Creating opportunities to get feedback ◦ Make sure you are approachable and sincere in requests for feedback ◦ Feedback is some of the most helpful.

Part II- Leadership Skills

Creating opportunities to get feedback◦ Make sure you are approachable and sincere in

requests for feedback◦ Feedback is some of the most helpful information

in developing your own leadership

Taking a “10 percent stretch”◦ Take risks and reach beyond comfort zone◦ Voluntary but determined efforts to improve

leadership skills◦ Good way to change certain behaviors

Learning From Experience

Learning from others◦ Ask questions to those who previously had similar responsibilities or

experiences◦ Actively observe how others react to and handle different challenges

and situations

Keeping a journal◦ Good ways to log and keep a record of experiences and thoughts or

feelings about them◦ Good to look back on for future reference◦ Assists in creating development plan

Having a development plan◦ Developing a systematic plan of self-improvement goals is a good way

to take advantage of opportunities◦ Prioritize more important goals

Learning From Experience

Know what your purpose is◦ Know what you want to communicate and how you want to

do it Publicly? Privately? Orally? In writing?

Choose an appropriate context and medium◦ Praise in public, punish in private◦ Context of communication is sometimes as important as the

content◦ Oral communication is the most personal and immediate…

and typically has the most impact. Cannot be conveyed well in some settings and is not permanent Official communication which requires records often times need

to be in writing

Communication

Send clear signals◦ Understand others’ frames of reference

Framing communication in something familiar can help avoid confusion

◦ Use familiar terms and jargon◦ Be sure to send congruent verbal and nonverbal signals ◦ Be specific with your complaints

Actively ensure that others understand the message◦ Actively engage in two-way conversation, when

possible, to ensure the message is understood as you want it to be.

Communication

Demonstrate non-verbally that you are listening◦ Listening is a two way process◦ Make sure your body language shows that you are

listening Eye contact is important

Actively interpret the sender’s message◦ Keep an open mind to the message

Do not try and interrupt Do not think of what to say while the message is being

sent◦ Put the sender’s message into your own words and

see if that is what they meant

Listening

Attend to the sender’s non-verbal behavior◦ Non-verbal cues are often as important as the

verbal ones◦ Pay attention to tone of voice, body language,

gestures, etc.

Avoid becoming defensive◦ Being defensive to all negative feedback will

discourage further feedback◦ Try to put yourself into the complainer’s shoes

Listening

Being assertive means standing up for your or your group’s rights◦ It is not the same as acquiescence or aggression◦ Not merely a compromise between the two◦ Being assertive with superiors is as important as

with subordinates

Use “I” statements

Speak up for what you need

Assertiveness

Learn to say no◦ Sometimes need to stand up for your

subordinates to your superiors

Monitor your inner dialogue◦ Try and make sure that when talking to yourself, it

is positive and affirming

Be persistent◦ Stick to what you want to do without being

irritated

Assertiveness

Stress can either facilitate or inhibit performance, depending on the situation◦ The optimal level of stress depends on the situation

and the person◦ Leaders generally increase or decrease the level of

stress on their followers◦ Stress can help some situations but can cause many

health problems which affect performance

Monitor your own and followers’ stress levels◦ Make the habit of actively trying to identify the

warning signs of high stress

Guidelines for Effective Stress Management

Identify the cause of stress Practice a healthy lifestyle

◦ Balanced nutrition and exercise helps reduce stress levels

Learn how to relax◦ Try and practice deep breathing and muscle

relaxing techniques to better relax◦ Exercise ◦ Professional reading or events can be part of

leadership development and relaxing at the same time.

Guidelines for Effective Stress Management

Develop supportive relationships◦ Friendly support from others is a good way to

relieve stress as well

Keep things in perspective◦ Learn to not get stressed out over every small

problem◦ Try not to stress about things that have already

occurred. Critique and learn from actions but expending energy

on previous errors reduces ability to focus on current issues

Guidelines for Effective Stress Management

Degree of technical competence in an organization effects overall organization◦ Organizations with higher technical competence tend

to have flatter organizational structure◦ Organizations with less technical competence tend to

be more centralized and autocratic

Technically competent leaders are better overall◦ Better able to train subordinates◦ Can get folks to see things in new ways due to

understanding◦ Can better serve superiors

Building Technical Competence

Determining how the job contributes to the overall mission◦ It is an important step to determine which technical skills

are important and required◦ Find out through feedback of superiors, followers, and

peers

Becoming an expert in the job◦ Learn from those who already know. Watch, ask, teach.

Seeking opportunities to broaden experiences◦ Try to fill a variety of positions to better appreciate what

goes into completing the overall mission

Building Technical Competence

Understanding the superior’s world◦ Get to understand the superior’s values and the objectives that

need to be completed◦ Understand that supervisors do not always have all the answers◦ Recognize and complement the superior’s weaknesses◦ Keep the superior knowledgeable with all new developments in the

field of work

Adapting to the superior’s style◦ Not all superiors will have the same values and behaviors as you◦ It is up to the followers to understand their place in the superior’s

system

Understand that usually your success is contingent on your boss’ success

Building Relationships with Superiors

Recognizing common interests and goals◦ Get to know your peers to understand what you have in

common (personally and professionally)◦ Build strong ties can help performance

Understanding peers’ tasks, problems, and rewards◦ Building respect among peers means understanding their

problems and the nature of their work◦ Since encouragement can go a long way

Practicing a “Theory Y” attitude◦ Giving your peers the benefit of the doubt can help build

strong relationships and makes it easier to get along◦ Does not being very naive

Building Effective Relationships with Peers

Two components of credibility◦ Expertise◦ Trust

Building expertise◦ Build technical competence◦ Build organizational/bigger picture understanding◦ Use a mentor or coach

Building trust◦ Clarify and communicate values◦ Build relationships with others

Building Credibility

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