Resources for Leaders Looking to Improve Their Management Skills
Continuous development is vital for everyone across the corporate landscape who wants to keep improving and growing as a professional as well as an individual.
It’s particularly important for leaders, be they supervisors just starting out in a leadership role or experienced managers keen to drive their team towards greater achievements.
For all of these individuals, it can be hard to find the resources to help you improve your skills and become the best version of yourself to benefit your team, the organisation you all work for and you yourself.
Leadership, like just about everything, goes through various changes in ideas and trends, so it’s important that you find out about all the newest concepts out there and the proven ways that you can improve working conditions for everyone you work alongside. Keeping up with the latest ideas can be a gargantuan effort, particularly when you’re also running a team and trying to be the best version of yourself possible.
To help, I’ve put together a list of some of the best resources on the market currently that will help you to enhance your leadership and give your team the support they need.
Courses
Taking courses is a valuable way to improve your skills and show yourself to be deeply committed to personal improvement. Finding the right course can be a challenge, as there are so many out there. Look for a renowned course provider with many years’ experience supporting executives and business leaders, such as the BCF Group. The group offers a range of insightful courses and qualifications, such as ILM Level 7 qualifications in executive coaching and mentoring, which will teach you to be respectfully present, understanding and supportive when helping others to improve their own careers. Work with the group’s expert team to get your ILM 7 certificate and improve your knowledge of the latest mentoring and coaching techniques.
Podcasts
Podcasts are a great way to quickly absorb information on the go, like when you’re commuting to work or taking a long drive in your car. Caroline Dowd-Higgins’ podcast, Your Working Life is about all aspects of professional life and talks in detail about leadership. The Super Fantastic Leadership Show is one that touches on a wide variety of topics and gives astute analysis through its informative show notes. Whatever podcast you choose to listen to, make sure it has lots of knowledgeable and experienced guests to give you various perspectives on today’s leadership market.
Blogs
Another important resource that you should be checking out a variety of is blogs. There’s a wide range of blogs focused on leadership out there, meaning that you can find the ones that work best for you and will give you the insight you need. Other blogs about leadership are written from a variety of perspectives, so you can get a well-rounded overview of the latest thinking, techniques and insights from across the corporate landscape. Some of the blog writers are from specific niches or have longstanding experience in the field of leadership. The selling point for any blog is the individual writing it, so have a look at their credentials before you commit your time and energy to reading a specific blog on leadership.
Books
If you’ve got more time on your hands, or simply want a larger resource to really get your teeth into, then I’d recommend reading a book on leadership. One business book that has valuable insight for leaders is The 80/20 Principle: The Secret of Achieving More with Less by Richard Koch, which touches on how you can improve efficiency in your organisation without using additional resources. Caroline Dowd-Higgins’s book: This Is Not The Career I Ordered (now in 2nd edition), is a valuable reads for any leaders looking to succeed. There are also a wide range of other books touching on aspects of leadership, including The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek, which explores the importance of remembering that development and transformation are constant, rather than tasks that can be completed. By reading this or any of these books on leadership, you can change your mindset and drive yourself towards even greater success.
Being a leader in any capacity is a challenging yet deeply rewarding role. Use this article as a guide to help you find the resources you need to learn about the latest trends in leadership theory and find the ideas and techniques that work for you and, most importantly, everyone on your team.
This guest post was contributed by Grace Murphy, a reviewer and journalist.
