Creating a Roadmap to Success | Part Three: Skills, Behaviors, and Communication for Courageous Leaders March 27, 2022 by Belinda EganAuthentic leaders recognize that the way they think, act, and communicate matters. They understand that these three things make up who they are and how they show up in the world. This final article of the series will cover the skills, behaviors, and communication needed to be a courageous leader. In the first article, we discussed the importance of understanding who you are at your core. Until individuals can truly understand who they are at their core, they will never affect lasting change. Understanding your core and creating a sustainable leadership style from this place requires something few are brave enough to take on. It requires digging deep to transform the way you see the world around you. It requires the strength and flexibility to alter the way you have led in the past, to focus on building relationships, and, as a result of this deep, engaged work, create success – for yourself sure, but more importantly for those around you. If you haven’t done the work in article one, I challenge you to go back and discover your core values, your motives, and the things that might be holding you back. Once you’ve done that, we can focus on the skills, behaviors, and communication you need to continue your journey as a courageous leader. Anyone can be placed in a leadership role, but it takes solid leadership skills to thrive and be successful. Here are five skills I believe every courageous leader needs to develop to succeed. Self-Awareness Self-awareness is one of the most essential skills for a leader to develop. It will help you understand what you bring to the organization and impact your team through your daily actions and behaviors. Self-awareness allows you to recognize and understand emotions in yourself and others, helping you better manage behavior and relationships within the workplace. It enables you to identify your negative and positive triggers and how to respond to them – giving you the ability to build stronger relationships with your team. Accountability Practicing accountability with yourself and your people will boost confidence, increase productivity, build trust, and teach your team the value of their work. As a leader, you set the standard for your organization. Accountable leadership includes taking responsibility for your actions, decisions, AND mistakes. It includes holding regular check-ins with your team, providing constructive feedback, using terms like “we” instead of “I,” and taking time to recognize the excellent work your team does. Integrity Courageous leadership is about operating with integrity from your morning meeting to your strategy sessions and every minute in between. Integrity is the quality of having strong ethical or moral principles and always following them, no matter who’s watching. You must act with honesty, honor, and truthfulness. At its core, integrity is the ability to be consistent in what you say and what you do. Remember, actions speak louder than words, and when the two oppose one another, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Curiosity and Daring Leadership isn’t just about lighting the path ahead for your team – it’s also about having what it takes to carve out an entirely new course and instilling the confidence in your people to follow you. Harness the power of thinking outside the box and make suggestions in a way that suits your organizational goals AND highlights the strengths of your team. Curious leaders can generate more original ideas, find inspiration in everything, and spread motivation and a desire for continued learning. Effective Communication Language can shape the entire culture you’re creating with your team. It has tremendous power to connect us as individuals and generate and create tangible action. Action-based conversations are the fundamental structure of coordinating and shaping your entire roadmap to success. Through intentional, action-oriented language, you as a leader can design conversations that create connections and dialogues that will lead your team to take action. Always be very clear about what you are requesting. Generative language will put the power and the empowerment in the hands of your employees – you are encouraging them to create something extraordinary that drives the whole team closer to your shared goals and vision. There are many integral parts to effective communication that go far beyond your language when conversing with your team. It’s also essential to understand non-verbal communication, conflict management, tough conversations, email communication, and so much more. If you’re ready to do the work and dive deep into each of these leadership skills, I invite you to join the Leader’s Edge Membership Program. This all-inclusive membership program will give you the tools you need to effectively lead your team to success through accountability, ongoing training, and continued support from Belinda. I am here to guide you along the way. – Belinda Egan Join NOW!