Final answer:
Key interpersonal skills for leaders include effective listening, respecting others, supporting company values, keeping calm in a crisis, and having a sense of self-worth, responsibility, and accountability. These skills are vital for fostering trust, alignment with organizational goals, and effective crisis management, as well as understanding and managing leader-follower dynamics.
Step-by-step explanation:
Interpersonal Skills in Leadership
The question revolves around the importance of interpersonal skills for effective leadership. In both responses, the students highlighted skills such as listening well, respecting others, supporting company values, keeping calm in a crisis, and carrying a sense of self-worth and accountability. These skills are indeed crucial for leaders as they help to build trust, foster collaboration, ensure alignment with organizational goals, and manage teams effectively during challenging situations.
Listening well is not just about hearing words; it's about understanding the message, building rapport, and showing genuine interest in the speaker's perspective. Respecting others encapsulates the appreciation for diversity and individuality within a team, fostering a culture of mutual respect. When leaders actively support company values, they lead by example, instilling those values in employees and empowering them to embody the company's vision and mission. The ability to keep calm in a crisis allows leaders to think clearly and act decisively when under pressure, maintaining team morale and focus. Lastly, having a strong sense of self-worth, responsibility, and accountability ensures that a leader has integrity and earns the respect of their team members.
These skills contribute to a leader's ability to maintain a productive relationship with their team, adapt to changing priorities, remain engaged in the company's mission, and understand and manage the dynamics of the leader-follower relationship.