How to attain a higher level of leadership skill

A lot has been written about the traits that make one person more effective as a leader than another.  What are the traits or patterns of behaviour that enable these “natural” leaders and communicators to influence others effectively?

The answer is that they understand that Working with People Means Working with Emotions.

Whilst we are all aware of the unwritten rule: “Don’t bring your personal problems to work,” the leaders who base all their business decisions on information, logic and calm cool reason, with emotions kept to a minimum are often not the leaders with success stories around influencing or getting the best out of others.

It is unrealistic to suppose that emotions can be checked at the door when you arrive at work having over slept, missed your train and are late for an important client meeting!  By trying to be emotionally neutral, you may come across as rigid or detached. This is not necessarily bad in some situations, but it is usually not good for an organisation for such people to move into management roles. The same would be true for people who are excessively emotional, who tell you how they feel about everything. Simply being around them can be exhausting.

Developing emotional intelligence in the workplace is a skill that can be learned and perfected.  It means acknowledging that emotions are always present, and doing something intelligent with them. People vary enormously in the skill with which they use their own emotions and react to the emotions of others — and that can make the difference between a good manager and a bad one.

So how can you become better at influencing others?

A good start is to learn how to identify the Motivation Traits (those things that will trigger and maintain a person’s motivation) and Working Traits (the kind of information a person can handle and how they deal with it) within yourself and those you wish to influence.

The Language and Behavioural (LAB) Profile is an advanced communication tool which provides unique insights into the below-conscious motivational patterns we have in various contexts.

For more information on how to identify the patterns that will help you become a better leader and communicator, you can contact Katherine Wiid a specialist LAB Profile Practitioner and Director of Recrion, People and Career Management Professionals.  Telephone 01780 484910 or www.recrion.co.uk.