When a business needs to fill a position, it can be tough for a hiring manager to find exactly the right person. Sadly, this is partially due to the fact that so many individuals lack certain skills that are highly valued in various positions. In fact, a recent survey showed that young people do not have the basic skill of being able to work with a team. Pretty much anyone who has ever had a job knows the importance of teamwork, because that is how businesses thrive, and so not being able to work with a team could be a detrimental factor to a person’s career—or the company that might hire them.
To be a valued member of today’s workforce, there are several skills that you’re going to need to learn. Along with teamwork, you need to become a leader so that you can rise to the top, lead teams and benefit your company. To help you increase your skills in that area of your life, here are four traits that you should work on improving:
Be Compassionate
One skill that all leaders must have is the ability to be compassionate. A good manager should be able to put theirself in other people’s shoes, especially when it comes to those who are in positions below their own. When employees see that the person in charge understands where they are coming from and is willing to make improvements that will help them, then that builds trust and loyalty. Not only that, but they will be more likely to follow a compassionate leader than one who lacks that type of connection with them.
Have Humility
A good leader needs to come from a place of humility. According to Google’s definition, humility is having a modest view of one’s own importance. Basically, a humble leader doesn’t hold their position over everyone else in a cocky or prideful way. To keep humble, it’s important to be level-headed and to use the position of authority to help others. Otherwise, it can lead to an abuse of power, which can lead to poor productivity and loyalty. That will hurt your employees, you, and, the company. Although humility can take a lifetime to achieve, you can start simply by trying to have an empathetic viewpoint when talking to your employees and making a concerted effort to treat others with respect.
Keep Learning
The lack of education is becoming a prominent problem in the workforce as employers are having trouble finding eligible candidates who possess the adequate knowledge needed. It isn’t because employees or applicants aren’t intelligent. It’s not even because they don’t have a proper education. It’s just that in today’s world, information becomes outdated very quickly, and so it’s important for people to stay on top of new information that is coming out that is related to their career. This can be done simply by spending an hour a week studying to get updated or, even, by going back to school. Although this may have to be something that you have to pursue on your own, some companies will actually partner with local schools to keep you learning. By staying educated, you become more valuable to the business, which is why some are willing to invest in it. Some will help sponsor your education so that you can get special IT certifications, an msn degree, a master’s degree in education, or whatever other type of education that would help make you more of a profitable employee.
Stay Intact Emotionally
We’ve all been in situations where there’s high stress and it seems like there’s no way out of it. Some will respond to such situations by blaming someone or getting angry. How a person responds, though, says a lot about who he or she is. If they are truly a leader, they won’t react like that. They may have to take a few deep breaths or step back for a second, but they should always respond in a cool and collected manner. No raised voiced. No being overly emotional. Let the stress become water under the bridge the second it starts. If you panic or get irritated over a situation, then others around you who look up to you might as well. Having such a response may also negatively affect productivity, ruin relationships, and have a long-term impact on work culture. That is why it’s best to stay calm no matter what situation you are presented with.
These are just a few suggestions to help lead you in the right direction. Keep in mind that being a leader is about learning, so do not make the mistake of thinking that leadership skills can be taught in one sitting. Make a goal to work on one of these traits this week and then work on another next week.
Speak Your Mind