Top 20 Leadership Skills That Make You a Great Leader
What Does It Take To Be A Great Leader In The Workplace?
Some of the most in-demand soft skills are leadership abilities. So, what does it take to be a great workplace leader?
All professionals in leadership roles, whether they are team leaders, project supervisors, or business executives, must have strong leadership skills.
Can Anyone Be a Great Leader?
If so, how can you get and develop the skills you need to become a great leader? What does the learning process look like?
The thing is, it’s not that simple.
Some agree that some people are born to be great leaders. Others believe that leaders are made.
The truth is, there’s no manual or guide that will give you all the tricks to become a great leader. But what’s for sure is that leadership involves great soft skills.
So, what are the most in-demand leadership skills? Why developing leadership skills is critical in the workplace? What does it take to become a great leader? What do successful leaders do differently?
Let’s dive in!
Leadership Skills: Definition and Examples
There is no unique way to describe great leadership skills. Unsurprisingly, you can find different lists describing the leadership skills one should possess to become a great leader in the workplace.
In essence, leadership skills are the abilities people have to lead and deliver projects, encourage initiatives, build a sense of common purpose, and empower others.
Leadership skills also include the abilities people have to steer employees toward the achievement of the business goals, inspire them, drive change, and deliver results.
Keep in mind that not all great leaders possess the same leadership skills since these skills are strongly connected with people’s personality traits and communication abilities. In sum, different people, different leadership skills!
20 Examples of the Most In-Demand Leadership Skills
There are many different leadership skills required in the workplace, but the most in-demand ones include:
- Active listening
- Empathy
- Strong charisma
- Strategic thinking skills
- Creativity
- Persuasion skills
- Flexibility
- The ability to turn information into action
- Project planning
- Active listening
- The ability to assess employees’ strengths and weaknesses
- Business storytelling
- Time management
- The ability to build trust
- Strong communication skills
- Positivity
- Reliability
- Management skills
- The ability to align the employees with the company values and goals
- A strong leadership vision
What Leaders Are We Talking About?
There are some misconceptions about leadership in the workplace.
By “leaders,” we usually mean employees that occupy supervisory positions in the organization. They are at the top of the hierarchy, and they manage teams or even entire business units.
Think about it: when we talk about or read articles about leadership, the first leaders that come to our mind are company founders, business executives, directors, or team leaders.
However, employees — including those that don’t occupy supervisory positions — can potentially become leaders.
Indeed, if employees have what it takes to be a leader — including leadership and management skills — they can inspire, motivate, and also challenge their colleagues.
Kim Turnage, Director, Leadership Consultant at Talent Plus, says:
“Having a measure of autonomy to make decisions in the workplace is a way to both identify leaders and help them develop. In every culture, there are people who do what’s expected of them and not much more. And then there are people who just naturally step forward and take more responsibility, take more initiative. Those are the people who have that real leadership potential”.
But having great — if not exceptional — leadership skills is not enough for employees to become leaders. They need to be inspired and encouraged by their supervisors.
That's the reason why more and more businesses start launching in-house leadership development plans to help employees grow their leadership skills.
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“He Kept Going When No One Was Watching — And That Changed Everything”
No one ever noticed the days he almost gave up. There were no messages asking if he was okay. No one wondered why he became quieter. No one asked how much effort it took just to keep going. To the world, he was just another ordinary man. His name was Ayaan. Ayaan’s life didn’t collapse in one dramatic moment. It slowly faded. Missed opportunities. Rejected ideas. Silent disappointments. Every failure was small, but together they became heavy. He had dreams once. Big ones. Dreams that kept him awake at night, imagining a future where his hard work would finally matter. But over time, those dreams began to feel unrealistic—almost embarrassing. People around him seemed to move forward effortlessly. They celebrated promotions, achievements, and milestones. Ayaan watched from the side, smiling politely while feeling invisible. At work, his efforts were ignored. Among friends, his voice faded. At home, expectations weighed heavily on him. Slowly, a dangerous thought settled into his mind: “Maybe I’m not good enough.” That thought followed him everywhere. It followed him on crowded buses. It followed him into sleepless nights. It followed him every time he tried again and failed. One night, after scrolling through endless success stories online, Ayaan closed his phone and stared at the dark ceiling. His chest felt tight, not because of pain—but because of exhaustion. He whispered quietly, “How long do I keep trying?” There was no answer. But that night, Ayaan made a decision—not a loud one, not a confident one. A tired decision. He decided to keep going, even if nothing changed. The next morning felt the same. The same routine. The same doubts. The same fear of wasting his life. But Ayaan showed up anyway. He worked when no one praised him. He studied when no one guided him. He practiced when no one believed in him. Some days, motivation disappeared completely. On those days, discipline took over. He reminded himself: “I don’t need applause. I need progress.” Weeks passed. Nothing dramatic happened. No sudden success. No recognition. No miracle. But something subtle began to shift. Ayaan became calmer under pressure. He learned to sit with discomfort instead of running from it. He stopped comparing his journey to others. The silence that once scared him now became his training ground. Months later, a serious problem appeared at his workplace. It was complicated, risky, and easy to blame on someone else. Most people avoided it. Some pretended it wasn’t their responsibility. Ayaan didn’t announce himself. He didn’t seek attention. He simply started working. Late nights. Mistakes. Corrections. Learning. There were moments he wanted to quit. Moments when fear whispered, “You’re not ready.” But he answered back, “I’ll learn.” Slowly, the problem began to disappear. Not perfectly—but steadily. People noticed, quietly. One afternoon, his manager called him into the office. Ayaan expected criticism. Instead, he heard a question that stunned him: “Where did you learn all this?” Ayaan paused. How could he explain years of silent effort? How could he explain working when no one cared? He simply replied, “I kept going.” That moment didn’t change his life overnight. He didn’t become famous. He didn’t suddenly become successful. But it changed something far more important. His belief in himself. For the first time, Ayaan understood that life doesn’t always reward effort immediately. Sometimes, it watches. It watches who continues without praise. Who improves without recognition. Who grows in silence. Years later, Ayaan looked back at the version of himself who almost quit. The man who felt invisible. The man who thought no one was watching. And he smiled. Because he finally understood the truth: Life was always watching. Not to judge. Not to rush. But to see if he would keep going when it was hardest. The world doesn’t reward those who only work when they’re seen. It rewards those who build strength in silence. And sometimes, the moment that changes everything doesn’t come with applause. It comes quietly. After patience. After effort. After consistency. That is when everything finally begins to change. Final Message Keep going—even when no one is watching. Especially then.
By Inayat khanabout 16 hours ago in Motivation
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