How To Improve How To Improve Leadership Skills in the Leadership Skills in the

DirectorateDirectorateBy Dr. Randa E. By Dr. Randa E.

MohammedMohammed

IntroductionIntroduction Leadership is a critical factor in Leadership is a critical factor in

an organization’s success.an organization’s success. How best to improve leadership How best to improve leadership

effectiveness?effectiveness? Beyond doubt excelling at Beyond doubt excelling at

leadership is one of the top leadership is one of the top distinguishing characteristics of distinguishing characteristics of high performing organizations.high performing organizations.

How should an organization go How should an organization go about strengthening it’s about strengthening it’s leadership capability?leadership capability?

LeadershipLeadership The basis of good leadership is The basis of good leadership is

honourable character and honourable character and selfless service to your selfless service to your organization.organization.

A respected leader concentrates A respected leader concentrates on what s/he is [BE] (beliefs and on what s/he is [BE] (beliefs and character), what s/he knows (job, character), what s/he knows (job, tasks, human nature), tasks, human nature),

and what s/he does (implement, and what s/he does (implement, motivate, provide direction). motivate, provide direction).

Two most important keys Two most important keys of Leadershipof Leadership

A Hay’s study examined over 75 A Hay’s study examined over 75 key components of employee key components of employee satisfaction, they found that:satisfaction, they found that:

1.Trust and confidence in top 1.Trust and confidence in top leadership was the single most leadership was the single most predictor of employee predictor of employee satisfaction.satisfaction.

Cont’dCont’d2. Effective communication by 2. Effective communication by

leadership in 3 critical areas:leadership in 3 critical areas: Helping employees understand the Helping employees understand the

organization’s overall strategy.organization’s overall strategy. Helping employees understand how Helping employees understand how

they contribute to achieving they contribute to achieving objectives.objectives.

Sharing information with employees Sharing information with employees on both on both

how the company is doing and how the company is doing and how an employee’s own division how an employee’s own division is doing-relative to the is doing-relative to the organization’s strategic organization’s strategic objectives.objectives.

AttributesAttributes To be a good leader ,there are To be a good leader ,there are

things that you must things that you must be, know, be, know, and do:and do:

BEBE a professional .Be loyal to the a professional .Be loyal to the organization, perform selfless organization, perform selfless service, take personal service, take personal responsibility.responsibility.

BEBE a professional who possesses a professional who possesses good character traits, Examples: good character traits, Examples: Honesty, competence, candor, Honesty, competence, candor, commitment, integrity, courage, commitment, integrity, courage, straightforward, imagination.straightforward, imagination.

Cont’dCont’d Know Know the four factors of the four factors of

leadership-follower, leadership-follower, leader ,communication, situation.leader ,communication, situation.

KnowKnow yourself .Examples :strengths yourself .Examples :strengths and weakness of your character, and weakness of your character, knowledge and skills.knowledge and skills.

KnowKnow human nature .Eg. Human human nature .Eg. Human needs and emotions, and how needs and emotions, and how people respond to stress people respond to stress

Cont’dCont’d Know your job. E.g.. Be proficient Know your job. E.g.. Be proficient

and be able to train others in their and be able to train others in their tasks.tasks.

Know your organization .Eg. Know your organization .Eg. Where to go for help, its climate Where to go for help, its climate and culture.and culture.

Do provide direction .E.g.. Goal Do provide direction .E.g.. Goal setting, problem solving, decision setting, problem solving, decision making and planning.making and planning.

Cont’dCont’d Do implement. E.g.. Do implement. E.g..

Communicating, coordinating, Communicating, coordinating, supervising, evaluating.supervising, evaluating.

DoDo motivate. Examples: develop motivate. Examples: develop moral and espirit in the moral and espirit in the organization, train, coach, organization, train, coach, counselcounsel

Principles of good Principles of good leadershipleadership::

To help you To help you be, know and dobe, know and do, , follow these eleven principles of follow these eleven principles of leadership:leadership:

KnowKnow yourself and seek self yourself and seek self improvement.improvement.

Be Be technically proficienttechnically proficient Seek responsibility and take Seek responsibility and take

responsibility for your actionsresponsibility for your actions Make sound and timely decisions.Make sound and timely decisions.

Cont’dCont’d Set the exampleSet the example Know your people and look out Know your people and look out

for their well-being.for their well-being. Keep your people informed.Keep your people informed. Develop a sense of responsibility Develop a sense of responsibility

in your people.in your people.

Cont’dCont’d Ensure that tasks are Ensure that tasks are

understood, supervised, and understood, supervised, and accomplished.accomplished.

Train your people as a team.Train your people as a team. Use the full capabilities of your Use the full capabilities of your

organizationorganization

The Road to Great The Road to Great Leadership:Leadership:

Challenge the process-First, find a Challenge the process-First, find a process that you believe needs to be process that you believe needs to be improved the most.improved the most.

Inspire a shared vision-Next share your Inspire a shared vision-Next share your vision in words that can be understood vision in words that can be understood by your followers.by your followers.

Enable others to act-Give them the tools Enable others to act-Give them the tools and methods to solve the problem.and methods to solve the problem.

Cont’dCont’d Model the way-When the process Model the way-When the process

gets tough, get your hands dirty.gets tough, get your hands dirty. Encourage the heart-Share the Encourage the heart-Share the

glory with your followers’ heart, glory with your followers’ heart, keep the pains in your heart.keep the pains in your heart.

ConclusionConclusion To inspire your people into To inspire your people into

higher levels of teamwork, there higher levels of teamwork, there are certain things you must are certain things you must be, be, know and doknow and do..

These do not come naturally, but These do not come naturally, but are acquired through continual are acquired through continual work and study.work and study.