Leadership skills are among the top most sought after skills in most places such as schools and work places. It’s therefore pertinent that we hone the skills from the time that we’re in school. Although it’s said that leadership isn’t for everyone, I believe that anyone can eventually be a good leader if they decide to take on the role without having any second thoughts. Possessing these skills also comes at an advantage when seeking employment, as employers will prefer to hire one with the skills than the one without.
Societies are shifting from having a preference for an older group of leaders, and are on the hunt for younger leaders, as they are the future. Students are our young leaders and society’s future leaders. They need to build their leadership skills to be even more successful leaders. Here are 10 tips that can help them in doing so:
1.Lead through Actions
A good leader isn’t the kind of person that dishes out orders without doing the task himself. He leads by example. A lot of people fall into the trap of “dictatorship” when they get into leadership positions. Such kind of leadership creates a sense of animosity between a leader and his followers, as they feel somewhat oppressed. Leading through actions is a show of commitment, and it will be easy to inspire the same commitment in others.
2.Have Self-confidence
Self-confidence is a virtue that every leader needs. Without self-belief, it would be difficult to have people believe in you and your ideologies. This way, when you speak, it’s with conviction and can inspire a crowd. However, self-confidence must not be confused with arrogance – there is a fine line between the two. When a leader is confident about their abilities, they can instill the same in others and create an air of certainty that can inspire them to work towards set goals.
3.Exercise Restraint
As a leader, it would be important to exercise restraint when it comes to emotional outbursts. A good leader doesn’t yell at others when they fail to deliver. Instead, he stays calm at all times, regardless of how bad a situation is. When you don’t yell at people, they feel respected and that’s of great value if your leadership is to be a success. Simply put, keep your emotional upsurges in check.
4.Have Wisdom
Wisdom is a needed trait for great leadership. A wise leader is capable of avoiding a catastrophe that could otherwise have led to doom. Wisdom will guide you as a leader to make wise decisions that will bring about good to all. With wisdom, a leader is capable of being just and fair to all regardless of whether they support or oppose him.
5.Perfect Your Oratory Skills
Communicating your thoughts and ideas across is a big part of leadership. This means that a good leader needs to master communication skills. Public speaking is part and parcel of leadership and there is no short-cut around it. How else will you communicate your thoughts, ideas, and reservations across?
Students are at an advantage because they are learning these skills and can improve where they have a problem. Practicing with a cause and effect essay structure is a good place to start from because it will challenge your communication abilities for the better.
6.Have Problem Solving Skills
Conflict resolution skills are a must have for all leaders. Society cannot exist without conflict, therefore, you will often be in situations that demand your problem-solving skills as a leader and you must be able to deliver fair judgment.
7.Have Patience
There will be many conflicting ideas and varying suggestions in the process of effecting leadership. You will be incapable of listening to and judging their impacts whether positive or negative if you don’t possess patience. Tolerance and patience are twin virtues that are vital in decision making especially for young energetic leaders.
8.Work towards a Vision
A leader must have a vision and a mission that they believe in strongly. Leadership is about inspiring people to follow you into your vision. If you believe in your vision strongly enough, chances are you will inspire confidence in the people to motivate them to join you in your mission. A young leader should preach his vision as frequently as possible with all their energy. It’s most likely that your following will still be small but that doesn’t really matter at this early stage. It shows you are in the right direction if there’s anyone who’s willing to join your young mission.
9.Be an Optimist Rather Than a Pessimist
Having a positive mentality in everything you do is core to leadership. Young leaders have to stay positive at all times and be approachable by all. Expressing positivity through both verbal and non-verbal communication boosts the process of building rapport with those surrounding you. In times of uncertainty, positivity will inspire confidence in the minds of those you lead. They will likely listen to your guidance and advice if you portray a positive mentality rather than a negative one.
10.Be a Smart Leader
For young leaders, making smart choices is critical to developing into a mature leader. Being smart means that you will make the right choice, at the right time and in the right places. Without this, you will find yourself alone ahead or behind the crowd. You must remain with your crowd else you will not be leading anybody anywhere. Being smart is the defining feature of leadership as it guides you to associate with the right kind of people to help build your leadership strategies. You will also avoid the obstacles that could derail you from your mission at an early stage if you strive for smartness.
Conclusion
Great leaders are the kind that leave a legacy that will stand in millennia to come, the kind that bring will about change meant for the greater good of humanity. A new generation of leaders is cropping up today in our society, young leaders comprising of mostly students who have the vision to lead society to a better future for all. These young leaders need to work on their leadership skills if they desire to effect any kind of change. They’ll need to be smart, have patience, self-confidence, be great speakers and above all be optimists. They need to let people have faith in their abilities and the conviction to move to greater heights.
