Developing your Leadership Style
Each individual develops their own style of leadership as they progress into this position of responsibility. As a leader you have to manage accountability, demonstrate influence and confidence, and provide inspiration and motivation to others.
As a leader you will have a sound knowledge in your industry or sector and you will typically need and use following range of communication skills:-
- Presentation skills
- Negotiation skills
- Relationship Building skills
- Networking skills
- Influential skills
- Sales skills
The first step for a leader is to define what you want to say to your audience and then to shape the tone of voice, to communicate your beliefs, opinions and ideas to others successfully. The tone of voice is often shaped on the personality traits of the leader. A leader will ultimately attract followers who listen and believe in what he/she has to say. A leader needs to exert confidence and wisdom in their beliefs which will ultimately inspire and motivate others to follow in their footsteps.
The second step is to communicate this message effectively. Your ability to achieve this largely depends on adopting the right set of communication skills and tools for your different audience types. Leaders need to define the way they communicate to their clients, beneficiaries, investors, partners and team members. Typically the tone of voice, the message you convey and the tools you adopt, may be different for each audience depending on what message you are trying to get across and the impact you hope to make. For example as a leader you might want to influence:-
- Political Policies
- Consumer Choices
- Investor Decisions
- Partner Relationships
- Employee’s Beliefs
(For further guidance on reaching your external audience read the ‘Understanding Your Audience’ Section, and for guidance on communicating with your team read the ‘Maximising the Value of your Team’ Section in our Social Enterprise Toolbox .)
During the process of shaping your personal leadership style it can be helpful to reflect on the leadership styles of other leaders you admire. This can be achieved by trying to speak to them directly, reading their auto/biography or watching interviews of them in the media.
If you need help shaping your tone of voice as a leader, it might be useful to undertake a Leadership Personality Test to help you identify your natural style of communicating and engaging with others.
If you are interested in developing your leadership style or communication skills to be a great leader, contact Striding Out to see how we can assist you
