Top leadership skills you need to succeed

When you become a manager for the first time, you need to become a leader, too. That might sound scary, but the good news is that no one is born a leader.

Sure, some people are naturally more suited to leadership roles, but all of us can learn, study, and train enough to become capable leaders.

When you're moving to your first leadership role, it's important to recognise the leadership skills you lack, as well as those you already have. While the skills you need will depend on your role, your team and your employer, there are some qualities that will almost always come in handy.

#1 Communication

Excellent verbal, non-verbal, and written communication are essential if you're to succeed as a manager. You need to be able to clearly communicate with those above and below you, as you'll be responsible for delegating tasks, sharing your ideas, and reporting to senior management.

It's vital that you understand how to delegate without micromanaging, how best to communicate during difficult situations, and how to use precise language to communicate your points.

#2 Empathy

Empathy is an underappreciated quality in the management world, but it's key if you're to build a strong, loyal team. As an empathetic manager, you'll be able to read and understand the emotions of your team, helping you navigate tricky workplace conflicts and defuse difficult situations before they cause any damage.

Empathy can be as simple as noticing an employee isn't their usual self, taking them to one side and asking them if they're OK. This straightforward understanding of your team's emotions will help you build strong bonds with your employees, improving their engagement in the long term.

#3 Time management and prioritising

Managers need to keep their team - and their new boss - happy. You'll soon find that you'll be pulled in multiple directions. You won't have time to complete every task put in front of you.

Time management and prioritising tasks will therefore be critical to your success as a manager. You must be able to identify and prioritis the most important tasks, and learn how to diplomatically delay or delegate less critical items.

#4 Ability to motivate

A manager who's able to motivate those around them is a valuable asset for any business. The ability to inspire employees to excel in their roles is often what separates a good manager from a great one. Of course, motivation isn't just about pep talks and inspirational quotes.

Employees are motivated in different ways, and it's your job to figure out what makes individual employees tick. It could be results, or money, or making a difference that motivates them. Learn how to understand employee motivations, and how to adjust your management style based on them.

#5 Problem-solving

As a manager, you'll quickly learn that you won't be able to keep everyone happy all of the time. You'll need to make compromises. It's unlikely you'll ever find a solution to a problem that works for everyone.

Problem-solving skills help you figure out the best solution to a given problem. There are different ways to approach problem solving: you can be logical and methodical, or apply lateral, creative thinking to try to find a solution. It's useful to understand both these approaches and when to use them.

#6 Strategic thinking

Thinking strategically means considering the 'big picture'. Instead of focusing on managing the short-term, strategic thinkers plan for the future thanks to their understanding of industry trends, the company's position, and how your team's contributions will change during the years to come.

It's not easy to think strategically when you're desperately trying to manage your immediate workload, but it's a must if you're to impress those above you and progress further up the management ladder.

#7 Adaptability

Adaptability is an essential skill for everyone in the workforce, given the rapid pace of change in today's world. Whatever the driver of change, as a manager you need to be able to adapt to it. Whether it's utilising a new technology, changing workflows or responding quickly to crises, you must be confident in your ability to adapt.

New responsibilities or unforeseen challenges shouldn't faze you. Instead of ploughing on in a straight line, you must be able to change your course when facing obstacles.

#8 Planning and organising

It's not the most exciting part of management, but planning is critical if you're to manage your team successfully. Whether it's organising tasks for an upcoming project or simply planning the staff rota, you'll need to have the drive and know-how for completing this all-important paperwork.

Other skills come into play here, including written communication, strategic thinking and time management. Your organisational skill is the glue that holds projects and processes together. Without it, all of your big ideas will break apart.

#9 Vision

In business, vision is the overarching idea of what you want the company to be. As a manager, you must understand senior management's vision of the company, as well as developing your own vision for your team or department.

Having a clear vision of the future of your team helps engage employees in their work, as they have a broader, long-term goal to work towards - that they might even be passionate about! Vision is different to strategic thinking as it focuses on an intangible goal, rather than how to get there.

#10 Self-awareness

How many of the skills in this list do you possess? Be honest. If you're able to answer that question relatively easily, you definitely have some self-awareness!

A self-aware manager understands their strengths as well as their weaknesses. They seek help from others when their own expertise is lacking. They know that they need to learn, and they take opportunities to do so. Finally, self-aware managers are conscious of their own emotions, health and stress levels. They know when they need to step back before making a decision, or when their workload is unmanageable.

Learning these skills

It's unlikely that you possess all ten of these skills. Bearing in mind the requirements of your role, choose two or three of these skills to improve over the next six months. Do your research, watch other leaders in action, or turn to a mentor for advice. If you're keen to learn and improve, you're well on the way to becoming a successful manager!