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It Took Me Two Years to Learn These Leadership Skills, But I'll Teach You in 3 Minutes

The Founder and CEO of Kyobi Digital Limited, Mr. Lidong’a lets us in on the leadership skills that helped him get to where he is today.

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The Founder and CEO of Kyobi Digital Limited, Mr. Lidong’a lets us in on the leadership skills that helped him get to where he is today.

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Leadership skills are abilities and strengths that help you show your capability in steering people toward a common goal, overseeing processes and guiding initiatives. Most people think leadership is one skill that includes a combination of applied skills. They are wrong. Some examples of leadership skills are creativity, empathy, patience, positivity, reliability, active listening, dependability, effective feedback, and team building. You become a strong and effective leader when you apply all these skills together to achieve a common goal. 

We had the opportunity to interview the Founder and CEO at Kyobi Digital Limited, Mr. Nicholas Lidong’a, who had this to say about his leadership journey.

In your experience, what makes a person an effective leader?

An effective leader is someone who actively listens and considers the emotions of others before making decisions. Additionally, an effective leader allows team members to be themselves and give their input. Acknowledging that everyone has an opinion and emotions is the first step to becoming an effective leader.

Tell us about your first memorable experience that required you to use leadership skills.

When I started hiring employees, I quickly realized that leaders need to treat everyone differently. Acknowledging that every team member has a life outside work that affects how they work is key. For example, I once hired an employee who I noticed was struggling with meeting deadlines and multitasking. When I inquired, I found out that he was struggling in his personal life, which poured over into his work life. When I helped him solve his issue, the employee quickly caught up with his work and started working more effectively. The take home is that leaders need to be humane and understanding.

Nicholas Lidong'a, Founder and CEO at Kyobi Digital Limited

What was your first leadership position? How was the experience?

I have always been an entrepreneur, even straight out of campus. So, I can say that I have always been forced to be a leader and develop my leadership skills. However, the first leadership position that built my leadership skills is my current position as the Founder and CEO at Kyobi Digital Limited. I started this business with two employees, and I currently have seven. It’s safe to say that as the team grew so did my leadership skills. It’s refreshing to walk into our offices and see a team of employees who believe in our dreams as much as we do.

Tell us about the leadership skills you have learned throughout your job experience. How did you learn these skills and how long did it take you to develop them? 

It took me about two years to master these leadership skills; they have helped me grow and become the effective leader that I am today. They include:

 

  • Empathy - When we started Kyobi Digital Limited, it became clear that my employees are not the same. Some can work from home, while others cannot. Additionally, my employees are also allowed to be as moody as I am. Creating a working environment where employees are not allowed to express their emotions is a red flag; that is toxic and has long-term mental health issues.

  • Listening - As a leader, you should be open to receiving criticism and getting feedback from your employees. You quickly come to terms with the fact that you are not always right. Your team should be able to correct you without it seeming like they are overstepping. Create that environment.

  • Consideration - Give credit where due. Acknowledge team members' efforts and results during work. Appreciating team members is essential for effective leaders. 

Which leadership skill did you struggle with in your first job? Have you managed to perfect it? If yes, how?

Consideration. My mistake was that I assumed everyone works as I do. As I mentioned before, some employees work better at home than in the office. Others are more productive in the morning, then power down as the day progresses. You have to learn the strengths and weaknesses of your team, individually.

Which leadership skills are most important for all job seekers to learn, regardless of their position?

Communication. Effective communication skills make work run smoother and faster.

Have you ever undergone any leadership training or course? If so, which one would you recommend?

No, but I probably should. (laughs)

What would you say is the most effective way to learn leadership skills right now?

The most effective way to learn leadership skills is by getting experience. No book or course can prepare you for the experience. Leadership throws so many curve balls at you and learning from the experience is your best bet to perfecting your leadership skills faster.

Describe your leadership style.

My leadership style is fun but firm. At Kyobi Digital Limited, we have created a friendly but effective working environment that ranges from meeting deadlines to creating fun TikTok videos for our social media page. “

 

Four essential leadership skills

What essential leadership skills must you acquire, and how can these skills help you get a leadership role?

1. Decision-making

Your decision-making must be top-notch to help you achieve the best results and help your colleagues solve problems rationally and soundly. You don't have to start with the big decisions. Use your leadership skills to solve the small decisions within the workplace, like creating a system for using the office printer, and work your way to the top. 

How do you strengthen your decision-making skills?

 

  • Define your values by identifying your work ethic.

  • Identify the core values of the organization.

  • Study both sets of values and try to align them.

  • Use both sets of values in your decision-making process. 

When both values are aligned, it will be easier for you to make decisions in high-stress situations.

1. Employee motivation

This leadership skill involves motivating your colleagues to keep employee engagement high and improve company efficiency. It helps to boost employee morale by appreciating your team’s work contributions. It can be as small as buying them lunch after completing a project or giving your employees some time off on days when the workload is heavy.

How do you boost employee motivation?

 

  • Always announce commendations publicly.

  • If you want to correct an employee, do it privately, and make sure you explain where the employee went wrong in detail. Allow them to listen to negative feedback and learn from their mistakes.

2. Negotiation 

Negotiating is when two or more parties with different ideals come together and agree on a common outcome. It is one of the best leadership skills to learn and sharpen at the beginning of your career. 

As an Advocate, this skill came in handy when I had the opportunity to manage clients and come up with contracts of all sorts. Through practising this skill, I discovered that the negotiation process has six stages, namely:

 

  • Preparation

  • Discussion

  • Clarification of goals

  • Negotiation toward a positive outcome

  • Agreement

  • Implementation of the course of action

This leadership skill also comes in handy in the workplace when your colleagues or clients can't seem to get along. Furthermore, you can use this skill to negotiate better working terms like salary raises or other work benefits.

 

How do you sharpen your negotiation skills?

 

  • As a negotiator, build the trust of your team because it helps them accept the outcome of the negotiation, whether it is in their favour or not. Your employees will feel like you are working for their good even when the result of the talks does not favour them.

  • Always exercise democracy by giving your team members options to select. Empower them by giving them the chance to make decisions in the negotiation process.

3. Relationship-building

If you want to create a high-performing team, this is one of the leadership skills that can help you build a firm foundation. Just because you are a leader does not mean that your colleagues have to hate you. Create a cohesive and engaging team that sets a strong foundation for high performance. Don't get me wrong; this is not the time to start calling your colleagues a "family." There are better and more professional ways to build relationships with your team.

How do you strengthen work relationships in the office?

 

  • Let your team get to know you better. Letting your guard down once in a while will make the team comfortable enough to share their experiences, stories, and lessons they have learned in their careers.

  • Let your colleagues know that you appreciate them. Do something nice and thoughtful for them once in a while. Try writing thank-you notes that let them know how their contribution and high-performance matter in the workplace.

  • Plan annual team-building activities. Alternatively, you can organize an office family day to help staff members connect effectively.

Conclusion

You can practice any of the leadership skills mentioned above at any career level. For example, showing up to meetings on time and turning in work on time shows that you are dependable and builds the trust of your team. Developing these leadership skills is easy and fun. With the help of a career coach or by enrolling in a leadership training course, you can also rise to a leadership role.

Written by

Lilian Nerima Musonge

Nerima Musonge is a Lawyer who is passionate about Content Creation and Copywriting. She is constantly trying to broaden her artistic pursuits and find out how they can integrate with the law. When she is not squinting behind a laptop, she is mothering, cracking jokes, and living her best life


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