Leadership skills training empowers mentees
When Honourable Stella Ndlovu, the Member of Parliament for Luveve Constituency made her presentation on “Leadership Skills,” mentees were left encouraged and inspired to undertake their duties diligently and adhere to specific values that resemble good leadership.
This happened on Wednesday 3 March 2021 when Women’s Institute for Leadership Development facilitated an online session of the WILD Leadership Mentoring School. The session was attended by mentees who are enrolled in the mentorship programme.
In her presentation, Honourable Ndlovu said there are many different leadership skills required for one to be an effective leader. She said as a leader one needs to ensure that they attain these skills so that they can lead their team successfully. Honourable Ndlovu discussed the following skills:
Accountability and Transparency
She highlighted that as a leader one is answerable for everything that happens in the group that they are leading. Ndlovu highlighted that accountability occurs when leaders reliably deliver on their commitments. She alluded to that leaders are expected to demonstrate accountability by taking responsibility for the outcomes of their actions and decisions and successfully transforming them into results. She highlighted that accountable leaders take full responsibility for decisions, transform problems into constructive feedback and are transparent.
Integrity
Honourable Ndlovu noted that a leader of integrity is someone who can be relied on to be honest and truthful. Ndlovu said that integrity is important because when a leader stands strong in who they are, they build more meaningful relationships. She said leaders with integrity are approachable, consistent, accept responsibility for their actions and are mutually supportive of everyone.
Resilience
Speaking on resilience, Ndlovu said resilient leaders bounce back from setbacks and consider these as opportunities to correct their previous mistakes. “
“Resilience is an important quality in leadership as it gives one an opportunity to evaluate themselves and see what they can do to improve in order to achieve their goals. Leaders need to maintain a positive attitude and a strong sense of opportunity during periods of turbulence and when faced with ambiguity, a resilient leader finds ways to move forward and avoid getting stuck,” she said.
Ndlovu explained that resilient leaders have the ability to sustain their energy level under pressure, cope with disruptive changes and adapt.
Innovativeness
Honourable Ndlovu said leaders need to be creative, innovative and open minded so that the organisation does not become monotonous.
“Innovative leaders are creative visionaries who have big ideas and most importantly can motivate people around them to turn those ideas into reality. Innovative leaders display excellent strategic vision, the most effective innovation leaders could vividly describe their vision of the future,” she said.
Effective communication
Honourable Ndlovu emphasised that effective communication is key in leadership. Ndlovu highlighted that good leaders should listen to the people that they are leading, take in the constructive criticism and the concerns of the group that they are leading. She said that effective communication is key in conflict resolution and self-evaluation.
Mentees who attended this session expressed appreciation for the knowledge gained on leadership skills and highlighted that they will use the knowledge in their respective leadership roles.