Place someone in a leadership position and they may survive, but teach them how to lead, and they’ll thrive. In other words, effective leadership doesn’t just happen. It takes training and focused development.

Too often, organizations promote team members to leadership roles without making an investment in building their leadership skill set. And it can cause all kinds of problems: frustration on the part of the leader, poor morale from team members and an overall breakdown in communication.

To succeed, leaders need to build these 7 key leadership skills:

• Build relationships: Create partnerships, build trust and share ideas.
• Develop people: Help others become more effective through strength development and coaching.
• Drive change: Embrace change and set goals that align with a well-communicated vision.
• Inspire others: Encourage others through positivity, confidence and recognition.
• Think critically: Gather and evaluate information that leads to smart decisions.
• Communicate clearly: Share information regularly and concisely.
• Create accountability: Hold yourself and your team responsible for performance.

As you can see, the list is made up of soft skills (personal traits and abilities that determine how well you work, collaborate and communicate with others). They aren’t something a leader is necessarily born with, but fortunately they can be developed through strategic and focused training.

The good news is that leadership training doesn’t have to mean hours (or days) sitting in a class, missing work and having to play catch up. ‘Short courses’ are an increasingly popular way to develop and enhance leadership skills in a fraction of the time. Designed to upskill leaders rapidly, these focused training programs are flexible, practical and targeted. And leaders can start implementing what they’ve learned right away.

Sound interesting? Leah M Joppy and Associates has created Impact60, a series of 1-hour, highly focused, skills-based courses covering a variety of leadership topics. More learning, more impact and less time away from the day-to-day!  Call us at 301-351-9523 or leah@lmja.com to receive course descriptions and pricing information.