6 Skills to Become an Influential Leader

When it comes to successful people, there are certain things that people do that get them to the level that they are. Think about the best boss you've ever worked for. There is something they most likely did to inspire you to do better at your job. It is most likely that the attitude of this boss was one of the reasons of their success. The best part of this is that it means anyone can cultivate leadership qualities because attitude is one of the most critical steps to successful leadership. Success, however, is just one aspect of leadership, leaders have the ability to transform their workplaces. Not only do these leaders help to contribute to their company's bottom line, but they contribute to a culture as well, and a great culture within a workplace is also indicative of success. The following are just some of the traits of success.

1. Communication. Influential leaders are capable of making their points in clear, and concise terms. This clarity of communication is one of the most important traits that brings a positive attitude to all situations. When people have nothing to hide, they can speak boldly and clearly. Also, when the communication is honest, objective and forthright people want to hear what they are saying.

2. Organization. You will never find influential leaders caught off-guard that is because they are always well-organized. The method for organization may differ from one person to the next, but influential leaders are always aware of everything their team is doing even though they may not be the one micromanaging them. Leaders know where to find the right resources and where the answers to their team member questions are. Organization also helps leaders have a positive attitude at all times.

3. Focus. Focus is another of the important traits you will find in leaders. Influential leaders don't get lost in the day-to-day details but instead are focused on the near-future. They know what needs to get done today and their actions are oriented to help them achieve these goals and not get lost. For their team, this focus can be reassuring. Despite all the craziness that may occur in a company each day, the team always knows the leader is keeping them on the right track. Being focused helps to improve everyone's attitude in the company along with morale because nothing is as dispiriting as feeling lost and living through someone else's drama.

4. Understanding strengths and weaknesses. This doesn't just refer to the leader qualities, but the team as a whole. One person might be better at talking to customers than another, but there is also someone who is very organized. Knowing all the strengths and weaknesses of your team will help the company work better overall. Working as a team who build upon each other's strengths is one of the biggest secrets to overall success.

5. Emotional intelligence. You will always find that influential leaders know what is going on with their team's emotions. They understand who responds to pressure and who needs some reassurance. Understanding each member of the team's emotional state allows gives leaders security in knowing where the team is and where they need to go in the future to reach their goals.

Being an influential leader is not something beyond anyone's capability. If your attitude is positive and open minded, you can use all these skills to maximum advantage. Most importantly, the people in your company will benefit from your use of these skills because you'll be part of building a positive, objective-oriented culture. This is just one of the new stories on the LinkedIn site. On the site, you will find new stories, trends, trending news and so much more. **