Episode 402: Needed Skills to Elevate your Leadership NOW!
The business landscape has altered. While we slowly edge back to a semblance of normalcy in the world, we also wonder what will be forever changed. As a leader, these are the key skills you need to succeed now.
Emotional Intelligence: This is the time to take the messages of Emotional Intelligence to heart. It’s no longer a nice to have but a must have. If you don’t have the book Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves, it’s the perfect place to start. Emotional Intelligence is high in 90% of excellent performers and wage earners and is the foundation for most critical work skills. The competencies of Emotional Intelligence are self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. This foursome is absolutely essential in managing in the climate we find ourselves living in today.
Being Visible: Front and center are the bywords for this time. Your team needs you to be there with your presence, vulnerability, reassurance, and reinforcing a strong sense of company purpose. That foundation of what the company purpose is there to do is reassuring. It says “We are still here. Our mission is solid.”
Clear Decision-Making: Team members are in the mood for facts and not fear from leadership. We’ve witnessed first-hand what misinformation can do to people. Knowledge and honesty are key here. Know and vet your data.
Self-Leadership: This is perhaps the most important key of all. You have to take care of yourself emotionally and physically. The usage of anti-depressants for anxiety, panic attacks and depression increased significantly in 2020. Be honest with yourself about how you are doing. Take the breaks you need and rely on the close relationships you have to talk things through. Get that professional help if you need it. Lead yourself.
Flexibility: You knew this one was coming, right? We tend to repeat things that have worked well for us. Here comes 2021 and it isn’t going to be a year that is going to be similar to anything we’ve had before. Leaders will have to show a willingness to do things differently – even if the way they operated in the past was successful. Be open minded. Gather more opinions. Do that again. Listen. Listen deeper.
If you are a business leader or entrepreneur who’d value partnership and support, reach out to me at brenda@brendaholley.com to schedule a free 30-minute consult.
