Effective communication is one of the key skills in leadership. In order to inspire and motivate others, what we say is important, as well as how we say it. So we spend considerable amounts of time going over presentations, speeches, planning conversations out ahead of time. What many fail to take into account, however, is the importance of nonverbal communication.
“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower."- Steve Jobs
What really makes a leader? Is it a title? Authority? Seniority? Having employees, followers? Reaching milestones at work, having a higher salary, having a team to give orders to?
We have discussed some of the most crucial skills for any leader in previous articles, but now we need to focus on what really makes a leader or a follower. Leadership and followership truly are mindsets which need to be explored in order to fully understand.
Confidence is one of the most important characteristics of successful leaders, but it is one that many young leaders lack. Self-confidence is as fundamental to success as it is essential when making tough decisions. It is a quality that can’t be acquired by thinking about it, yet is vital to becoming a leader.