Take your leadership skills to the next level

Whether you’re looking to climb the career ladder, or simply want to make improvements within your current position, taking your leadership skills to the next level is key to making progress.

The demands of the project management profession mean that you have to wear a lot of hats and master a range of roles. At the core, this means being a coordinator and organiser, but beyond this, being a strategic thinker, a negotiator and a leader. By upping your game when it comes to leading, you can improve your daily working life, benefit from a happier team, improved culture, and even find yourself advancing in your own career.

Recognise the power you have as a leader

You have worked hard to get to where you are today; reflect on that and recognise what that means to you. All positions of management and leadership come with a level of responsibility and power. And not just the power to direct and instruct people or projects, but the power to be instrumental in success and have influence over the culture within your company.

Leading by example is one of the best things you can do in a managerial role. You want to be able to have confidence and rely upon your team, so ultimately, they will have the same expectation of you. Reports show that 35% of workers say that they would leave a company if they didn’t trust their manager. Avoid being part of this statistic - and the pitfall of the associated high staff turnover - by taking actionable steps to being a more trustworthy manager.

Use your position as a leader to your advantage by demonstrating and operating a culture of transparency. Be open and approachable, be seen in the office and available for your team to speak to. This can go a long way to building trust, as well as being totally transparent and giving your employees the whole picture. Contrary to traditional practices where company challenges were reserved for managers to deal with, providing employees with the true facts can prove instrumental in resolving issues. Sharing information and involving your team will ensure they feel valued. It will see them engage, and work with you towards a successful end goal.

Seek continual improvement

We cannot stress enough the importance of continual learning for leaders. At PRINCE2, we see first-hand the positive effect upskilling can have for individuals and organisations. Take the time to reflect on what skills or processes you could take to a more advanced level. For example, if you have taken the PRINCE2 Agile Foundation course, consider the PRINCE2 Agile Practitioner course to take your skills to the next level.

Similarly, self-reflection could identify any gaps in your talents. Perhaps you need to brush up on your negotiation skills after a hiccup in your last project. Or maybe you haven’t quite mastered a piece of software or technology your company has newly introduced. Whatever it might be, seeking out ways to continually improve yourself will ensure you stay at the top of your game.

On a personal level, you should always be looking for ways to improve and better yourself, and reflection is paramount for this. Externally, know that tweaks and changes you make can cause a ripple effect across your team and beyond. Recognise that you have the ability to improve company culture. Take your leadership skills to the next level with this combination of internal and external developments and you will be on the route to becoming a more successful leader.