Leadership Skills To Learn (page 1 of 3)	
Leadership Skills To Learn	
These leadership principles are adapted from the U.S. Military’s Guide on Principles of Leadership.
WHY MUST I LEARN LEADERSHIP SKILLS?
The highest paying jobs in most career areas are jobs as 
manager.  Managers needs five years of work experience 
in the career area before earning a promotion to 
supervisor, then manager.  Leaders are made, not born.  
A person learns how to be a leader by:   1) Self-study or 
learning about one's strengths and weaknesses; 
2) Education such as reading about leadership skills; 
3) Training such as practicing leadership skills with the 
help of a mentor or teacher;  4) Experience such as 
practicing leadership skills.  It is worth your time and 
effort to understand, learn, and practice leadership skills, so after five years in a job, you may be ready for a 
promotion to supervisor, then manager.
WHAT IS LEADERSHIP?
Leaders influence (or make) workers want to work together as a team on a job, 
and work in a cohesive (sticking together),  logical (step by step), and  harmonious 
(getting along) way.  
HOW IS "BOSS" DIFFERENT FROM "LEADER"?
The job of boss gives a person the right to ORDER workers to do what needs to be 
done.  The position of leader is different because leaders INSPIRE workers to  want 
to do the work that needs to be done.  The best bosses 
are leaders.  Workers may obey a boss; but workers will do 
much better work for a manager who is an inspiring leader.
THREE REASONS WHY WORKERS WANT TO FOLLOW A LEADER
 
1) What the leader is — has good values and beliefs, can be trusted to do what is right.  
2) What the leader knows —  how to do the job, how to make workers want work together.  
3) What the leader does — solves problems, gives clear directions, treats all fairly.
BEFORE LEADING — LEADERS MUST THINK ABOUT 4 THINGS —
•  What is the situation?  What is it the project that needs doing?  How can it best be done?   Which tools 
and equipment are needed?  Is the budget adequate?
•  What leadership is needed?  What can I do to get workers to want to work as a team? 
•  Who are the followers?   What are the personalities of the workers?  What instructions do new hires 
need — and experienced workers need?  What may be the personality conflicts among the workers?  
•  What communication is needed?  What directions are needed?  What information do workers need to 
do a good job?  What can I say to help workers to work together as a team?  Does my body language 
(the way I act)  set a good example for workers?

Leadership Skills To Learn (page 2 of 3	
Adapted from Marines Corps/Navy Guide on Principles of Leadership)
Men and women who received military training in leadership skills will be 
offered good paying jobs as managers in the civilian work world.
15 PERSONALITY TRAITS NEEDED BY LEADERS 
1.  Know Yourself.  Evaluate your personality to  know your strengths and 
weakness.   Improve your weaknesses (such as figuring out ways to handle 
angry workers and personality conflicts).  Know how to write letters, make 
speeches, and make PowerPoint presentations.   
Why needed: Leaders need to know themselves so that they know where to make improvements.
2.  Smarts.  TECHNICALLY know the skills and equipment needed — TACTICALLY know how 
to do the jobs.  Leaders must understand what workers need to do the jobs — skills needed, equipment 
needed, and ways jobs are done.  Leaders spend time with expert workers to learn.  
Why needed: Workers respect a manager who understands the jobs workers are required to do.
3.  Justice.  Give rewards and punishment according to the situation.  Rewards and punishments must be 
given impartially (without favoring one person over another) and consistently (always the same).  
Why is justice needed: Justice earns the trust and respect of workers — and keeps discipline.
4.  Judgment.  Ability to think about facts and possible things to do to solve a problem. 
Why needed: To weigh the pros (advantages) and cons (disadvantages) before making good decisions 
earns the respect of workers.
5.  Tact.   Tact is the ability to say and do the right thing at the right time.  Tact gives leaders the ability to 
deal with others in a way than avoids conflicts.   Why needed: Leader's use of tact, and requiring workers 
to use tact, will  teach workers to talk and act in a good way that does not create bad feelings.   Example: 
Managers with tact will talk about mistakes to a worker in private rather than in front of other workers.
6.  Integrity.  Show you are a good person by being truthful, honest, and fair .   
Why needed: Honest leaders who keep promises will earn respect and 
loyalty from workers.  
7.  Enthusiasm.   Leader's actions that show interest and joy in performance 
of duty.  Why needed: Leader's interest and optimism (positive attitude) will 
teach workers to have interest in their jobs and positive attitudes about the company and its products.
8.  Body Language.  Creating a good impression in  posture (how you stand and sit), appearance (clothes 
you wear), and actions (how you move).  Why needed: Ability to look, talk, and act like a 
manager is needed to inspire and guide workers even if manager does not feel well that day .
9.  Unselfishness.   Think of workers first.  Why needed: The quality of looking out for your workers’ 
needs ahead of your own is the essence (most needed quality) of leadership.   Workers need to know that 
they will not be used for a manager’s selfish reasons.

Leadership Skills To Learn (page 3 of 3)	
QUICK CHECK:
1. a) What is the highest paying job in most career 
areas?  b) How many years of experience are 
needed before promotion to manager? 
2.  List 4 ways to learn how to be a leader.  
3.   a) What do leaders make workers want to do?
  Define: b) cohesive. c) logical. d) harmonious. 
4.  Explain how a manager who is a boss is 
  different from a manger who is a leader.
5.  List 3 things that make workers want to follow.
6.  List the 4 things leaders must think about 
  before starting to lead.
7.  Why is it needed for leaders to know 
  themselves?
8.  a) Explain what leaders need to "technically" 
and "tactically" know.  b) Why is this needed?
9.  Why is justice needed in a leader?
10.  a) Define judgment. 
10.  Loyalty.  Faithfulness to company.  Think and speak good words about the 
company and its products.  Why needed: Workers need a role model to understand 
why to appreciate (like) the company and think good about company’ s products.
11.  Endurance.  Energy to keep working through tiredness, stress, and hardship.  
Why needed:  Leaders  inspire workers to do good work by working along side 
workers during busy times (busy sales in stores and lunch rushes in restaurants).
12.  Courage.  Mental and emotional skills to proceed with calmness in an 
emergency or disaster.  Why needed: Workers follow a manager who can make good decisions and give 
clear directions in crisis situations.
13.  Communication:  Leaders give workers spoken and written information to help workers do a good job 
and have high morale (good feelings about the job).   Why needed: Workers who get information feel that 
they are part of the team.  Rumors stop when managers replace rumors with the truth.  
14.  Share Leadership.  Leaders train workers to help and act as supervisors of projects.  
Why needed:  a) Allows good workers to practice leadership skills.  b) Inspires workers to work hard so 
that they can be the next worker selected for leadership training.
15.  Set the Example.  Manager set high standards of conduct (actions) for themselves, so that they can 
request high standards of conduct from workers.   Why needed: Workers reflect (copy) the leader’s 
personality.  If the leader's personality is good, the reflection is good and business is successful.	  b) Why is judgment needed?
11.  a) Define tact.  b) Why do leaders need tact?  
  c) Give one example of a manager's tact.
12.  What is "integrity"?
13.  List 3 things that create a good impression.
14.  Unselfishness -- What do workers need to know?
15.  To show loyalty, what do you think and speak?
16.  What is endurance?
17.  Why is courage needed in a leader?
18.  When do rumors stop?
19.  Give 2 reasons why leaders share leadership.
20.  Why do leaders set high standards of conduct 
(actions) for themselves?
21.  Of the 15 leadership skills   —List 3 that you 
  think you can do in a job now.  
22.  Of the 15 leadership skills — List 3 that you 
need to learn how to do to become a leader.