KATHMANDU, Jan 20: Leadership is counted as one of the most important life skills today. Each one of us is judged on the basis of our ability to be a good leader and to guide others. To this end, there are various leadership skill development trainings available in the market, and numerous articles on the topic are accessible on the Internet.
It has become such an essential quality to have that many of the study or job opportunities we seek nowadays require us to demonstrate our leadership skills one way or another.
However, not all of us are born natural leaders, and may feel out of our depths when thrust into leadership positions or asked to recount the last time we showed exemplary leadership qualities. It is especially uncomfortable for people who are shy and unwilling to have attention on them.
But contrary to most beliefs leadership is not simply about being in the limelight or having a powerful personality. It isn’t about knowing everything either. A good leader is someone who has the zeal to learn, who has vision and a sense of direction. Often, people also wrongly assume that a leadership position can only go to someone who is an extrovert or someone who is not at all shy. The introvert or the shy person will also hesitate to take leadership positions because they’re not confident that they have the required skills to handle this new job.
Instead of missing out on opportunities because you feel you don’t have the qualities to lead, it’s time to embrace new ways to step up and take charge of the exciting prospects in store for you. Work on your weaknesses. Use your talents.
First of all, understand that leadership is not the monopoly of extroverts alone. It’s not necessary to be born with leadership skills to be a successful leader. We can learn as we go. Invest in your positive qualities. Are you good at one-to-one conversations? Are you a good listener? Are you prompt at answering questions/dealing with queries?
It’s never too late or too early to learn about leadership and what you can do to be an effective leader. Whether you are faced with the task of guiding your classmates in school or college, or you’re offered a promotion that calls for leading a team, don’t hesitate to grab that opportunity. Don’t let your inhibitions hold you back.
Even if you’re not yet in a leadership position, you can still work on building leadership skills. Don’t hesitate to say yes to leadership opportunities no matter how small. Shy people can start small. Try voicing your thoughts and ideas more often. Speak up more and not just when you’re asked a question during class or a meeting. Volunteer to do a task or take responsibility for getting the class notes to all your classmates. Or take on the duty of guiding an intern at work.
Remember that a successful leader communicates effectively with everyone. Try to have more individual meetings if it’s uncomfortable for you to address everyone together all the time.
Good leaders work hard to build relationships. He inspires his teammates and works just as hard as they do. He knows when to delegate work. A leader doesn’t have to be flamboyant, but he should have the ability to motivate those around him. Introverted people are considered to be better listeners so use this quality to serve you faithfully.
Young people should take up every chance to learn how to lead. Leadership experience can be gained through volunteering and being part of different clubs. You don’t need to be the loudest or the brightest one in the group to be a leader. Leadership doesn’t just mean managing people or tasks, it comes from the ability to take initiative and inspire people to give their best.
So the next time you face the question “Tell me about your leadership skills”, we hope you are not at a loss for words.
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