Collaboration
The ability to collaborate ranks high on vital leadership skills for the 21st-century workplace. It can help develop very critical relationships and build trust in helping teams and organisations at large accomplish its goals. In a collaborative relationship, either at the individual or team level, there’s more experience created and new work cultures. Interaction means teams are better energized to attaining present and future tasks.
Listening
Listening as a leader can turn average team members into rockstars. Trivial as this sounds, a lot goes missing by not paying attention; either to spoken words or attitude. A lot of our mental state as human beings is embedded into communication skills, it’s important to pick these things as a leader to understand efficiently how to engage the team members. The goal should always be to get the work done in the best and most professional way. – Oreoluwa Boboye; Business Intelligence Lead-Jobs Ringier One Africa Media.
Mentorship
A famous African proverb says “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”. Mentorship is a very vital leadership skill at the workplace as only a man or woman who understands the vision of where an organisation is going can and will be willing to commit to such a vision. Whether this is in regards to short-term tasks or long-term goals, mentorship will be a very key skill to navigate the ever-changing workplace.
Influence
“I have the ability to influence you to change your mind,” says Rolayo Omitogun; Talent Consultant The African Talent Company(TATC). Influence as a key leadership skill involves persuasive abilities to spark and/or inspire teams and individuals to take an action. Persuasiveness and influence as skills will enable you to have all hands on deck and fully committed to attaining better results at tasks.
Responsibility
Ownership of your tasks is vital in the 21st-century workplace, you do not want to be perceived as incompetent or lacking a basic leadership skill such as taking responsibility. Taking responsibility and ownership of your tasks ensures you get more done with less monitoring as you don’t want to be micromanaged, earn better and stay employable and your job satisfaction will be higher. – Seyi Abiodun, Talent Scout-Stutern.
Multitasking
There are new schools of thought that believe multitasking can hurt one’s focus on attaining their tasks. While they make very arguable claims, in this age of technology working with tools and having the ability to go back and forth between these tools, technology has facilitated the ability to multitask when it comes to delivery of tasks hence. Ability to multitask is important to stay employable says Abiola Adebiyi; Assistant Accountant Cheki Nigeria.
Analytical
Being analytical means you are astute and insightful, your decisions in the workplace are backed up by data and not guesses. Such leadership skill helps you plan and deliver team tasks and projects with greater precision, better predictability of end results. I believe it tops most leadership skills and positions an individual for better career progression says Runsewe Oreoluwa; Writer Ventures Africa.
In conclusion, it’s important to note, you’re a leader not just until you’re leading a team or organisation. If you’re assigned a task in the workplace take responsibility and leadership. This will prepare you for greater opportunities ahead both within and outside the organisation. What other leadership skills do you think are must-haves in the 21st-century workplace? We’ll like you to share with us in the comment section below.
