How to Improve Leadership Skills: A 5-Step Plan for Real-World Practice

A month ago, I started practicing jujitsu. It’s an art that has always appealed to me. I am amazed by the richness and depth of this discipline. 

Being an obsessive learner, I started an online course alongside my classes. Submeta is a platform dedicated to learning jujitsu. (We live in an amazing time where knowledge is often just a few clicks away). 

The quality of the teaching is exceptional (Lachlan Giles is one of the best instructors I have ever had in any discipline. If you are interested in the subject, I highly recommend it). 

And it immediately made me think of the leadership concepts we learn. 

In a book, during training, it seems so simple.  But when you get on the mat and a 100 KG man tries to submit you, all the obvious techniques don’t survive a second under the pressure (real in this case) of life.  

And the parallel lends itself well to work. 

When the quarterly results aren’t there, when meetings follow one after another, when deadlines are so tight that you feel like you can’t breathe…

It’s difficult to apply the obvious concept of seeking first to understand before being understood, of staying calm, of not trying to impose your solution…

So what can you do? 

Intentionally mix theory with practice in your job. 

The best formula I’ve seen deliver results for my clients, engagement after engagement, is the following.

From Knowing to Doing. How to Improve Leadership Skills: A 5-Step Plan for Real-World Practice

1/ Identify Your Blind Spot

Identify the one behavior that creates the biggest impact.

Action:
Contact 6 to 12 of your key stakeholders (your team, peers, manager) and ask this question: 

“To help me become a better leader for you, what is the one behavior I could focus on improving?”

2/ Go Public With Your Goal

Commit publicly to your chosen goal.

Action :
Once you’ve chosen one clear behavior to improve (e.g., “Listen to understand”), 

Go back to your stakeholders and state your commitment: 

“Thank you for your input. Based on your feedback, I am committing to getting better at [Your Chosen Behavior].”

3/ Practice intentionally in your daily work, not in theory.

Action :
At the start of each day, ask yourself: 

“Where is my best opportunity to practice [Your Chosen Behavior] today?”

This anchors your goal in your actual schedule.

4/ Ask for feedforward, not just feedback.

Action :
At the end of each month, check in with your stakeholders. Ask them two questions:

• “Based on the last 30 days, how am I doing on my goal of [Your Chosen Behavior]?”
• “What are 1-2 suggestions you have for me for the upcoming month?”Action : 

5/ Measure Perception, Not Just Intention

Measure what matters: your stakeholders’ perception.

Action :

Use an anonymous survey for your stakeholders after 3 and 6 months. Ask them to rate your improvement on a scale of -3 to +3. This shifts the focus from your self-assessment to their actual experience of your leadership.

Leadership isn’t a certificate you earn in a classroom.
It’s a muscle you build through daily practice.

The bottom line

This proven process is the core of my performance-guaranteed coaching. It works because it’s simple, stakeholder-driven, and happens on the job.
Want to give it a try?
Let’s have a 15-minute call to explore a fit.

See you soon,
Dror
Say hello on LinkedIn

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For aspiring executives:
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