What skills must an aspiring manager have?

Do you wish to become a manager? Is your current team leader leaving and you want to apply for the position? You may be wondering whether you have what it takes to be a manager. Here are five skills that anyone who wants to become a manager and lead others must have. And the good news is that all five can be learnt.

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Positive personal brand, built over a long period

There is a lot to this point. A manager must generally give a good impression. They must be able to speak well and present themselves, their team and their work well. And they must also look decent, which means they should take care of themselves and present themselves on a level corresponding to the position they are in or want to attain.

Ability to communicate effectively

According to CIO.com, the ability to communicate is the key trait of any leader. They must be able to communicate with anybody in a prompt, effective and comprehensible manner, as well as adapt to the person they are talking to, using all the tricks of both verbal and nonverbal communication.

Strategic planning

Strategic thinking, looking ahead, intuition and planning: without these traits, no manager can be successful. A good leader must look ahead, weigh up different options and have various plans ready for different situations that may occur.

Listening and empathy

The ability to empathise with other people is key when communicating with subordinates. For a manager to be able to inspire and motivate others, they must understand them on a personal level, listen to them and empathise with them.

Healthy self-confidence

Unfortunately, even the best worker with great skills and knowledge cannot be a good leader if they lack the necessary self-confidence and trust in their own abilities and skills. Confidence is essential when it comes to serving as a role model and making others feel enthusiastic about a common vision.

Technical knowledge

All the points mentioned above are so-called soft skills. But a good leader must also know the trade, so to speak. They have to know what team members actually do and how things function. So the final point to mention in this article is hard skills, namely technical, theoretical and practical skills that enable the given person to orientate in what is happening in their field.

 

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Article source CIO.com - Internetové stránky časopisu CIO pro vedoucí pracovníky v oboru informačních technologií
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