listening involves hearing what others have to say in an open and non-judgmental way. Employees want to know that their boss cares about what they think.
Try practicing active listening in your daily life. Ask people questions to see what is important to them right now. Think of yourself as a detective trying to learn more about the person from an inquisitive nature.
Active listening is how you develop emotional intelligence and listen with empathy. When listening to others with curiosity, you can let go of having to prove yourself to them. Let the time be just about them and you will see how much they feel cared for.
Your desire to take on any of these leadership development skills shows you want to be a good leader. Remember you don’t have to do it all at once. You cannot become a good leader overnight.
Getting good at anything requires practice and commitment. As long as you keep learning and growing, you will continue to improve as both a person and a leader.
Your team will see your commitment to leadership training and will admire you more for acknowledging that you don’t know it all and are willing to learn.
Successful leaders are not born overnight. They take the time to invest in themselves and their soft skills. Future leaders should keep in mind that every business requires good leadership, no matter if you chose to get a degree in a high-paying field or not.
Being a good leader means being willing to work toward management skills and realizing you will make mistakes. If you are open to constructive feedback, you can become a quality leader.
A good leader cares about the company, the mission, the employees, and their own well-being. This is not an easy balance, but it can be learned. By taking the time to understand yourself, you will be on your way to becoming the type of leader who inspires others.
Outlier (winner of TIME Best Inventions 2020) and Golden Gate University (#1 school for working professionals) have redesigned the experience of earning a college degree to minimize cost and maximize outcomes. Explore a revolutionary way to earn your college degree:
College Success
The article provides a list of the 18 highest paying jobs detailed with the descriptions, the education required to get them, and the average salary.
Subject Matter Expert
College Success
This article provides a list of the highest-paying college degrees and explains the job opportunities for each of them.
Subject Matter Expert
College Success
Learn what a certificate and a degree are, the differences, and what to consider before studying each of them. Also included are job examples and the different types of degrees.
Subject Matter Expert