!: How to Weren't Born A Natural Leader? No Problem, Let's Learn to Lead Read

Let's say you've just landed a really big promotion at work. In your new role, you'll be stepping up to lead a team of your company's best salespeople. You might have years of on-the-job sales experience yourself, but do you have the leadership skills necessary to manage and motivate your new team?

Experienced employees aren't necessarily great leaders, and if you answered no to the above question, rest assured that you're not the only one. Consider this article the launch pad for your own personal leadership odyssey - a journey that will never really end, as long as humans are imperfect and natural born leaders are few and far between!

Gather Information

Surf the Internet or cruise through Twitter or YouTube, and you'll find thousands of articles discussing the traits of a great leader. It's obviously an important issue that generates a ton of cyber ink because people are searching for the key to understanding what makes effective leaders tick.

Some say it's a natural ability - take Martin Luther King or Gandhi, for instance. Both of these men had the ability to communicate their vision to their followers. Most importantly, they were able to generate buy-in and therefore inspire commitment.

But, it's important to realize that not everyone is inclined to be a leader. Leaders embody inspiration, passion, integrity, and foresight. The basic premise here is that if you feel it on the inside, it will show on the outside. People actually want to follow someone who inspires them with a vision they can believe in. When that magic combination happens, you've got employees who bring their "A" game to the office, rather than just showing up for the paycheque.

Successful leaders also realize that their most important asset is their people. It sounds like a clichรฉ, but truer words were never written. From my own experience, I can say without a doubt that one of the most potent weapons in your leadership arsenal is the ability to listen. Solicit employee feedback. Never forget to look at a situation from an employee's point of view and address their needs promptly and to the best of your ability.

The Path to Great Leadership

If you're a parent, think back to when your first child was born. Remember how many times you wished babies came with an instruction manual? Or teenagers, for that matter! The fact is, parents learn along the way, and so do great leaders.

The first step is undoubtedly some honest self-evaluation. Do you really enjoy leading people? If work were a rain forest safari, would you be at the forefront, blazing a trail with a machete? Or, would you stand at the edge of the jungle, hesitantly peering through the underbrush while wondering if anyone will follow your lead? If it's the latter, take heart. The first step is recognizing that you need to brush up on your leadership skills. With that recognition, seek out assistance. There are countless mentorship and personal coaching services, motivational speakers, online leadership courses, and even 360 degree interviews, which solicit feedback on your leadership abilities from inside your organization. During this process, be open to change. Refresh your skills every year and recognize that becoming a great leader is a continuous cycle. Live it, breathe it, and put it into action. Continuously fine tune your leadership style, and never stop learning.

If this sounds daunting, break it into manageable chunks. Pick one thing and work on it until you master it. Active listening is a good place to start, because it's a skill upon which you can build your reputation as a great leader. Process what someone is saying, repeat it back, and avoid jumping in to take over the conversation. Most importantly, recognize that you're human and perfect leaders do not exist. All you really need, when all is said and done, is the desire to improve and the commitment to walk the talk. The rest will follow - literally!

Adriana Girdler is the President of CornerStone Dynamics Inc. and an expert in business efficiency, helping leading corporations streamline internal processes to work smarter and improve productivity. Adriana specializes in the development of effective leaders for companies big and small. For more information, please visit http://www.cornerstonedynamics.com.