Yahoo Finance Want Better Pay? Develop This Key Trait Bosses Look For When Hiring
If you want to get ahead at work, impress your boss and get a higher paycheck, research has shown there’s one key trait that bosses tend to look for and reward: leadership skills.
While leadership skills may encompass many subskills, people who take the initiative, don’t wait to be told what to do and more will rise above the rest.
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Experts explain why this skill is so powerful in the workplace.
Leaders Motivate Others
“Leadership is a coveted skill because it equips you to inspire and motivate others,” according to Kartik Ahuja, founder, chief financial officer and chief marketing officer of GrowthScribe. “Plus, it brings a sense of clarity that creates a compelling vision for the future and fosters effective communication.”
Ahuja points to Apple co-founder and former CEO, Steve Jobs, whose visionary leadership made Apple what it is today.
“His ability to predict future trends in technology coupled with the vision to create user-friendly and aesthetically designed devices like [the] iPhone and iPad transformed Apple into one of the most valuable companies in the industry.”
Similarly, Ahuja cites Elon Musk as an example. “It’s because of his ambitious projects, such as the colonization of Mars with SpaceX and the development of electric vehicles at Tesla, [that] he’s able to inspire his team members and capture the public’s imagination.”
Additionally, he cites Musk’s “unstoppable attitude and willingness to challenge the norms” that motivate his employees to strive for excellence.
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Leaders Listen To Feedback
Developing good leadership skills starts with taking feedback, Ahuja said, because it allows you to identify areas of improvement and refine your leadership style.
“For example, if you’re a mid-level manager at a company, taking regular feedback from your team members and supervisors through one-on-one meetings and anonymous surveys will allow you to get their perspectives on your communication effectiveness and leadership style.”
Using that feedback, you can refine your communication skills, delegate better and emerge as a more capable leader, he said.
Pursue Leadership Initiatives
However, not everyone is a born leader. Thus, Ahuja recommends taking leadership initiatives whether you have prior experience or not. “For example, if there’s a cross-functional project, volunteer to lead it. You might not be the best leader, but you’ll learn a lot about how to handle people, delegate tasks, take feedback and motivate others.”
This can teach you valuable skills and open doors for future leadership opportunities within your company, he explained.
Seek Leadership Training
Better yet, according to Tonicia Freeman-Foster — an organizational leadership expert and co-founder of LEIDOSWEL
, a leadership coaching company — people with a desire to improve these skills can enroll in training programs, obtain leadership coaching, foster a relationship with a leadership buddy or mentor, engage in a leadership community, attend leadership conferences, and/or enroll in their company’s leadership pipeline program.
“Programs should include opportunities for deep self-reflection and self-awareness. These are critical leadership skills because it is difficult to lead others when [you’re] unaware of how you show up. Additionally, if not careful, uninterrogated biases and beliefs, unhealthy self-talk, and resistance to constructive feedback will sabotage the leadership experience.”
The leadership program and experiences must include both action and experiential learning opportunities, she recommended.
Anyone Can Be a Leader
Robert Brill — the CEO of Brill Media, a digital advertising agency — said you don’t have to be in management to be a leader. You just have to master one skill: communication.
“Leadership can be demonstrated at every level of an organization, from the most junior person to the CEO. Key to successful leadership is communication, which shows up as managing up and managing down. In everyday scenarios, people across the organization can work to communicate effectively to the people they interact with.”
Communication also includes speaking up about challenges you’re facing if it’s tough to complete a task, Brill said.
Leadership Drives Innovation and Productivity
Strong leadership skills are also essential for building and sustaining innovative, productive and engaged teams, according to Freeman-Foster.
“Teams are needed to scale and maximize business operations. Turnover is expensive. According to estimates shared by Gallup, turnover can cost a company one-half to two times the employee’s salary,” she explained.
Additionally, she said it’s common for businesses to underestimate the costs of decreased production and apathy that may occur among remaining employees in situations where there is not strong leadership and, thus, high turnover.
Leaders Influence Morale
On that note, leaders also drive organizational culture, which significantly impacts how employees feel when it’s time to get out of bed and head to work, virtually and in person, Freeman-Foster said.
“Leaders can serve as a lid that stifles the growth and thriving of employees or a bridge that encourages the growth and evolution of employees. Great leadership can catapult a company’s success, especially when employees feel a sense of belonging and are valued as unique human beings.”
Leadership Is a Lifelong Journey
Freeman-Foster describes leadership as a “lifelong journey” and a role in which you can affect the outcome and quality of life of others for the good or bad.
“It’s a lifelong journey of being open to being wrong and taking action to improve how employees experience your leadership. It’s a lifelong journey of sharing power with others and not having to be the smartest, most powerful or most correct person in the room.”
Whether leadership comes naturally to you or you have to cultivate it, your career, and the people you work with, will thank you for doing so.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Want Better Pay? Develop This Key Trait Bosses Look For When Hiring
