A common misconception among entrepreneurs and managers is that leaders are born with a certain set of traits that make them ideal for running entire teams. This is not true as most leaders actually work very hard to develop their skills and learn how to manage their organizations.

According to the report, 63% of Millennials feel a lack of leadership development. Another study reveals that nearly 80% of organizations report they’re experiencing a leadership gap. More promising research shows that 89% of executives believe strengthening organizational leadership is a top priority.

The business world is obviously in need of leadership talent, which gives you the opportunity to step up and grow professional skills. We want to help you with that, so keep reading to see seven tools and activities for developing your leadership skills.

1. Build communication skills

Communication is a major part of every business, but it plays a particularly important role in the work of a team leader. If you want to manage a company or department and make it highly productive, you have to communicate clearly and directly.

There is no room for misunderstandings and misconceptions, so you better learn to speak and write concisely. The best way to do that is by promoting a goal-oriented communication in the workplace.

Namely, each member of the team should get clear instructions and report to you just as concisely. Avoid long meetings and irrelevant messages. Instead, focus on key deliverables and ask your subordinates to do the same.

2. Be a role model

The second thing you must learn is how to act as a role model. The leadership role is challenging because you cannot ask people to do something you wouldn’t. On the contrary, you have to lead by example and show what you mean in practice.

Here’s a simple example. Let’s say you are running late with a project and need to work overtime in order to get it done on time. In this case, you must be the first to stay in the office and work a few extra hours every day. If you don’t do it, how can you expect the staff to do it?

3. Delegate tasks

If there is one thing employees hate, it must be micromanagement. By definition, it is a management style whereby a manager closely observes, controls, and reminds the work of his/her subordinates or employees.

According to the report, nearly 70% of workers say they considered changing jobs because of micromanagement. Such a practice makes employees feel undervalued and unappreciated, so you better learn to delegate tasks.

Your team probably consists of serious professionals who know how to handle their duties, so don’t be a pain in the neck. Let the employees do their jobs and everyone will benefit from it – you, them, and the company as a whole.

4. Keep learning

You might be a business leader, but you are not flawless. The world is changing rapidly and the existing knowledge can only get you so far. The only way to stay competitive in the long run is to keep learning and finding new ways to improve your skills.

How can you do it?

There are so many mechanisms to consider here. First of all, you can participate in professional training and seminars. Another option is to take online courses on platforms such as Coursera or Udemy. You can also find a mentor to help you figure out a new field of work.

5. Use digital tools

Who says a leader has to do everything manually? The year is 2020, which means you can rely on all sorts of digital tools, apps, and platforms to boost performance and become a better manager. Once again, you are free to check hundreds of options online, but we will mention some of our favorites:

• Bill.com for efficient invoicing
• Duolingo for learning foreign languages
• Essay writing service or Assignment Help for content creation
• Grammarly for editing and proofreading
• Monday for better team management
• Evernote for note-taking and idea generation
• Stay Focusd for anti-procrastination purposes

6. Take a leadership skills test

A great manager would do anything to identify his/her strengths and weaknesses, so don’t be afraid of taking a leadership skills test. If you don’t know where to begin, we recommend a test called How Good Are Your Leadership Skills.

All it takes is to answer 18 simple questions. As soon as you do it, the platform will display your score and give you suggestions on how to improve as a leader. The test focuses on personal characteristics like self-confidence, emotional intelligence, and a positive attitude.

Besides that, the tool analyzes your transformational leadership traits, the ability to motivate people, performance management, and many other skills that make a good leader.

7. Take a pressure test

About 80% of workers feel stress on the job, but the figure definitely nears 100% when it comes to business leaders. After all, your job is to make difficult decisions when no one else can do it. This is exactly why we urge you to take the Performing Under Pressure Quiz.

Your job is to answer 10 questions and see what the test has to say about your work under pressure. Try to answer as honestly as possible as it’s the only way to receive trustworthy results. Once you get the final score, you should know whether to work on mental stability.

Up to you!

You cannot become a genuine leader if you don’t invest in lifelong learning and skill development. In this post, we showed you seven tools and activities that can help you to nurture the traits of a successful leader. Make sure to use our suggestions and write a comment if you need other suggestions – we would be glad to answer quickly!

Becky Holton is a journalist and a blogger. She is interested in education technologies, essay writers, custom essay, edubirdie review  and is always ready to support informative speaking. Follow her on Twitter.