Why Leadership Development Must Include A Willingness To Embrace Their Core Skills?

A willingness to embrace change is not one of the skills required for success, but it is a necessary skill for personal and professional growth. There are many ways to identify whether we are willing to embrace change or are unwilling to adjust to change within ourselves and our surroundings. One way to find out if we are willing to embrace change is to ask ourselves, "Do I really want to change what I am doing now?" Or "Am I willing to adapt my interpersonal skills to get more satisfaction from the work I do?"


A willingness to adapt and learn new skills is an important part of personal growth and development. Just as with any skill, there are some things that we must learn and embrace in order to master, rather than avoid, the art of being a successful entrepreneur. One skill that we must all learn and embrace is the ability to "change your mindset" to achieve your entrepreneurial goals.

The ability to adapt and learn new skills is a combination of our natural interpersonal skills, our emotional intelligence, and the discipline to consistently prioritize our needs. In order to master these interpersonal skills, we must foster a culture of continuous learning within our business environment. This includes fostering a culture that promotes a willingness to engage in self-reflection, self-improvement, and a consistent focus on the future.

One aspect that many entrepreneurs overlook when seeking to develop their entrepreneurial mindset is the need for effective communication. Effective communication skills are necessary in order to solve problems, create opportunities, attract prospects and clients, and cultivate relationships. In fact, there are seven crucial soft skills that all great leaders use in order to effectively communicate with people. Communication skills are a core tenet of the bestseller Think and Grow Rich. These seven soft skills include: an ability to communicate well; an ability to listen effectively; an ability to communicate effectively; a strong sense of humor; the ability to delegate; and the ability to accept and appreciate constructive criticism.

There is another important component to developing a mindset that relates to being able to adopt changes in a proactive manner. One way that this is possible is through a commitment to adapt. If you are going to embrace change, you must be willing to adapt. If you are not willing to adapt, you risk being labeled a follower rather than an entrepreneur. The best leadership books advocate the principle of "dissimilarity" in relation to being able to successfully adapt.

Another important area to consider is that of the ability to develop and utilize effective employment sectors. While there are some types of businesses that are better suited to using the talent and soft skills set outlined above, others are not. In order to have a sustainable competitive advantage, every leader must be willing to develop and utilize different types of employment sectors. The ability to identify which business sectors lend themselves to particular aptitudes, while creating or hiring the appropriate employees to support those interests, is a fundamental skill that leaders must master.

Leaders also need to understand that emotions impact performance. Effective leaders realize that their ability to take risks and handle failures impact their performance. By developing effective interpersonal skills and communicating effectively, leaders can alleviate some of the stress that comes with managing fear and failure. Recognizing when your emotions are leading you into a loss making move and having the ability to manage those emotions is a fundamental part of leadership development.


Finally, leadership development must consider the importance of culture within a company. It is absolutely critical that leaders understand their own personal cultures and how those cultures impact the overall success of the organization. A business that does not maintain a positive culture will not thrive. Likewise, a company that alienating key members due to its organizational culture will struggle. The best leaders understand the cultural nuances of their organization and how they can affect performance and create positive change for the organization.