Really appreciate how you broke this down into tangible skills. I’ve found one simple rule helps with delegation: if someone else can do it 80% as well as I can, I let go. It frees me to think more strategically. I often write about challenges new leaders face, and this list nails the real high-leverage skills
This is a good list of leadership skills. And they do make you valuable. But we are only irreplaceable to the people who love us. That is important to remember.
Nine skills may be too many to absorb at once. But when I tried to cut the list, I couldn't drop any of them.
If I had to pick three, these are the ones you'll feel immediately in the role:
- **Influence Without Authority** - This one is a bit counter-intuitive. Managers have more authority than individual contributors, but also more responsibilities. As an engineer I could blame the other side for not listening. As a manager, it's my job to align everybody. Pulling authority alone is not enough.
- **Decision-Making Under Uncertainty** - As a manager you are responsible, so own it fully. There are two layers to this: making good judgement calls, and taking the blame when things don't work out. I always make it explicit: "If things go south, I made the call."
- **Coaching and Talent Development** - Our main job as managers is to build the team. It means seeing potential in your people, investing in their growth, and aligning them to the organizational goals. You can't build a high-performing team without developing the talent on it.
Start with these three, and revisit the full list often.
AI will happily take the tasks. What it can’t take is the judgment, the trust, the ability to steady a room, or the guts to decide with imperfect information.
Strategic thinking is certainly a high-value skill. But often, the 'Strategic Leader' role is just a mask to avoid the messy reality of the frontlines. True influence requires getting your hands dirty with the team, not just pointing at a whiteboard. When was the last time your strategy actually survived contact with the ground level?
Really appreciate how you broke this down into tangible skills. I’ve found one simple rule helps with delegation: if someone else can do it 80% as well as I can, I let go. It frees me to think more strategically. I often write about challenges new leaders face, and this list nails the real high-leverage skills
These are great. I love number two. Even if you have authority, leader should try to influence as if they don’t.
This is a good list of leadership skills. And they do make you valuable. But we are only irreplaceable to the people who love us. That is important to remember.
Nine skills may be too many to absorb at once. But when I tried to cut the list, I couldn't drop any of them.
If I had to pick three, these are the ones you'll feel immediately in the role:
- **Influence Without Authority** - This one is a bit counter-intuitive. Managers have more authority than individual contributors, but also more responsibilities. As an engineer I could blame the other side for not listening. As a manager, it's my job to align everybody. Pulling authority alone is not enough.
- **Decision-Making Under Uncertainty** - As a manager you are responsible, so own it fully. There are two layers to this: making good judgement calls, and taking the blame when things don't work out. I always make it explicit: "If things go south, I made the call."
- **Coaching and Talent Development** - Our main job as managers is to build the team. It means seeing potential in your people, investing in their growth, and aligning them to the organizational goals. You can't build a high-performing team without developing the talent on it.
Start with these three, and revisit the full list often.
AI will happily take the tasks. What it can’t take is the judgment, the trust, the ability to steady a room, or the guts to decide with imperfect information.
This is an awesome breakdown! How do you think they align with the big 5?
https://dankorus.substack.com/p/what-in-the-fu-and-ing-sh-is-leadership?r=2e9akt&utm_medium=ios
Simple way of explaining complex topic
Enjoyable read thanks
Excelent!
Strategic thinking is certainly a high-value skill. But often, the 'Strategic Leader' role is just a mask to avoid the messy reality of the frontlines. True influence requires getting your hands dirty with the team, not just pointing at a whiteboard. When was the last time your strategy actually survived contact with the ground level?