Landing your first leadership role can be exciting and nerve-racking as you ponder your approach and path to success. Mastering soft skills can help ease anxiety and lay the foundation for establishing a strong, positive, respectful relationship with team members. Five soft skills areas to focus on are adaptability, communication, emotional intelligence, teamwork, and time management. 

Adaptability is the ability to adjust to changing circumstances and respond to new situations with ease and creativity. As a leader, adaptability is essential because it enables you to navigate unforeseen challenges and opportunities effectively and lead your team through periods of uncertainty.

Key behavior traits:

• Be open to change and new ideas
• Be flexible and adaptable to different situations
• Learn and adjust quickly to changes
• Remain calm under pressure

Measuring Improvement: 

• Track changes in reaction to change
• Demonstrate a willingness to learn new things 
• Assess how successfully you handle new challenges

Effective communication is the ability to convey ideas and information clearly to others in a way that is easy to understand and generates the desired response or action. Effective communication is vital as a leader because it enables you to build strong relationships with your team, set clear expectations and goals, and inspire and motivate others towards achieving shared objectives. It also helps to promote transparency and accountability and foster a culture of trust and collaboration.

Key behavior traits:

• Practice active listening and responding effectively
• Develop and deliver clear and concise messages
• Speak with confidence and clarity
• Use appropriate nonverbal communication

Measuring Improvement: 

• Seek colleague feedback
• Track participation in team meetings and discussions
• Review recordings of speeches or presentations

Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to recognize, understand, and manage one’s own emotions, as well as to perceive and respond effectively to the emotions of others. As a leader, emotional intelligence is crucial because it enables you to build strong relationships with your team, create a positive work environment, promote empathy and understanding, and foster a culture of inclusivity and respect.

Key behavior traits:

• Develop self-awareness and self-management
• Understand and manage emotions in oneself and others
• Show empathy and build relationships
• Navigate conflicts and handle difficult conversations

Measuring Improvement: 

• Observe changes in the quality of relationships with colleagues 
• Monitor emotional responses to situations
• Measure emotional intelligence score

Teamwork is the ability of a group of individuals to work together collaboratively towards a shared goal, leveraging the strengths of each team member to achieve more significant outcomes than what could be achieved individually. As a leader, teamwork is essential because it enables you to create a high-performing team, foster innovation and creativity, and build a culture of trust and respect. It also helps to promote a sense of ownership and accountability and to foster a positive and productive work environment.

Key behavior traits:

• Work collaboratively with others
• Build relationships with colleagues
• Encourage and motivate others
• Foster a positive work environment

Measuring Improvement: 

• Observe changes in team dynamics
• Track contributions to group discussions 
• Monitor how colleagues respond to feedback

Time management refers to effective planning, prioritizing, and allocating time to tasks and activities to maximize productivity and efficiency. As a leader, time management is vital because it enables you to set clear objectives and goals, prioritize tasks effectively, and manage your workload efficiently. It also helps to minimize stress and burnout and to ensure that you can focus on high-value activities that drive results.

Key behavior traits:

• Prioritize tasks effectively
• Set achievable goals and objectives
• Manage time effectively
• Be punctual and meet deadlines

Measuring Improvement: 

• Track progress against goals and objectives
• Measure productivity
• Monitor attendance and punctuality

DeNeen K. Attard, CEO of ALA, is happy to announce that Illuminating Leadership 1.0, an on-demand 5-week training course created in collaboration with Dr. Lashun Aron-Smith, CEO of LAS Education Consulting, LLC, is coming soon!

Reserve your spot to register for Illuminating Leadership 1.0 beta testing at http://bit.ly/3nDsnJ1.

Attard Leadership Academy, LLC partners with individuals and corporations to help new and emerging leaders create and execute a strategic leadership development plan to champion change, lead teams, and gain influence in their workspace. We help our clients become more confident, engaged, and productive leaders.