10 Critical Business Leadership Skills to Develop

Leaders should be reliable without being predictable.

They should be consistent without being anticipated.

- Mike Krzyzewski

I have been in the military and business world for forty years and I often get asked what it takes to be a top-line leader. My experience leads me to this list of 10 business leadership skills that most successful leaders all share.

If you want to be a better leader, work on this list of leadership skill development items:

Optimism … people want to follow an optimist, a person always looking to prioritize and solve problems.

Critical thinking … assessing core issues of situations and quickly deciding on a course of action.

Courage … making tough decisions, knowing that bad decisions will be penalized. Remember that doing nothing is always an option.

Relentless preparation … makes you confident. Answer the question why shouldn’t I take this action?

Inspire and motivate … getting the most from each team member and succeed based on your ability to work with others.

Communications … both written and oral skills that are clear, concise, and to the point.

Listening … focused on hearing everything that’s being said so you can make the most informed decisions.

Creative thinking … stepping out of rigid mindsets to explore new ideas outside of your comfort zone.

Evolving … adapting quickly to the success of the team. This is the most difficult skill to master, but the most powerful.

Strong beliefs … knowing who you are, what you believe in, and where you are going.

A simple reminder … business leadership skills, like swimming, cannot be learned by reading about it … it takes lots of consistent practice. You need to dive into the pool as soon as possible.