Developing Strong Leadership Skills: 11 Effective Ways To Improve Your Ability To Influence Others

If you are looking to drive change within your organisation and enhance business resilience, it’s important to learn how to lead your team with confidence and influence others. Thankfully, there are various effective strategies that you can implement in your day-to-day routine to become a better business leader. Although this might seem difficult, especially for first-time managers, you will need to develop a strong emotional connection not only with yourself, but with your team as well. As a result, you can develop the skills needed to achieve success in both successful and challenging times. Today we will share our top tips to develop key leadership skills and strengthen your ability to influence others.

Stay Committed To Your Team 

It’s crucial to demonstrate your commitment to your team, as this will help you show them that they can trust you. If they don’t believe that you are dedicated to their growth, they will be reluctant to follow your guidance. Therefore, you will need to find ways to connect with your team and share your vision for the future. Make sure that they feel involved and excited for what is to come. Focus on creating growth opportunities for each team member and assuring them that you will be available for them should they have any concerns. 

Learn How To Communicate Effectively 

As a business leader, you need to learn how to communicate well so that you can share important information, express new ideas, and influence others effectively. Communicating with impact can be challenging, so you should never stop learning. Consider participating in a communication and influence online course at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. This course will allow you to learn more about delivering high-impact communication that will be useful throughout your organisation. You will also get a better insight into a range of tools and practices that you can incorporate into your business strategy to influence change and innovation. 

Build And Maintain Trust 

Building and maintaining a strong foundation of trust within your organisation will ensure that your team members will not only perform their daily tasks, but they will also feel inspired and empowered. This means that they won’t be afraid to share their thoughts and speak out if there are any issues that need to be resolved. Moreover, trust is key if you want to unite your team and ensure you can overcome difficulties that may come your way. You can build trust with your employees by forming stronger bonds with them, communicating openly, discussing how problems originate, and admitting when you are wrong. 

Become A Better Listener 

Remember that you should show your employees that you care about their opinions. This is why it’s important to take action and address the concerns they raise. You will need to improve your listening skills. Ensure that you are not only listening with the intention of replying and moving on to the next task. Instead, focus on understanding what a team member is saying and approaching every conversation with an open mind. 

Network With Other Professionals 

To develop a better understanding of how you can influence others, it’s important to recognise the power of networking with other professionals in your industry. Not only will you get fresh ideas of what you can improve in your business strategy, but you will also catch up with the latest developments. This will help you become a well-rounded business leader, which will enable you to establish new opportunities for growth and find new solutions to problems. 

Develop Discipline 

Discipline is crucial both in your personal and professional life, as it can help you keep track of all of your responsibilities. As a result, you can inspire others to keep working hard and stay disciplined as well. This is one of the most important skills you will need to develop to take your business to the next level. Practising discipline may involve meeting deadlines, providing great customer service, holding productive meetings, and reaching short-term and long-term goals. Moreover, you may need to create new habits and break old ones, which might feel challenging, but it is one of the best ways to create positive change. 

Take On More Responsibility 

Get involved in as many projects as you can so that you can learn new skills and make your business more agile. However, it’s crucial to ensure that you don’t take on more than you can handle. You should try to find a healthy balance that allows you to grow as a leader, but doesn’t prevent you from getting the rest that you need to reach your full potential. This means that you may need to lean into discomfort from time to time even if this means taking small steps each day to improve your skills. 

Get To Know Your Team 

Prioritising the people on your team will ensure that they feel motivated to come to work each day and do their jobs effectively. This means that you should focus on getting to know them better and learning more about each individual’s strengths and weaknesses. It might be helpful to become their mentor so that they know that they come to you for advice. Consequently, they will see you as someone who cares about them, which will ensure that they feel supported in their roles. Spend some time with them outside of work by having lunch with them or organising team-building activities. 

Show Appreciation 

Showing appreciation to your team will help you inspire a sense of loyalty, without which you wouldn’t be able to motivate your employees. It’s crucial to implement strategies, which will allow you to demonstrate your appreciation, such as hosting events and recognising your team with awards, gift cards, or more paid time off. You can also use social media to express your gratitude and mention employees on their birthdays or service anniversaries. To ensure employees feel heard, you should always welcome their feedback and opinions. 

Be Honest And Transparent 

Another key thing that you can do to improve your leadership skills is to ensure that you are always honest and transparent with your team. While being honest is easy when it comes to delivering great news, it might be more difficult if you are going through difficult times. However, to become a successful leader, you will need to ensure transparency in all types of situations. Before you answer any questions you are unsure of, you should check that you have access to accurate information to avoid misleading your employees. 

Set Realistic Expectations 

Lastly, it’s vital to be realistic when it comes to becoming a better leader for your team. You should avoid the trap of chasing perfectionism in your work. Make sure you stay focused on what is working well right now and the things that you can control. If you encounter any unexpected difficulties, remember to stay calm, as this will help you evaluate the situation and implement the right solutions. As a result, this will inspire your team to do the same when they face challenges in the workplace.