Five Critical Indicators of Strong Leadership Skills

In every position, from entry level to the C-suite, leadership skills make a candidate a more attractive hire. Certain items included in a CV demonstrate a capacity for leadership. Other indicators arise during the interview process. We'll look at some of the indicators that accompany solid leadership acumen.

Growth

Some say learning is the fountain of youth. You’ll find a common habit of every great leader is reading.  A thirst for learning makes anyone a more viable candidate for advancement for several reasons. Learning leads to skill development. A continuous pattern of upskilling speaks to a person’s drive, passion, and aptitude.

Talking about how someone learned the skills they possess is telling material to cover in a job interview. If you’re the interviewer, make sure to cover that ground in the conversation. If you’re the interviewee, come prepared to discuss how you learn.

Persistence

Failure is commonly understood as mistakes you make. Nobody wants to make mistakes, but we should welcome them because each provides an opportunity to learn and move forward. Thomas Edison, Steve Jobs, Larry Page—any great leader you name—their narratives are all shaped by failures and setbacks.

To paraphrase another adage in business, if you don't make mistakes you're not really trying.

Mistakes provide a unique opportunity for learning to lead from within. You develop mental and emotional resilience. You take responsibility and adjust expectations. You can rely on your strengths to refocus and change your approach where necessary. You learn what works from what doesn’t and are undeterred when faced with a bad outcome. Success is not void of mistakes, it’s a marathon of constant improvement. A person who knows how to persist against the odds is key to any organization.

Feedback

Nobody enjoys hearing criticism, but you cannot expect to grow without it. Collecting feedback is important to fine-tuning effectiveness. It’s why companies conduct 360-degree reviews and hold exit interviews. It is smart for professionals, regardless of whether they are in a management role or not, to actively seek outside feedback about their work.

Research by leadership consultants Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman shows clear performance advantagesenjoyed by professionals that receive feedback on a regular basis. Leaders that asked for feedback the least—in the bottom 10 percent—were rated in the bottom 15 percentile for overall effectiveness. Leaders ranked in the top 10 percent in asking for feedback were rated, on average, in the 86^thpercentile for effectiveness.

It’s important to welcome feedback at work and beyond the walls of the office. Involvement in professional associations is a great way to get insight about how to approach job-related challenges and collect assessments from people doing the same type of work.

Collaboration

In an organization, taking a collaborative approach to the work you conduct creates a culture of transparency. That’s a critical trait when you manage teams. Trust grows in a collaborative environment, and with trust, you win buy-in on the strategies and projects that you undertake. A collaborative leader is thought of as more efficient and effective than someone who takes a traditional, autocratic approach.

Cultivating a collaborative leadership style starts with delegating tasks in a small team setting, and operating like someone in a project manager role. Let your team members drive their respective parts of the project; invest energy into understanding and respecting colleagues’ ideas and approach. Cheer on successes publicly, and brainstorm ways to make adjustments and allocate resources.

If you’re a candidate, or if you’re evaluating candidates, working outside of your normal comfort zone shows a penchant for collaboration. It demonstrates a willingness to apply your creative expertise while learning from colleagues across the organization. Engaging in a mentor-apprentice relationship is indicative of a collaborative nature as well.

Positivity

You’re more likely to be engaged, creative, and productive when working in a positive working environment. Enthusiasm is contagious and leaders know to set a tone of positivity to get the most out of others.

Positivity starts with communication, encouragement and sharing in team outcomes whether good or bad. It’s easy to remain positive when things are going well. When things go sideways people need to be able to look to their leader for guidance. And if a team member strays, they’ll also know how to empower that individual to rejoin the cause. More importantly positive leaders accept responsibility and share the credit.