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Every leader must ask themselves what exactly they consider to be the core of their mandate to lead is; is it the power to make those around you like you?
Because whilst this is a skill in life, it often comes at the expense of other abilities; if it’s to be fierce and commanding, then again, this skill only really checks a small fraction of the skillset needed to truly lead and comes at the expense of productivity and high turnover.
But then, what skills really are at the core of the leadership function? Obviously, organisation is key; it’s almost impossible to lead if you aren’t capable of keeping abreast of deadlines and your own calendar. Similarly, professionalism is essential. If you’re consistently blurring the lines between your home and work lives, arriving late and leaving early and speaking inappropriately to staff, you aren’t going to last long as a leader.
Yet the one absolutely essential skill that all leaders need to be versed in is the ability to persuade. As previously discussed, leaders with no mandate to lead will find that their commands fall on deaf ears. Bosses who treat their staff like old pals will find that their orders are undermined or considered low priority. Yet, leaders with effective powers of persuasion will find that regardless of how they’re viewed by their staff, workers will be on board with their tasks because they’ll be convinced that this is the right course of action.
