One leadership guru once defined leadership as influence .For the purposes of this article the writer shall use that definition and discuss people skills in that same context.
Leadership is found in different settings eg in the home, at school ,at work ,at church etc .As you lead you will be working with people .It is imperative that a leader understand people skills so that he /she can lead effectively .
These people skills include the following aspects:
1.Communication.
This is the ability to transmit a message from the sender to the recipient .(Chaka 2023)
A leader should appreciate the importance of communication both verbally and non verbally.
Failure to under this may result in frustrations. Both the leader and the subordinates get disappointed.
2 .Problem solving.
As one leads he/she occasionally bumps into issues involving people .People bring issues to the leader.The leader must be a quick thinker .Leaders look at situations and challenges and see opportunities.Leaders generate solutions .
3.Listening skills.
Good leadership means one can listen not to respond but to understand what the other person is saying .
4.Caring.
Dr John Maxwell once said people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.Leaders touch a heart first before they touch a hand .Effective leaders display an attitude of care to their surbodinates.They take action when followers bring up an issue.
They don’t ignore.
5.Conflict resolution and management skills .
Effective leaders deal with conflict within an organization decisively.They listen to the conflicting parties and generate win /win solutions .
6.Empowering skills
Good leaders empower their teams and they reproduce themselves in teams.People usually buy into something if it is beneficial to them .When followers realize that their leader empower them they are likely to stick closer to the leader and this minimize rate of turn over in companies .
There are many people skills that leaders can use to effectively lead others.Suffuce to say for today the writer will stop here.As a leader make people feel important by addressing them using their names and appropriate titles .
The writer Professor Elias Chakabwata is a leadership consultant and organisational growth guru.He can be contacted on 0732288687 .
