Notwithstanding the fact that we haven't written anything about it for so long (see, we admit to having shortcomings), the topic of leadership skills is something we're very fond of as well, alongside our staples: job hunting, resume writing, and job interview. Speaking in writing terms, it's scope is wide enough to warrant a series: although it's not as easy to talk about as job interview what with the fact that it doesn't have that much 'subs' to muster on, many quotes about it have been developed over time and they are certainly great fillers, with 'great leaders are made, not born' gracing the number one spot of our mental list. Perhaps its most defining characteristic, however, is its versatility. Versatility in the sense that tips for managers on how they can better lead their team players, for instance, can be used by job hunters and career professionals as well, given proper appropriation and interpretation on their parts. Writing about leadership skills is like discussing job hunt tips and career advancement advice at the same time, really...
Which is not to say that we're feeling lazy today. It's just that, it's about time we offer our readers something on leadership techniques. As bloggers of career, we ought to be versatile in our choices, for our reader's sake and also our writing ability. And so, today, we present to you what we think of proper leadership and how career professionals, both job hunters and working, can successfully imbibe its essences in their career pursuits and career plans for success.
Leadership is best defined by stating examples, not necessarily comparative ones, but cases wherein the fact that good leaders are results-oriented are presented rightfully -- that a good leader is one who works for the results, not the praises. Our idea of job hunting and career building is similar: we believe that results will comes to those who have their eyes on it, to those willing to spend their every waking moment for it, with no unnecessary primps or doubts or whatsoever. The keyword to note here is FOCUS: 'give extra FOCUS to your resume writing in terms of stating your career objectives' and 'FOCUS your sight on your career goals, amidst work stress and despite the absence of work life balance in your life'. Along those ideas.
Career Advice has a couple of leadership articles on leadership techniques that job hunters and Singapore employees can also benefit from. Allow us to discuss them too.
"It is liberating and empowering to know that you've been entrusted with a major responsibility and that you've been given the freedom to fulfill it", says career expert Brian Tracy, in his Positive Expectations article, one of Career Advice's newest uploads. There are many different types of leadership, but this one holds the most appeal to us. Showing trust through giving instructions in limited quantities may sound a bit suicidal, but will work given focus. Customer service team leads and sales managers are greatly encouraged to try this approach in management, as they're from industries where everything depends on the number of outputs cast. A winning formula is created if other executives in the field are informed of it too. But how can job hunters and working professionals from other industries benefit from this?
Transformational leadership works in the idea of establishing a favourable type of relationship, one in which the members are given enough freedom to work on their own. If you've been having a hard time understanding your colleagues lately, this can be the solution. Maybe you've been stressing them out with to much, can-dos? Job hunters, on the other hand, can benefit from this by using the idea to understand the general way of thinking of an interviewer. So that they can better prepare themselves for the appointment. Because really, while it's advised to prepare questions for the interviewers as well, one shouldn't overdo things.
Kamal Kant's Growing a Successful Career article on Career Advice cites leadership qualities as important in the pursuit for success in the work world. "Knowing yourself in terms of strength and weaknesses obviously is important. More critical is being ready to respond to the right opportunity at the right time with the right combination of your knowledge, skills, abilities, expertise and experience", says the career coach. Job offers come easy to job seekers who know how to highlight their strengths properly in their resume and how to make use of their weaknesses to their advantage. Same goes for career professionals, only, what they're bound to get are additional employee benefits like a salary increase, or more training opportunities and career workshops to attend.
To possess the patience, determination, and resourcefulness of a good leader is to bring yourself closer to gold, according to Christina Yap, Consulting Director of Curriculum Vitae. "It will be a 'win-win'", she says in her How to excel in your career that she's shared for Career Advice. In today's job market where competition is tough, job hunters need these characteristics in order to stay motivated. Same goes for career professionals, with the work world as pressuring as it is.
You can read more from Brian, Kamal, and Christina here:
Positive Expectations
GROWING A SUCCESSFUL CAREER
How to excel in your career
Related articles that you might want to check as well:
Making Virtual Team a Reality
The Fundamentals of Career and Success
Reach Out for the Stars
The training and development arm of JobsDB.com Singapore, LearningDB.com, offers two great seminars on leadership and management. You might want to forward these links to your boss:
Dealing with Conflict by Ricky Lien
Dealing with Difficult People and Situations by Christian Chua
For more information, please contact LearningDB.com at 6861 1000 or email to learning@jobsdb.com.sg
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