Each morning is the open door to a new world – new vistas, new aims, new tryings.

- Leigh Hodges

1. Cut out and shunned from his high school basketball team, Michael Jordon.
What did he achieve?

A six time NBA Champion, five times NBA MVP, and a four time NBA All- Star.

2. He lacked the potential to speak until he was 4 years old, was demotivated by his teachers who said, “He will never amount to much.” Albert Einstein

What did he achieve?

Theoretical Physicist & Nobel Prize winner.

3. She was relegated from her job as a news anchor and was said to be unfit for television. This demoralization gave birth to the first and last ever Oprah Winfrey.

What did she achieve?

The host of a Multi- Award- Winning Talk Show & the most influential woman in the World.

4. Banished from a newspaper agency with reasons like lack of imagination and having no original ideas. Rose from the ashes Walt Disney.

What did he achieve?

The creator of Mickey Mouse, & Winner of 22 Academy Awards.

5. After being diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency, which would result in him being smaller in stature as compared to his equivalents. He was ousted from his team, Lionel Messi.

What did he achieve?

Proved them all wrong when he bagged the 3-time FIFA World player of the year.

6. At the mid age of 30, he was booted out and left devastated unceremoniously from the company he started, Steve Jobs.

What did he achieve?

Co-founder of Apple Inc. & Co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios.

7. Surrounded by drugs, poverty and an unsuccessful suicide attempt, this high school dropout is no commoner. Introducing to you Eminem.

What did he achieve?

13 time Grammy Award Winner who sold over 90 million albums Worldwide.

8. Blackballed by his very own teacher using the words, “Too stupid to learn anything”. And began his career selling candy and newspapers on the streets and in local trains, Thomas Edison.

What did he achieve?

The inventor of the incandescent light bulb. He is a successful entrepreneur with 14 leading companies Worldwide.

9. Having his first ever book rejected by 27 publishers, Dr. Seuss.

What did he achieve?

Best selling children’s’ author in history.

10.Lost his fiancé, failed miserably in business, got defeated in 8 elections and suffered a major nervous breakdown; Abraham Lincoln.

What did he achieve?

The 16th President of the United Stated of America.
A critical fact of life is that if you’ve never failed, you’ve never tried anything new. And as said by Ray Goforth, “There are two types of people who will tell you that you cannot make a difference in this world: Those who are afraid to try and those who are afraid you will succeed.”

In this article, I will make you understand on why and how to develop strong leadership skills.

Why?
Successful management is not just about assigning tasks to the team but, to achieve them as well. It’s more about inspiring your team members and help them achieve their potential. And you can only inspire them if they respect you. And to be respected, you must develop good leadership skills.

How?

1. Ask for feedback: don’t just blindly think that you’re a good leader. At all intervals, ask for feedback. Doing so will help you in a big way. Based on feedback from others, you can understand your skills better and you will know what changes to be made.

2. Pay attention: there is a vast difference between hearing and listening. Always listen carefully to what your team members are saying. Whether it’s their problems or suggestions think of them as your own and listen. And then accordingly give your empathies or suggestions to them.

3. Communicate: a good leader must know to communicate well. Make sure that you are heard well. It is important that you’re tone of speaking is positive and motivating.

4. Respect your team members: a fundamental part of developing leadership skills is to learn to respect your team’s potential. Give them a chance to take decisions on certain issues. And when you trust them, do it completely.

5. Mean what you say: here’s a simple example; if you stress a lot on punctuality to your team members, then make sure that you’re punctual yourself first, when it comes to deadines or any other important thing. Don’t just preach, rather practice it as well.

6. Allocate leadership: leadership should not be all about you. Make sure that you distribute tasks evenly among your team members. Give them also a chance to explore and learn by themselves. There is no way better than involving more people in the leadership process.

7. Evaluate your success with that of the team: when in a team, success is not all about you. You should be responsible enough to ensure that along with you, your team is also developing. Help them in building their skills as this will enhance motivation and team performance.

Article contributed by Namrata More.