I have identified the following Leadership skills that need to be improved upon:
Credibility
Leaders need to gain credibility with their team by establishing a shared set of values. “Shared
values are the foundation for building productive and genuine working relationships.” (Kouzes &
Posner, p. K-59). The survey results have made it clear that the relationship between leaders
and employees is severely lacking. While opening lines of communication might help solve
some of their issues, per the Kouzes-Posner First Law of Leadership, “if you don’t believe in the
messenger, you won’t believe the message”. It is very difficult to motivate a team if they do not
have faith in their leader. Leaders need to be more self-aware, affirm their own set of values,
and share those with their team to establish buy in. Once they have affirmed a set of shared
values with each employee, they need to ensure they follow through with their commitment to
their team. It is not just enough to say the right things, a leader with credibility and integrity
follows through. The following survey questions align with this leadership skill:
• Provides leadership who act in just and ethical ways
• I trust my supervisor
• Provides an inclusive environment where each employee is considered as an individual
• Promotes an environment in which employees feel free to make suggestions and
complaints
By establishing credibility with the team, the organization will create an environment of trust in
which employees feel motivated to speak up and share suggestions, issues, or new ideas.
Recognize contributions
Leaders need to acknowledge the work of team members. “Effective employee recognition
programs are built on inclusiveness, communication, and trust… When these three ingredients
come together, the end result is an engaged employee who feels that their organization
recognizes and appreciates good work.” (Dickson, 2019). The following survey questions align
with this leadership skill:
• When people work extra hard to meet our goals they are rewarded accordingly
• My supervisor shows appreciation for the work that I do
• My work gives me a sense of personal accomplishment
• Recognizes employees based on merit, i.e., accomplishments, successes.
• I feel encouraged to come up with new and better ways of doing things
Recognizing employees is one of the easiest things that leaders can do to increase morale
within a company. When employees feel appreciated, they will feel more empowered to share
new ideas and opinions, question the status quo, and seek continuous improvement.
Celebrating a job well done builds a sense of community and builds stronger bonds within the
team.
Communication and delegation
Communication is the basis of success in an organization. It is not only the giving and receiving
of information, but also empathizing and observing. Leaders need to actively engage in
communicating with their employees to develop goals and elicit feedback and new ideas. Doing
so will help them learn how to make the best use of their skills and abilities. Leaders also need
to be intentional about delegating tasks to their employees. Learning to delegate can be a very
difficult thing for a leader because it requires TRUSTING others. Trust is a very common them
in each of our goals. Delegating tasks and effectively communicating with team members
empowers them to deliver their best and continuously improve. The following survey questions
align with this leadership skill:
• My Supervisor talks with me to help me determine my training and development goals.
• My supervisor lets me know where I stand and what is expected of me
• Promotes an environment in which employees feel free to make suggestions and
complaints
• My supervisor gives me useful information on how I can improve my job performance
• Provides employees with a sense of security in their jobs
In conclusion, the three leadership skills that I have outlined above all revolve around two
things: TRUST and COMMUNCATION. Trust cannot be built without effective communication.
Employees cannot effectively develop and grow in their roles without feedback. Team members
do not feel recognized for their work without their leaders showing their appreciation. I am
confident that an organization can make strides in these areas with an effective leadership
toolkit that addresses these primary concerns.
