But just what do we mean by ‘leadership?’ It would appear to be the capacity to look ahead, think ahead, plan ahead, and then influence other people to go ahead on the plan.”
– Ralph C. Smedley
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| Project | Objectives |
| 1. Listening | Listening is an important leadership skill that enables you to acquire information, identify and clarify issues, make decisions, and resolve conflict. Listening skills also play a major role in team building. You can learn to be a better listener by following a new simple suggestions.
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| 2. Critical Thinking | A leader gathers information, then analyzes, interprets, and understands it before acting. Critical thinkers question wha they read and hear. Then they determine the quality of a piece of information and use logical reasoning to reach conclusions. Critical thinkers make better decisions.
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| 3. Giving Feedback | Team members need to know what they are doing well, what they are not doing well, and how they can improve. Giving performance feedback is a necessary leadership function. When done properly, feedback can relieve stress, improve interpersonal relationships, and promote trust and respect for leaders and team members.
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| 4. Time Management | Time management helps leaders make the most of the time available to them. You can budget your time and accomplish projects and tasks efficiently by identifying long-and short-term goals, making a daily to-do list, prioritizing the list, making a schedule and delegating when possible, leaving time for unexpected tasks, and managing interruptions.
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| 5. Planning and Implementation | A plan provides direction for the leader and the team. The planning process involves setting goals and objectives, and preparing plans and schedules to accomplish them. The process forces leaders to look beyond their everyday activities and think about what they want to happen in the future. Involving team members in the process encourages commitment.
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| 6. Organization and Delegation | Leaders must ensure the team is organized enough to accomplish its goals and objectives, and provide the structure in which the team operates. Delegation plays a major role. A good leader performs functions that only he has the knowledge and authority to perform, delegating all other tasks to team members.
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| 7. Facilitation | A facilitator’s primary job is to make the team’s job easier. More specifically, a facilitator guides discussions among group members and manages and resolves conflicts. Conflicts are not unusual any time two or more people are required to work together and good facilitation skills can help the group reach a resolution.
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| 8. Motivation | A motivated team overcomes obstacles of all types to achieve its goals. A leader creates and maintains an environment where team members are likely to become motivated. Leaders uncover what motivates team members; then they develop reward systems that match what team members value. They also look for ways to reward team members for doing the right things.
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| 9. Mentoring | A mentor recognizes and individual who has less experience, cultivates her potential and talents, and helps her succeed. Leaders are mentors. You can be a mentor by offering opportunities for skill development – pointing out areas needing improvement, providing helpful advice, being a role model, and encouraging the person to think for herself.
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| 10. Team Building | Teams offer great benefits. Team members have a variety of knowledge and skills, which results in more creativity and greater productivity. When a good team is in place, a leader has more time to devote to leadership issues. Team members must be carefully chosen, trained, and encouraged to openly discuss issues.
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