8 Expert Tips To Demonstrate Leadership In The Workplace

Do you want to be a great leader in your organization? Do you generally think that some leaders are more charismatic than others?

The answers to these questions are both simple and perplexing. However, exceptional leadership skills are what distinguishes great leaders from the rest. Some are naturally born leaders, ready to take on challenges, while others develop these skills with experience and time. Whatever position you are in in your organization, it is important to learn how to demonstrate leadership in the organization. And in this article, we will share some expert tips that will guide you down the path of great leadership.

What Are Leadership Skills?

Leadership skills may be defined as actions or a group of actions used to drive or guide teams and peers to success. They know how to manage, influence, and inspire everyone on their team. They know how to handle difficult situations and keep their teams engaged and focused. Here are some leadership skills you must learn to be a successful leader.

• Active Listening
• Empathy
• Unbiased and Fair
• Motivational and Influential
• Communication and Interpersonal Skills
• Knowledgeable
• Leading by example
• Relationship Building
• Innovation and Creativity
• Conflict Management
• Critical Thinking

Also Read: 5 Offbeat Leadership Qualities Leaders Should Possess

How To Demonstrate Leadership In The Workplace?

Here are a few tips on how you can demonstrate the leadership skills in the workplace.

1. Talk Like A Leader

One of the most important leadership traits is speaking your mind. If you have some smart and innovative ideas, put them out there. Every company values professionals who have out-of-the box ideas. Speaking out and sharing your ideas helps you set a tone for yourself at work.

2. Ask Questions

If you want to demonstrate leadership in workplace, ask questions whenever you get an opportunity to. Asking questions shows your dedication and enthusiasm for your work. Don’t hold back any questions about work; sometimes questions can lead to some magnificent ideas which contribute to organizational success.

3. Deliver High Performance

If you want your colleagues and managers to recognize your leadership skills, you have to deliver high performance. By high performance, we don’t mean just completing your goals; you should overperform! Doing extra work always helps you to stand out from the crowd. It makes your managers count on you more and depends on you for tasks that require you to put extra effort into them. We recommend reading this article on Leadership SMART Goals Examples.

4. Learn From Everyone

One of the most important leadership qualities is continuous learning. A good leader never stops learning. There is a lot to learn every day; learn from everyone around you. The world is filled with examples. Learn from your mistakes and from those of your colleagues. Be open to learning, there’s always a new skill to master! Look out for a mentor within the organization or outside who can help you become a better leader.

Also Read: Leadership In Times Of Crisis: How To Lead Efficiently

5. Think Like A Leader

You should start thinking like a leader to establish leadership in workplace. Thinking as a leader involves strategic thinking of what needs to be done when and how it affects the rest of the team. Create plans to improve yourself and your teammates. Initiate strategic discussions on how you can contribute to organizational success and how your teammates’ contribution could add value to the organization. If there’s a problem within the team, try to understand the root cause of the problem and then solve it instead of reacting immediately to it.

6. Communicate Effectively

According to a survey published in recruiter.com, 33% of employees believe that lack of communication results in poor employee morale.

As a leader, you should understand the importance of communicating effectively with your colleagues and managers. Most mistakes at workplace happen because of lack of proper communication.

Build influence on your colleagues and teammates by listening to them when they are communicating. Make sure that you are heard and everyone properly understood the point you make.

7. Make Things Happen

When you are asked to accomplish a task or solve a problem, it is good to keep it real, but it is more important to approach the task/ problem with positivity. Self-confidence and positivity don’t come easily to every challenging situation; but it is very important that you exhibit a few confident gestures to make people around you believe that you can help them with their problem.

Do not try to find reasons for not completing a task, be that employee who finds their way out of impracticalities and makes things happen!

8. Know Your Limits

All the traits mentioned above require lot of confidence and determination to exhibit leadership in the workplace. While these traits can help you build positive influence on people around you, they can also get you a lot of unwanted negative attention.

It is important to understand where your suggestions are welcome and where they are not. Also, set boundaries for what you can tolerate as an employee/ leader and what you cannot. This will save you and your colleagues a lot of frustration and misperception.

Bonus Tip:

9. Networking

Network or connect with key leaders in the organization or outside to hone your leadership skills. If you are connecting with someone from within the organization, have informal meetings with them from time to time. Take assistance from them when you face any difficulties or come across any problems you can’t solve. Look for a mentor in the organization who can guide you whenever required.

Otherwise, you can also join professional associations and attend networking events or seminars to start networking with leaders in your industry. This will help you build great connections and improve your leadership skills.

Jacqueline Martinez

Jacqueline Martinez is the Director of Marketing at Engagedly and where she drives initiatives to fuel the marketing-to-sales pipeline through strategic content management, thoughtful mentoring, and revenue operations. She is a growth-focused marketing executive with extensive experience driving multi-million-dollar revenues across SaaS, technology, real estate, oil & gas, and financial services industries.