When you think of a great leader, is there anyone who comes to mind? And what qualities of theirs help them stand out from the rest?
Personally, I think one of the most important skills that a leader should have is Relationship Management. This is the ability to build and maintain healthy relationships. A great leader uses these relationships to work with and influence others to achieve common goals and build a shared vision. This skill can be an important aspect of team-building and allows leaders to enact meaningful change.
Now you may be thinking, this all sounds great, but how can I actually work on this? College is a great opportunity to work on building strong relationships with others. Especially going to a school as large and as diverse as the University of Illinois, we get to meet so many people with completely different backgrounds from our own, and learning to communicate more effectively with people from all walks of life can really help you stand out and feel more connected to those around you. In addition to just building relationships with people you meet, you can also turn to the ILC for more formalized education and the opportunity to practice this skill.
When I joined the Leadership Certificate Program two years ago, I was really excited to find out that Relationship Management was a competency in the Illinois Model of Leadership. I had done a few internships and class projects previously where I got to work with others, but I definitely felt that I had room to improve, and I wanted to get some more experience actually applying what I had learned. The ILC provided me with numerous opportunities to work on this including the Imprint and Intersect i-Programs, the workshops offered through the ILC, and through 1:1 conversations with my leadership coach.
Through these experiences, I put together a list of a couple ways we can all work on improving this skill in our day-to-day interactions:
- Listen Carefully – give someone your full attention and reflect thoughtfully. Use empathy to connect more authentically with others.
- Ask Questions – encourage everyone to be open and ask questions.
- Build on Shared Values – develop a set of values that you can all agree upon.
- Be a Good Communicator – provide clarity in your statements, act objectively, and be aware of how you come off to others.
- Use Praise – provide useful and genuine feedback to those around you, and also be open to receiving feedback.
