Expand and develop leadership skills

Pasquale Schifino

Today, leadership is much more than just a job title or a position on a business card.

It’s about inspiring people, motivating teams and helping to shape change – whether in a small start-up or a large company.

Good leadership ensures that everyone is happy to pull together and make a real difference.

The best thing is that leadership can be learned!

It’s not a superpower that you already have, but something that you get better at over time – through experience, reflection and trial and error.

Studies show time and again that good leadership leads to satisfied employees and successful companies.

In this article, you will find out how you can develop your leadership skills step by step – for you personally and for your team.

🎯 The most important summarized:

Good leadership is not only based on talent, but above all on the willingness to develop and self-reflect.

Empathy, strong communication skills, the ability to deal with conflict and decisiveness are among the key skills that should be practiced continuously.

Regular feedback – from employees, colleagues or external coaches – helps managers to better recognize their own strengths and weaknesses.

Further training, coaching, mentoring or learning on the job are effective ways to strengthen leadership skills in a practical and long-term manner.

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Table of contents

1. What does leadership skills mean?

2. Ways to develop leadership skills

3. Create a supportive corporate culture

4. Conclusion

5. More on leadership skills

What does leadership skills mean?

Leadership competence encompasses a wide range of skills, including

Self-leadership: the ability to organize oneself, set goals and reflect on one’s own impact.
Social skills: Empathy, communication, conflict management and team orientation.
Strategic thinking: recognizing correlations, planning and making well-founded decisions.
Change management: Actively shaping change and taking people with you on this journey.

According to a Gallup survey on employee retention from 2023, 70% of employees state that their direct leadership behavior is decisive for how committed they are to their work.

This shows how crucial leadership skills are for the success of a company.

Ways to develop leadership skills

1st method: Self-reflection and feedback

The first step towards further development begins with yourself.

Regular self-reflection helps you to understand your own leadership behavior.

In addition, constructive feedback from colleagues, employees or mentors is an important mirror for blind spots and development potential.

2nd method: Using employee surveys

Anonymous employee surveys provide honest insights into the perception of leadership behavior.

They uncover potential for improvement, strengthen the culture of trust and enable targeted measures for further development.

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3rd method: Further training and coaching

Leadership training, workshops and seminars provide valuable impetus and methods.

Individual coaching is particularly effective as it focuses on personal strengths and challenges and promotes sustainable development.

4th method: Learning through experience

Practice-oriented learning – for example by managing projects, taking on new areas of responsibility or changing roles – promotes the development of leadership skills in real-life contexts.

5th method: Role models and mentoring

Inspiring leaders in your own environment can serve as role models.

Mentoring programs also offer a structured opportunity to learn from experienced managers.

Create a supportive corporate culture

Organizations can actively support the development of leadership skills by:

Creating space for learning and a culture of error
Promoting transparency and open communication
Understanding leadership as a collaborative task
Offering individual career and development plans
Establishing regular leadership feedback surveys

According to a study by the Institute for Leadership Culture in the Digital Age (IFIDZ ), companies that regularly conduct leadership evaluations report a significantly higher quality of leadership - not only from the perspective of the managers themselves, but also from that of the employees.

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Conclusion

Leadership competence is not a rigid concept, but a dynamic process that is linked to personal development and lifelong learning.

Anyone who is prepared to take a critical look at themselves, take on responsibility and continuously learn can become a manager who not only delegates tasks, but also moves people.

The targeted use of tools such as employee surveys and management feedback is a valuable compass for further development.

Developing leadership skills is therefore not just an individual advantage – it is a key success factor for companies in a complex world.

More on leadership skills

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