3 tips to train your leadership skills in everyday life! | Front Leadership

Awareness of what you should and want to train in is the key to success. One example is how Benjamin Franklin approached different areas of expertise. He is known as an accomplished writer. He was also an avid chess player. Throughout his life, he spent as much time playing chess as writing. What was the reason why he became impressively good at writing, but only mediocre at chess? The difference lies in how he trained. When it came to his writing, Benjamin Franklin was thorough - he compared himself to others, received feedback and constantly evaluated himself. He worked methodically towards a clear goal and got results. What can we learn from Benjamin Franklin?

Three tips on how to practice your leadership skills

You don't necessarily need to set aside a lot of extra time for exercise. Training should be easily accessible and part of everyday life, but no one is good if they don't train. Here are three tips on how you can train your leadership skills in everyday life.

1. Focus

   In everyday life, the same tasks usually go round and round - you repeat different versions of the same meeting or presentation over and over again, but you don't necessarily get better. Why is that? Like the story of Benjamin Franklin, I believe that awareness of what you want to be the best at is crucial. As a leader, most people have a great potential for development where there are many different things you can do, but it's no use thinking that you have to be the best at everything right away. You don't have the time or energy for that in a hectic workday. One tip is to focus on one thing at a time. Make a list of which leadership skills you want to train, what your goal is and what it will take to achieve your training goal. Do you have all the resources you need to achieve the goal? Is the goal realistic within the time frame you've set? If it's difficult to prioritize, ask a colleague what they think you have the greatest potential for improvement. Personally, I've found that involving others not only provides more insight, but also has other benefits that lead to the next point.

2. Feedback

   Call a friend! The most important thing you can do as a leader is to take advantage of the environment around you. Why not ask a colleague, customer or business partner for feedback on your training. There are several advantages to letting others take part in your everyday training. It's motivating because you get concrete feedback and advice. Others will also often appreciate being asked. Showing humility about the fact that you are training to become a better leader and that you are aware of your weaknesses will often result in a better and more honest relationship. For example, if you are training to become a better presenter, call a participant after the presentation and ask specific questions about how the presentation was perceived. How was the body language and tone of voice? Was the content perceived as engaging? Did I make good eye contact or was I perceived as nervous? I often lean on my network and am convinced that they have helped me to become a better leadership developer.

3.  Fixed

   Once you've figured out what to train on and received feedback, it's time to make the necessary adjustments. Let the change become part of your everyday life and your leadership skills. It's easy to fall back into old habits, but if you support it with structure, routines and a good network, the change can be lasting. Changing behavior is not easy, so don't be too hard on yourself. As in the story of Benjamin Franklin, awareness is the key to success. You are therefore already halfway to your goal.