10 things leaders must do to be effective and successful.

These past few years have been a test for business leaders and entrepreneurs.

As if the challenges of leadership aren’t hard enough, a global pandemic forced many companies into comatose as they struggled to adapt to a new reality that modified everything.

Many businesses were unprepared for something catastrophic and immediately recoiled into a position of self-preservation.

Great leaders are prepared for the unexpected and energize their teams with enthusiasm, confidence, clarity and conviction.

There’s a clear vision guiding the company and unexpected setbacks aren’t fatal, they only alter the trajectory.

In a detailed study by Global Leadership Forecast Group there’s been a steady decline in "quality leadership". HR departments were surveyed and asked if their company leadership was deep enough and skilled enough to manage tumultuous times. Confidence has slipped precipitously since 2011.

In addition, the study revealed leadership skills were crumbling under pressure and uncertainty was driving an appetite for learning. Leaders are desperately seeking insight on how to improve their ability to lead more effectively.

"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."—Thomas Edison

To lead more effectively in a world that’s changing rapidly, here are 10 leadership skills that are essential:

Constant learning

Communicating by e mail and virtual settings is a skill that needs to be cultivated. Working remotely has created new challenges for effective communication and leaders need to utilize these tools efficiently. In addition, leaders need to make leadership development priority number one.  

Empathy

Leaders need to be proficient in the art of empathy and compassion. People are hurting. They feel alone and scared.  Mental illness is at an all-time high and people are struggling without genuine human connection. In addition, many of our customers are feeling tremendous pressure. We need to appreciate the challenges people around us are facing and demonstrate high regard for their struggles at times like this.

Honesty

It’s easy for leaders to assume they must do it all. Carry the burden of the business on their back and tough it out. That’s a bad strategy when you’re surrounded by incredible people, assuming we've done our job right and you're surrounded by extraordinary people. Rely on your team to rally together and confront big challenges.  When you create a remarkable culture, people pull together and make sacrifices to ensure survival of the organization. Leaders need to be honest about unpleasant news and trust their teams will help contribute with inspired solutions.

Clarity

Organizations without clear vision leave people feeling uninspired, hopeless and lacking confidence. Poor leadership will strangle creativity and eviscerate purpose. When you have clear objectives and those goals are articulated clearly, teams come together and facilitate the appropriate actions necessary to move the organization forward. Leaders that lack clarity and the passion to articulate that vision struggle.   

Focus

Leaders need to stay focused and prioritize carefully. Many leaders are lost sorting through irrelevant details and wasting time conducting meaningless meetings. We need to build teams we trust unequivocally and let them operate without constant oversight. If we aren’t focused on the few things that require our undivided attention, we will invite distractions into our life that interfere with success.

"The ultimate measure of a person is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."—Martin Luther King, Jr.

Catastrophe

If leaders aren’t contemplating unpleasant scenarios, they get blindsided by unexpected events. Managing risk is critical to success and learning to avoid mistakes in imperative for reducing situations that require “a response”. Being proactive and prophetic is essential for leading teams of the future.   

Energize

Uninspiring leadership will force teams to become dormant. We need to empower people to take charge and lead their teams with conviction. By energizing people to rise to the occasion, we lift the organization by resisting the temptation to “micromanage”. People want responsibility and control. Define where to go, empower and energize your teams and they will exceed expectations. 

Agile and adaptable

Agility and being adaptable are nonnegotiable for leaders of the future. In my book Anatomy of Success, I warn about the dangers of getting married to business plans. Many leaders are numbers oriented and lack the imagination necessary to finesse through tumultuous times. We need to develop agility to maneuver around unexpected setbacks. By focusing on flexibility, we embrace the reality of constant change.  

Emotional intelligence and great communication

Leaders need to be remarkable communicators. It starts by cultivating better emotional intelligence guided by humility, empathy, kindness and understanding. We need to articulate our vision and be clear, succinct, and emotionally astute in our efforts to provide direction for our teams. Being self-aware is critical for leaders of the future and learning to communicate with empathy and kindness will ensure we win hearts not temporary victories.  

Action oriented   

We can be amazing at many things we’ve highlighted in this article. However, we have to act expeditiously. At Weatherology I have incredible operational geniuses that execute flawlessly. Great visions are just ideas if they can’t materialize with impeccable execution. Learn to act without inhibition. Failure to move quickly in a rapidly changing world will ensure imminent demise.    

"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."—Confucius

Sum it up

What other leadership skills are mandatory? Share your thoughts in the comments section and please like and share this article. I love learning from you as well.

About Steve:

Steve Wohlenhaus is CEO of Weatherology, the leading company in the world at disseminating audio weather information.  Steve began his career as a major market television weather anchor in Minneapolis, where he received several Emmy Awards for science programming. Steve is an author and host of the podcast program Anatomy of Success. Reach out and connect with me on LinkedIn. Learn more about my work and grab the free Weatherology mobile app by clicking any picture in this article!