Two Skills Every Leader Must Learn to Become More Effective

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Imagine reporting to someone in a leadership role, and suddenly, it dawns on you: This person just isn't cut out to be a leader.

This is a thought that runs through the minds of employees every day--perhaps yours? I sincerely hope not, but the truth is that people are promoted into leadership positions for all the wrong reasons.

Speaking the truth

When you're a leadership coach like me, it's not hard to see right through the impostors; they stand out because of all the people challenges they face. I'm not talking about "impostor syndrome" here; we all suffer from it at one time or another, even at our best. No, I speak of people in highly influential roles who don't hold the capacity to lead or influence other human beings. This is a common reality right up to the executive and CEO levels. I've found that many have no business being in such privileged roles. While egos and charisma may take them to a certain length, leaving them in their perches ultimately damages relationships and the bottom line.

For many others, at their core, they don't really want to be there but remain in the role because they want the status, positional authority, pay, or perks that come with it.

The biggest challenge for them? Raising the bar to the high levels of what makes an authentic leader. That bar is pretty high, by the way. Really high.

Whatever leadership or management role you're in, know this: Raising the bar requires courage, authenticity, self-awareness, and continuous learning. Some involve skills, some are behaviors, and some are habits.

Here are two to put into practice:

1. Give employees the freedom to make decisions.

One of the best things a leader can do is give employees the freedom and opportunity to decide, participate in, and determine how work is best accomplished.

Research has found that employees who feel their ideas and suggestions matter are more than twice as likely to report a positive employee experience than those who don't. And those employees who have the freedom to decide how to do their work also feel like their work matters; they are engaged and produce better work.

Look, employees thrive in entrepreneurial settings, which make them feel like they're invested in the company. This means giving them freedom in and ownership of their work. When you do, they're likely to perform at a higher level.

2. Create an environment of joy.

Let me ask you a few honest and hypothetical questions, although these may apply to you if you're willing to face reality as a manager:

• Do your employees look forward to going to work when they get up on a Monday morning?
• Do they look forward to interacting with coworkers and colleagues? With you -- their manager?
• Do they feel appreciated by you because you take care of them?

If you don't know the answer to these questions, that's the courage and self-awareness part of becoming a better leader mentioned earlier. You have to find out by courageously seeking input to explore current reality. See, most employees who nod their heads yes to these questions probably experience joy. Joy is an emotion evoked by well-being and success experienced by every employee in healthy cultures under great leaders.

It's the feeling you get in a highly collaborative environment where people respect one another, where there's real teamwork among colleagues who encourage each other, where co-workers share the same values, and where there's constant synergy in the air. It's the kind of work environment where people find it hard to pull away and go home. This is joy! And leaders create the environment for this to happen.

Your turn: What other leadership skills or practices are essential for leaders and managers to learn? Leave a comment, and let's learn from each other.

One Day Left to Register for the Half-Day Workshop

I have a few spots left for the next ‘From Boss to Leader’ Half-Day program on Tuesday, October 15th, 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. EST. If you are a middle manager looking to enhance your leadership skills, this workshop is for you. Reserve your seat and register here.

About Marcel Schwantes

Marcel Schwantes is a global speaker, executive leadership coach, author, podcast host, and syndicated columnist with a worldwide following. He teaches emerging leaders the skills to build great work cultures where people and businesses flourish. Follow him on Substack.