How to be a Better Leader: Practical Steps to Develop Your Leadership Potential

Great leaders aren’t born—they’re developed through continuous learning, self-awareness, and intentional practice. Whether you’re leading a team for the first time, aspiring to become a leader, or a veteran executive, refining your leadership skills is essential to building a positive work environment. So let’s talk about realistic steps you can take to become an effective, inspiring leader.

Leadership Is a Skill

The idea that great leaders are ‘born’ is a persistent myth that overlooks the true nature of leadership: it’s a skill, not an innate trait. While some individuals may have personality traits that make leadership come more naturally, the reality is that effective leadership can be developed through intention, practice, and real-world experience. Leadership isn’t about holding a title or being the loudest voice in the room—it’s about influencing, guiding, and empowering others toward a common goal. That influence can be taught, it’s not a predetermined personality type.

Organizations seek leaders who can navigate complex situations, inspire their teams, and make sound decisions under pressure. Traits like adaptability, clear communication, emotional intelligence, and decision-making are crucial to lead others and manage high-stakes situations. Fortunately, these skills can be cultivated. Professional development programs, action learning projects, workshops, feedback loops, and stretch assignments provide opportunities to develop leadership behaviours in a structured environment. Like any other professional skill, leadership improves with time, effort, and deliberate practice.

What Makes a Great Leader?

Being a great leader goes beyond managing tasks or overseeing workflows. While average leaders focus on planning, organizing, and maintaining day-to-day operations, great leaders inspire, influence, and shape a vision for the future.

Average leadership is about execution—ensuring deadlines are met and processes are followed. Great leadership, on the other hand, is about motivation and direction. Both have a critical place in the world of business. An average leader gets things done. A great leader empowers their team to think critically, take ownership, and grow. One person can, and often will, have both skills. Here’s how you can stay a step ahead:

• Commit to continuous learning: Effective leaders know their skills must evolve with changing demands and workplace dynamics.
• Develop emotional intelligence: Understanding and managing emotions—both their own and others’—is key to building trust and resolving conflict.
• Sharpen decision-making: Leadership development enhances your ability to make strategic, timely decisions under pressure.
• Adapt to change: Strong leaders embrace uncertainty and guide their teams through times of transition confidently.
• Leverage leadership training: Various programs offer practical tools, real-world case studies, and coaching to strengthen your effectiveness as a leader in the long term. Explore how leadership development fuels your growth.

Common Leadership Challenges and How to Overcome Them

Being a leader is a dynamic and demanding role that presents a range of challenges, regardless of the year or level of work experiences. From making countless decisions daily to managing diverse teams to navigating constant change, leaders must be equipped with strategies to address these complexities effectively. Challenges leaders face may include:

• Decision fatigue: Constant decision-making can lead to mental exhaustion and reduced judgment quality.
• Leading teams: Balancing different personalities, expectations, and working styles can be challenging.
• Handling conflict: Navigating interpersonal tensions or performance issues demands strong communication and emotional control.

It’s how you deal with these leadership challenges that determines your effectiveness as a leader.

Self-Awareness is a Critical Leadership Skill

Self-awareness is a cornerstone of effective leadership. When you recognize your strengths and areas for growth, you can make informed decisions and communicate with your team effectively.

Understanding how your behaviour impacts others fosters empathy and trust. Self-aware leaders are better equipped to regulate their emotions, especially in high-stress or conflict-driven situations, leading to more constructive outcomes. This reflective approach enhances individual performance and cultivates a positive and resilient organizational culture.

Why Leadership Training is Crucial to Help Leaders Grow

Effective leadership demands continuous development and refinement of key skills. While self-study and on-the-job learning are valuable, structured leadership training offers targeted strategies and frameworks that accelerate growth and enhance leadership effectiveness.

Structured Learning

Professional development programs provide clear frameworks and tools to approach leadership challenges systematically. These structured learning paths help leaders build a solid foundation in essential leadership competencies.

Real-World Applications

Many programs offered by Schulich ExecEd incorporate action learning projects and case studies, and team exercises that mimic real-world scenarios. This hands-on approach allows leaders to apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations, enhancing problem-solving and decision-making skills.

Skill Development

Focused training hones critical leadership areas such as emotional intelligence, strategic decision-making, and conflict resolution. By addressing these key competencies, leaders can navigate complex challenges and lead their teams more effectively.

Peer Feedback

Engaging with peers in a learning environment encourages growth through shared insights and diverse perspectives. Constructive feedback from classmates and instructors who are industry experts helps leaders identify areas for improvement and refine their leadership approach.

Role-Playing

Enacting difficult conversations and decision-making exercises under pressure prepares leaders to handle high-stress situations with confidence. These activities build resilience and enhance communication skills, crucial for effective leadership.

Leadership development programs offer a comprehensive approach to honing these skills, combining academic rigor with practical application. By participating in such programs, leaders can enhance their effectiveness and drive organizational success.

Finding the Right Leadership Training Program for You

Selecting the right leadership development program based on your career needs and goals is crucial. Consider the leadership capabilities you’re looking to enhance. Are you focused on developing broad leadership skills, or do you want to focus on a specific niche or ability? When evaluating professional development programs, consider the following factors:

• Curriculum: Ensure the program offers a curriculum that covers the essential leadership competencies you want to develop. Strategic thinking, decision-making and emotional intelligence are some of the key skills worth looking for.
• Faculty: Look for programs taught by experienced instructors with real-world leadership experience and credentials. Schulich ExecEd, for example, focuses on programs led by industry experts with hands-on workplace experience, rather than career professors.
• Real-World Applications: Choose programs that incorporate action learning projects, case studies, simulations, and team exercises to provide practical experience. The old saying that ‘you learn by doing, rather than seeing’ is certainly true when it comes to leadership skills.
• Networking Opportunities: Opt for programs that facilitate connections with peers and industry leaders to expand your professional network. Having a network of other leaders you can connect with and bounce ideas off of can make the learning process feel more engaging and less clinical.

Ready to embark on your journey to become a better leader? Explore Schulich ExecEd’s full suite of leadership programs.