The Best 10 Leadership Lessons You Can Learn Today

By David Kiger Image courtesy ofJens Johnsson at Flickr.com

Leadership is not something you can learn in a university or an online course. There are seminars and training sessions, but they do not compare to the lessons you can receive by being out there, leading from the front and making mistakes that will later become learning experiences.

Understanding what leadership means to you and the use of your abilities and strengths to shape yourself into a leader is instrumental to your success. Leadership is something we often talk about here in David Kiger’s Slideshare and with our articles we try to break down for you some of the concepts we find to be useful and that can be molded into different styles of leadership. For this particular piece, we want to talk about what we consider the most fundamental lessons you can learn to adjust your leadership style for best results.

Always be courageous, no matter what.Your actions and emotions have a large audience, as those around are always looking up to you for guidance and example. Being courageous in the face of adversity is something every leader must have, because setbacks are a reality that must be dealt with and from which nobody is exempt. A great leader always faces challenges directly.

Be honest and upfront with your employees.As obvious a simple as it may sounds, leaders must be able to speak to employees directly and address their shortcomings head-on. It happens more often than not, that managers do not have that level of trust and personal touch with their employees and they forego a direct approach to the issues they see with a particular employee. By doing this you are failing the company, your employees and ultimately yourself as a leader.

Be humbleA great leader understands his or her limitations and admit their shortcomings. Being aware of your need to improve yourself is a great way to find motivation to constantly evolve and learn new skills. Leaders who are overconfident and overestimate their value and skills, are proven to be least effective in leading a team. Being humble goes a long way and gives a great example to those who follow.

Understand how to hold on to your teamNobody stays at a job because of the money. Being surrounded by a great team and doing work that you find meaningful and personally fulfilling, are the two things that retain employees. Giving a clear purpose to your employees and surrounding them with the best possible team working in the most ideal conditions, are the tools to maintain a strong loyal workforce.

The secrets lies on having clear goalsIf you do not have a clear sense of purpose and direction, how can you be sure that you are achieving your goals and being successful? You must ask yourself how you will personally measure your success before you can even start considering how to get there in the first place.

Trust is a two-way streetIf you want others to follow you, then you must ask yourself if you would be willing to follow them. You must hire the best people for the right positions, and if you do that correctly, then you can rest assured that they are the most qualified experts to do what they are doing, trust them.

Adversity forges a true leaderAdversity is not frightening to a true leader, is nothing more than opportunity disguised and it should be treated as such. Great leaders always make the most out of difficulties and file them under lessons learned and insurance that the same mistakes will not be made in the future. Being prepared and not losing your bearing when facing challenges are the standards of a great leader because they do not take these things personally.

Do not stop learningA great leader understands that nobody is a finished product, so why should they be any different? Progressing as a person and as a professional should always be a priority. The moment you become stagnant, you will be surely replaced to benefit the greater good and the success of the company.

Your team is your most valuable assetThe best leaders always understand that their success is directly related to the team behind them and the people they have chosen to be part of that team. Trusting your choices and your judgment is the trademark of a superb leader because they have no doubt they have chosen the very best and trust them enough to constantly prove it.

Great leaders are accountable.A great leader understands his ultimate responsibility in the great scheme of things; but they don't simply stop there. Great leaders take the necessary steps in the right direction to correct shortcomings and are always adjusting the course of action to answer to new needs that may arise.