Greatest Ability to provide Leadership
Great leaders possess a host of technical competencies such as communication skills, strategic planning skills, negotiation skills, problem-solving skills, analytical skills, financial skills amongst others. My greatest ability to provide leadership lies in my excellent persuasive communication skills and high emotional intelligence (EQ).
Communication skills are a necessity for any leader. All leadership skills are bound together by effective communication. Persuasive communication skills refer to an individual’s ability to identify the most vital issues to other stakeholders and to alter his or her communication in a manner that fosters a favorable course of action. Every individual receives and processes information differently. The way individuals perceive information is strongly influenced by their past life experiences. Miscommunications happen when there are differences in the encoding and decoding processes of the communicator and recipient. My persuasive communication skills will thus enable me to package information in a form that will ensure that the intended message remains intact even when subjected to different interpretations. Persuasive communication skills also enable one to establish rapport, listen actively, evaluate needs, come up with ideas that appeal to both individuals and groups, obtain feedback, and gain the confidence of others. Leaders interact with various stakeholders in their day-to-day work. Good communication skills enable them to identify, appreciate, and understand the unique and different communication styles of these stakeholders and to adjust their communication accordingly (Schwartz and Pogge, 2000; Chaudry et al., 2008).
Goleman et al. (n. d. as cited in Serio and Epperly, 2006) define EQ as “how leaders handle themselves and their relationships”. To be a successful leader, one needs to possess the following EQ competencies: self management, self awareness, relationship management, social awareness, and empathy. Self management and self awareness help leaders to identify their individual strengths and weaknesses and to take measures to improve them. As a leader, I will need to make efforts to know my followers because leadership is founded on the ability to establish positive and fruitful relationships. Relationship management will thus enable me to establish connections with others. It is through these connections that I will be able to inspire my followers towards a common vision. Focusing on relationships will also enable me to understand local politics. More importantly, these relationships will form the cornerstone of some of my leadership tasks such as coaching, nurturing, and provision of feedback to subordinates. Social awareness, on the other hand, will enable me to sense the personal feelings of others and to monitor the pulse of the entire organization (Chaudry et al., 2008). The final EQ competency, empathy is perceived to be the epicentre of all relationships. It is defined as the ability to perceive things from another’s perspective. Empathy enables leaders to persuade individuals and groups to work together for the common good (Serio and Epperly, 2006; Chaudry et al., 2008).
In conclusion, my best ability to provide leadership lies in my good communication skills and high EQ. Excellent communication skills will enable me to understand the perspectives of various stakeholders and to tailor my communication in a manner that fosters an effective course of action. My high EQ, on the other hand, will enable me to amongst other things establish relationships with others and to inspire my followers towards a common objective.
References
Chaudry, J., Jain, A., McKenzie, S. and Schwartz, R.W., 2008. Physician leadership: The
competencies for change. Journal of Surgical Education, 65, pp. 213-220.
Schwartz, R.W. and Pogge, C., 2000. Physician leadership: Essential skills in a changing
environment. Am J Surg., 180, pp. 187-192.
Serio, C. D. and Epperly, T.,2006. Physician leadership: a new model for a new generation.
Family Practice Management, 13(2), pp. 51-54.
