Leadership Approaches: How to Approach Being in a Leadership Role

Some people are born leaders and some people develop these skills naturally over time, but others will need a little bit of training and guidance in order to become effective leaders. Udemy has the answers you need though to take you to the next level of leadership skills, no matter what the situation. A good place to get started is with our online course Lead the Way – Building Leadership Capability. Whether you are a coach, a mentor, or wanting to get that promotion at work, Udemy’s courses can help you make the transition into the leadership position.

Let’s go over a few tips that will help you become a better leader.

Being Positive

A great leader always knows when to be positive and how to hold back the negativity of themselves and others. This doesn’t mean always being overly positive; it means knowing how to take negative situations or feelings and turn them into a positive feeling or outcome. For example, this might be the case if a sale didn’t go the way it was supposed to and ended up falling through. A leader will know how to approach their team in a way that shows them how a seemingly bad situation can actually be a good one. Instead of feeling sorry for how the deal worked out a good leader will say that they should take the experience as a way to learn how to do it better for next time.

This way the team has something to look forward to in the future and has a channel through which they can better themselves. You will never see a good leader talking down to their team or going on and on about bad situations. A positive thinker and leader always tries to better themselves and the team and figures out how to approach negative situations and turn them into positive ones. If you are new to a leadership role and would like some more in-depth explanations about how to transition into it your new position try taking a look at our Transition to Leadership course.

Approach the Team with a Focus on Listening

Strong leaders know how to have a prominent presence within their team, but just being a strong individual does not make you a great leader. The ability to know when to speak and when to listen is an ability that natural leaders are born with but is something that can be taught to those who weren’t, and the difference between good leaders and great ones can be something as small as knowing when to pay attention to the needs of your team.

Keeping your ears open and your mouth closed can, at times, be the most important part of a leader’s role within their team. As the leader you need to approach every situation with knowledge and strength of mind, however you also need to remember to value your team and what they have to say.

You don’t always have to take their word, but showing them that you are a leader who feels like every member is important and that you value their input will lead to everyone feeling like they bring something to the table and are an integral part of the team dynamic. Being a positive and motivating force for your team is important for keeping everyone together. If you want to take a closer look at how to approach these situations you can learn more about how to improve your team culture with our course Infused Coaching: Motivational Leadership.

Compromise is Key

A key element to knowing how to listen and be a good leader is knowing when and how to create a compromise. As a leader you may approach situations already having a set game plan and knowing how you want your team to go about creating a solution. However, great leaders know when to take the input of their teammates and how to create a positive compromise.

Whether you and a person on your team disagree, or perhaps several members of your team disagree with each other, you as a leader need to approach the situation with the ability to create a compromise that will make the most out of your team’s ideas and will still be the best solution to the situation. Part of leadership is being able to adapt your plan at any time, and our course Leadership and Change has some great ideas of how to deal with changing ideas and situations.

Approaching Decision Making

Another technique of great leaders is their ability to make well thought out decisions as well as the ability to come to one quickly. In certain situations a leader will need to make a snap decision, which may have consequences for the entire team. A great leader will also know when a decision or choice needs to be thought over long and hard.

When approaching a situation like this a leader will need to look at how the choice will affect the team, how important the choice is, and how much time they have to make it. All of these things should hold bearing on a leader’s choice and how they come to it. Important decisions will also usually incorporate listening and compromise as strategies for finding the best answer and course of action for the team as a whole.

Leadership Qualities

A good leader has many qualities, but a great leader knows how to use them to the advantage of everyone that they lead. Knowing how to approach every situation with the same importance and thought will help lead your team to whatever goal they are heading towards. Being positive, a good listener, and always being open to compromise are only a few qualities that great leaders use everyday to make their teams better, but being a mentor and friend to your team may be the most important quality of all. To read some more about being a mentor and how to take on the role of being a coach and guide to your team check out our blog What Does a Life Coach Do? A Mentor for Guidance.