When we talk about a leadership skills training program, we imagine a bunch of grey-haired people being trained. Don’t we!

That’s because, for a very long time, leaders belonged to the senior age group. But that’s not the case anymore. Leaders can now be of any age. In fact, many MNCs and start-ups have very young leaders nowadays. And many of these young leaders have already proved that they have the calibre to not just lead a team or department, but also entire organisations.

But do these leaders have the experience that the previous leaders had? Well, experience is something that comes with time and a willingness to learn. And there are always leadership development trainings that one can attend. These can definitely increase the pace of learning and aid in quicker implementation.

Our top 5 tips to help young leaders and make their journey smoother

1. Go through a full-fledged leadership development training program before taking up a leadership role. It is always better to prepare yourself well for the role before stepping into it. Leadership skills training programs provide a good platform to learn some popular leadership concepts and models. They also provide scope for practising these in a classroom set-up before stepping out and trying them in the real world
2. Always be open to learning, no matter what great heights you attain. For the best leaders see a learning opportunity in each and every situation, more so in the not-so-favourable ones! One should be open to learning not just from people above us but also from those below. In fact, that’s where you learn the most from!
3. Be a good listener. Many leaders assume that they are expected to do most of the talking, while others listen. Well, it’s actually the other way around! A leader can only be a good leader if he or she knows how to listen actively and understand what his people are telling him
4. Give opportunity. Yes, you are the leader and are supposed to have the last say in every decision. But you must give your people the opportunity to come up with solutions & suggestions and ways to implement them. This motivates them and gives them a chance to help you make great decisions. Now what better way for them and you to grow!
5. Lastly, lead by example. Many leaders have failed in the past because they expected certain things from their teams and they themselves failed to fulfil them. Let’s take the example of being on time. All leaders expect their team members to be punctual. But are they always on time? And can they really afford to complain when they do not practice what they preach!

We would love to hear some experiences and tips from some of the young leaders reading this article. Do write in and share them with us.