SkillInside

Great leadership is made up of numerous different elements and roles, which come together differently in different leadership styles. One role that’s often overlooked is that of serving as a coach. If you’ve ever played or trained under a great coach, you already understand how vast their influence can be. The best leaders, like the best coaches, give those around them permission to succeed and know how to help them reach their potential. Here are some of the most important coaching ideas shared by great leaders—ideas that can benefit anyone’s leadership in any field: Communicate with wisdom. As a coach and leader, you need exceptional communication skills. Your words should make people sit up, listen and feel inspired to act. Challenge the unchallenged. It’s important to know how to challenge others without making them feel criticized or scorned. Raise the bar. Set and maintain high personal standards. Keep raising the bar so others can follow suit. Invest in t...

Leadership has always been a point of fascination for society and people. No matter which era it is, we still wait for a leader to set the motion. Throughout the years, leadership has become a belief changing with the community's mindset. What makes people free? What gives them the freedom to dream, to walk, to be rightful and equal. Therefore, humankind's tenaciousness over leadership evolution and revolution would never cease to exist. While thinking about some of the legendary leaders that intrigues me is not the massive uprisings or grandiose scale wars- It's the fateful encounters that led to the real changes. Every leadership style is relatively unique from the other with the realities that transcend the leaders from their predecessors. Therefore, instead of wasting both your time and mine with a long-winded introduction that is unnecessary for this post, I'll save you the trouble by starting with the discussion. Even though many creators and philosop...

Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama have it. Their husbands also have it. The “it” is charisma. Girls and women talk about the power of charisma – how they want it and how they admire it. Like this response from a 17-year-old girl when I asked her why Hillary Clinton and Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, are on her  top 10 list of women  she admires: “They are charismatic. Who wouldn’t want to look up to a charismatic person?!” And who wouldn’t want to be charismatic? Synonyms for charisma are alluring, bewitching, captivating, fascinating, charming, enchanting, engaging, magnetic and seductive. Charisma is powerful and charismatic people can make others "drink the Kool-Aid." When possessed by people like Adolf Hitler and Charles Manson, charisma is dangerously powerful. But when it’s used for good, the Kool-Aid is really sweet. Let’s do a quick word association. Close your eyes and think of the word  Charismatic.  What famous people pop into your head? The ...

Selling effectively is about much more than closing deals. Any  successful salesperson  knows that choosing the right prospective customers to focus on, avoiding time-wasting activities and making time for unusual sales tactics are just as important as meeting a quota at the end of the quarter. That’s where a little selfishness can become a huge help. The only way to really manage your time—which in turn lets you focus on the right people and activities—is to be selfish with it. I don’t mean skipping out on your husband’s birthday or refusing to help your elderly neighbor up the stairs because you’re already running late. Rather, selfishness in sales means committing—unflinchingly—to the kinds of activities that are ultimately going to make you better at all the different pieces of your job: selling, talking, closing and reflecting. With that in mind, here are three areas where you need to get more selfish with your time: 1. Create rules for your calendar a...

No matter your industry, size or history, these three things are the foundation of success. Here's a question I'm asked from time to time: "What's the single most important part of running a successful business?" Much to their dismay, I don't have an answer. There isn't one single factor that universally translates to any company's success. There's three. A "Triple Crown," you could say. They all tie into one another, and without one, it's nearly impossible for any business to succeed. They're the Three P's: People, Purpose and Passion. No matter your industry, your size or your history, these three things are the foundation of every business's success. People Your business could have the world's best product and still fail. If your people aren't adequate, you won't stand a chance. One of my most strongly held beliefs is that hiring   well is the single most important part of any m...

If  you’re in a position of leadership —whether you’re a CEO, manager, or community volunteer—it’s likely that you put a great deal of care into the words you use. But if your   body language doesn’t sync with those words,   you may be giving a terrible impression without even knowing it. It is said that people form impressions of others in seven to 30 seconds. That’s pretty quick. If you don’t have the right body language, you may be leaving a negative impression before you even have a chance to speak. Body language goes far beyond a handshake and smile. But in my  decades of executive leadership coaching ,   I’ve found that executives don’t pay nearly enough attention to its importance. Here are some of the most common body language mistakes to avoid if you want to make the great impression as a leader. 1. Clashing body cues and spoken words.   If you’re saying “Let’s all work together  and make this work” while your hands are cros...

If you struggle with speeches or presenting your thoughts in a clear and understandable way, these strategies will help. Tripping over your words in business meetings or everyday small talk can be a large source of insecurity for many. After all, it can be overwhelmingly frustrating to have great ideas but have zero ability to communicate them. Strong spoken articulation is often associated with being more intelligent and more capable. Here are 5 ways to become more articulate in both your personal and professional life. 1. Listen to yourself. Even if you hate the sound of your own voice, one way to become a better communicator is to record how you participate in conversations. Do you speak in many run-on sentences? Go off on a lot of tangents? Are you hard to understand? Identify your problem areas by listening to yourself so you can fix them. 2. Don't be afraid to pronounce. One bad habit that can get in the way of powerful spe...