How can you develop your leadership skills to make a bigger impact?

4 Empower and develop others

The fourth step to develop your leadership skills is to empower and develop others. As a leader, you need to delegate effectively and trust your team members to perform their tasks and make decisions. You also need to provide them with the resources, guidance, and feedback they need to succeed and grow. To do this, you need to identify the strengths, needs, and goals of each team member, and to tailor your leadership style accordingly. You also need to create a collaborative and supportive environment where everyone can share their ideas, opinions, and concerns, and where everyone can learn from each other.

5 Engage with your stakeholders

The fifth step to develop your leadership skills is to engage with your stakeholders. As a leader, you need to build and maintain strong relationships with your internal and external stakeholders, such as your employees, customers, suppliers, partners, regulators, investors, and communities. You also need to understand their needs, expectations, and perspectives, and to balance them with your own objectives and interests. To do this, you need to communicate effectively and frequently with your stakeholders, and to listen actively and empathetically to their feedback and concerns. You also need to involve them in your decision-making processes, and to acknowledge and address any conflicts or issues that may arise.

6 Evaluate and improve your impact

The sixth step to develop your leadership skills is to evaluate and improve your impact. As a leader, you need to measure and monitor your performance and results, and to assess how they align with your goals and values. You also need to evaluate how your actions and decisions affect your stakeholders, and how they contribute to the social, environmental, and economic well-being of your organization and society. To do this, you need to use appropriate tools and indicators, such as key performance indicators, balanced scorecards, or triple bottom line reports. You also need to solicit feedback and input from your stakeholders, and to use them to identify areas of improvement and opportunities for innovation.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?