Pittsburgh, PA – Business Coach Discusses the Pillars of Leadership Development

Local business coach shares leadership expertise

Many people think leadership is a skill people are born with, but this is far from the truth.

While some people might have unique life experience and/or personality traits to help them be more natural leaders, there are definite traits which can be learned and developed which can help people of any background and personality type be an effective leader, as long as they have the desire to lead.

I am a business coach based in the Pittsburgh, PA area, and I have had the privilege of working with several companies in and around Pittsburgh to help them reach their goals. One of the areas of my job I enjoy the most is leadership training, and I’ve had the opportunity to train leaders in businesses of all types, sizes and industries.

When it comes to leadership, I have found there are a few key traits which can be worked at to help someone reach their full leadership potential. In this article, I will discuss these traits and how working at them can help someone become an adept leader in the business world.

The first trait of an effective leader is communication. The leader in a business setting is someone who can communicate goals clearly and effectively to their teams. This can either be the business owner communicating their own goals, or an executive or manager who must convey the wishes of ownership to their subordinates.

The best leaders know how to pass along information clearly and are there to listen carefully and answer questions when they arise. Part of being an effective communicator is encouraging buy-in from your team members.

It’s not enough to communicate clearly, a leader must explain the “why” along with the “what” so each team member understands their role in the task at hand. Once people buy in to the vision you are sharing and all start pulling in the same direction, it will be much easier to reach your benchmarks.

In addition to being great communicators, leaders must be adaptable in their leadership styles. The best leaders know their team members on a personal level, and understand how they learn, how they prefer to be communicated with and what motivates them, and can adapt to coach their employees in the style which suits them the best.

If a leader understands someone’s learning style, they can best equip them for success. Some people prefer hands-on learning, others want a guided experience, and a good leader can cater to their needs.

It’s imperative to know how your people are motivated. Not everyone just wants a bigger paycheck, many employees express higher job satisfaction scores if they feel appreciated, have a better work-life balance or if they respect the person they work for. A leader who can adapt is able to communicate, teach and motivate members of their team in a unique way to best suit their needs, and as a result everyone performs at a higher level.

This has been a general breakdown of leadership skills, but I offer extensive training for companies in any stage of their lifecycle. If you feel you or your executives could benefit from leadership training, please contact me or fill out the questionnaire on my website to get started today.