TOP 5 LEADERSHIP SKILLS EVERY LEADER MUST DEVELOP

   Leadership requires specific skill set for the actualization of its full potential. These skills are numerous and must be consciously developed by anyone who desires to succeed as a leader. Today we shall be considering five of them;

1. Communication: Leadership cannot be effective without adequate communication. Leadership involves influence and it takes communication to establish influence. Communication fosters exchange of ideas which in turn facilitates progress. No matter how great a vision you have as a leader, your ability to communicate is what really determines the worth of your leadership. Jesus Christ is recognized worldwide as a reputable leader and this can be attributed to his superb communication skills.(Mt. 17:28-29). His ability to boldly articulate and convey his message to spectators was unmatched. This ability helped him to navigate through tricky and provocative questions thrown at him by oppositions.(Jn. 8:3-11/Matt. 22:15-22/Luke 11:53-54). Winston Churchill who is remembered as one of the greatest war time leader in modern history was an outstanding communicator. As prime minister, his words inspired the United kingdom to victory over the Nazis' power. Some of the greatest leaders that ever lived possessed awesome communication skills. It is a skill that can be developed and should be developed by every leader.
2. Decision-making: A leaders' choices goes a long way to determine the outcome of his leadership. Your choices will either improve your Worth as a leader or completely erode your values. Making accurate, timely and progressive decision brings out the beauty in a leader. King Solomon became an overnight peoples favorite by a singular decision. He was able to choose the right owner and mother of the baby by deploying quality decision making mechanisms. (1Kings 3:16-28). It takes discretion to make quality and reliable decisions. Your ability to consistently make good decisions enhances people's confidence in you. It is much easier to follow a leader with a track record of making laudable decisions. Jesus knew what to do every step of the way, he was always a step ahead of every challenge. This explains why he enjoyed and still enjoying massive followership.(Jn. 6:6). Every leader must be equipped with sustainable decision making skills, as this is crucial to sustaining leadership success.
3. Mentorship: This a major part of leadership, as leadership is not complete without it. Mentorship simply connotes your ability to make leaders out of followers. Great leaders empty themselves into others. Mentorship entails training people to be as strong a leader as you are. David had this exceptional quality. He became captain over four hundred distressed and discontented men and by reason of his great mentorship skills, he  trained these men to become leaders. He appointed some of them as captains in the Israeli military when he became king.(1Sam. 22:2/2Sam. 23:8-39). Myles Munroe a renowned leadership expert said "Leadership success is measured by the success of your successor ." Mentoring is the tool leaders engage to equip their successors for success. Training others to be as effective and efficient as you are is the whole essence of mentorship. You can start from where you are by helping people around you to become better at what they do.
4. Time management: Time management is simply the effective use of time, as a leader you can either allow your time to control you or you can decide to control your time. A good leader must be time conscious, he must possess the ability to measure, plan and maximize the use of time. Saul lost his throne because of poor time management, His failure to adequately deploy the use of his time put him in an unpleasant position and eventually led to his violation of instruction and protocols that were critical to the establishment of his throne. (1Sam. 13:8-14). As time goes by, it reels out news circumstances, the fact still remains that the use to which you put time has a way of modifying the circumstances it reels out. Delay can be dangerous, this is why doing the right thing at the right time should be every leaders target. Lack of appreciation for time has led to the downfall of many leaders. William Penn once said "Use your time wisely; time is what we want the most but what we use the worst." Every leader must develop the skill of good time management. In closing, here's a quote from Steven R. Cory;"The key is not spending time but investing it."
5. Relationships: Leaders should possess an excellent ability to relate with people around them. Every leader should make it a priority to learn how to value relationships, be it a relationship with subordinates, superiors, colleagues, spouse, children and so on. The bible stressing the need for proper relationship skill instructs that anyone who desires the office of a Bishop must of necessity have a good relationship with his wife, children and even with relatives and acquaintances.(1Tim. 3:1/4-7). Without relationships rulership would be impossible. A caring leader is bound to achieve more than a bossy leader. A leader who knows how to initiate, cultivate and sustain profitable relationships is one who will be admired and respected. If you don't value relationships, you don't qualify to be a leader. Jesus demonstrated sound relationship skills, we saw how he visited Peters' sick mother in-law. This was why he was not only respected by his followers, he was also loved by them.(Matt. 8:14-15/Jn. 21:15-17). People don't want to know how good a leader you are, until they know how much you care. Leadership is much more than dishing out instructions, it involves people and these people value relationships. Don't be a robotic leader, be a humane leader.

  Well, there you have it. You may not possess all the qualities now, but it gladdens my heart to let you know that you can develop them with discipline and commitment. Please leave your comments below.