Leadership Skills for Work

10 Effective Leadership Skills for Work

Updated September 1, 2022 . AmFam Team

Looking to improve your leadership skills in the workplace? We have you covered. Learn the top 10 skills you need to be an effective leader.

You’ve got the passion it takes to be a great leader. Now’s the time to hone the skills you need to be an effective one. Whether you lead projects, run your own company or want to become a better leader in life, there are certain soft skills — key leadership skills — that are important to develop!

From communicating effectively to delegating work, we’ve developed a list of 10 essential leadership skills with tips to help you strengthen each one.

Ready to Refine Your Leadership Skills?

So, what skills do you need to be a good leader?

The top 10 skills you need to be an effective leader in the workplace include:

  1. Communication
  2. Agility
  3. Trust and Respect
  4. Delegation
  5. Motivation and Passion
  6. Accountability
  7. Willingness to Give and Receive Feedback
  8. Creativity
  9. Empathy
  10. Humility

These skills can't be learned overnight. It takes practice and experience to master the art of leadership, and even then, you’ll always have more learning to do! A great leader understands that leadership is a constant process of growth.

Set a goal to focus on one or two of these skills over the next few months, then reflect on how you’ve improved and set a new focus. Dedicate yourself to growing in these areas, and it will surely pay off!

Now, let's take a closer look at each of these skills for leadership!

1. Communication

Communication is one of the most important skills to master as a good leader. Have you ever heard the phrase “communication is key” in a relationship? Well, it’s no different in business relationships!

Communication is the foundation of trust. The more effective you are at being transparent, expressing your struggles and facilitating healthy conversations, the better equipped your team will be — and the more they’ll trust you as a leader!

The first step to becoming a better communicator is becoming a good listener. As a leader, it’s essential to actively listen to your team to help them feel heard. Communication is a two-way street and building off of what others say can help create a collaborative atmosphere.

Next time you’re in a meeting, work on your active listening skills: take notes, make good eye contact and react to what others say with respectful body language like nodding your head.

What communication skills should a leader possess?

  • Active listening
  • Storytelling
  • Public speaking
  • Facilitating group conversation
  • Presenting
  • Articulation
  • Nonverbal communication
  • Conciseness

2. Agility

Business — and life — change constantly. When a deadline falls through, or a key team member suddenly has to drop out of a project, all eyes will turn to you — as the leader — for guidance. In a situation like this, you’ll need to be quick on your feet to figure out how to move forward!


Here are some leadership skills related to empathy:
  • Caring
  • Emotionally intelligent
  • Compassionate
  • Understanding
  • Fostering communication
  • Emotionally expressive
  • Active listener
  • Intuitive

10. Humility

As a leader, it can be natural to want to pat yourself on the back or take credit for your team’s accomplishments. But a great leader knows how important it is to remain humble! Humility shows you place yourself as a part of the team, not above it.

Humility is strongly tied to other key leadership skills — it means admitting when you’re wrong (accountability), acknowledging you have opportunities to improve (give and receive feedback), recognizing others’ contributions (trust and respect) and staying open to change and new ways of working (agility and creativity).

So, what does humility look like?

  • Giving credit to your team
  • Accepting responsibility
  • Asking for input
  • Using team-oriented language
  • Fostering teamwork
  • Delegating
  • Leading by example
 

Ready to show off your amazing leadership skills? Learn about American Family’s culture and values — and be sure to look if we have any open roles that match your unique talents.

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