What Leadership Skills Do You Want to Develop? How to Choose Wisely

Deciding which leadership skills to develop requires balancing multiple factors: your current gaps, your career aspirations, your role requirements, and the capabilities that will create the most significant impact. The most effective approach combines honest self-assessment, strategic alignment with your goals, and focus on a manageable number of priorities—attempting to develop everything simultaneously typically means developing nothing well.

Many aspiring leaders make the mistake of pursuing generic skill development based on what leadership books recommend rather than what their specific situation requires. The executive who needs to improve strategic communication is wasting development energy on time management. The manager struggling with delegation gains little from studying change management frameworks. Strategic skill selection—choosing the right capabilities to develop based on your unique circumstances—dramatically accelerates leadership growth.

How to Identify the Right Skills to Develop

Selecting development priorities requires systematic analysis rather than intuition or generic advice.

Start with Gap Analysis

Compare your current capabilities against what your situation demands:

1. Role requirements — What does your current position require that you struggle with?
2. Career aspirations — What capabilities will your next role demand?
3. Feedback patterns — What development areas appear consistently in reviews and feedback?
4. Challenge areas — Where do you avoid situations or feel less confident?
5. Performance gaps — Where are your results falling short of expectations?

Apply the Impact-Developability Matrix

Not all development areas deserve equal attention. Evaluate potential focus areas against two criteria:

	High Developability	Low Developability
High Impact	Priority Focus — Maximum return on development investment	Strategic Compensation — Develop workarounds, build complementary teams
Low Impact	Lower Priority — Develop if time permits	Ignore — Not worth development investment

High-impact, high-developability skills should receive primary attention. These capabilities will significantly improve your effectiveness and can be meaningfully developed through practice and feedback.

High-impact, low-developability areas require different strategies: compensating through team composition, creating systems and processes, or accepting limitations whilst excelling elsewhere.

Consider Career Stage Requirements

Different career stages emphasise different capabilities:

Career Stage	Priority Development Areas
Individual contributor to first manager	Delegation, feedback, shifting from doing to enabling
Manager to senior manager	Cross-functional influence, developing others, strategic execution
Senior manager to director	Stakeholder management, enterprise thinking, change leadership
Director to executive	Board communication, external presence, transformation leadership

Developing skills appropriate to your next stage—not just your current role—positions you for advancement.

The Most Valuable Leadership Skills to Develop

While personal circumstances should guide selection, certain capabilities consistently deliver high returns on development investment.

Communication and Influence

Communication appears on virtually every leadership development priority list because it underpins everything else. Specific communication skills worth developing include:

• Clarity — Expressing complex ideas simply and memorably
• Listening — Understanding before responding, asking powerful questions
• Adaptation — Adjusting style for different audiences and contexts
• Difficult conversations — Addressing sensitive topics constructively
• Persuasion — Building cases that move people to action
• Written communication — Crafting clear, impactful documents

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence encompasses self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and social skills. Specific development areas include:

• Self-awareness — Recognising your emotional patterns and their impact
• Emotional regulation — Managing reactions, especially under pressure
• Empathy — Understanding others' perspectives and feelings
• Social perception — Reading group dynamics and unspoken concerns
• Relationship building — Creating genuine connection and trust

Strategic Thinking

Strategic capability enables leaders to connect daily decisions to longer-term objectives:

• Pattern recognition — Seeing connections others miss
• Systems thinking — Understanding how elements interact
• Scenario planning — Anticipating multiple futures
• Prioritisation — Distinguishing important from merely urgent
• Trade-off navigation — Making difficult resource allocation choices

Developing Others

Leaders who develop others multiply their impact whilst building loyalty and succession:

• Coaching — Asking questions that unlock insight and growth
• Feedback — Providing specific, actionable observations
• Delegation — Assigning work that develops capabilities
• Mentoring — Sharing experience and perspective
• Sponsorship — Advocating for others' advancement

Execution and Accountability

Execution skills translate vision into results:

• Decision-making — Choosing courses of action under uncertainty
• Delegation — Assigning work effectively and following up appropriately
• Accountability — Setting expectations and addressing underperformance
• Project leadership — Coordinating complex initiatives across stakeholders
• Results orientation — Maintaining focus on outcomes amid distractions

How to Prioritise Your Development Focus

With many potential development areas identified, selecting focus requires discipline.

The Rule of Three

Limit active development priorities to three skills simultaneously. This constraint:

• Enables depth — Meaningful skill development requires sustained focus
• Prevents overwhelm — Attempting too many priorities typically means achieving none
• Creates accountability — Specific focus enables clear measurement
• Maintains energy — Development effort competes with daily demands

Selection Criteria

When choosing your three priorities, consider:

1. Urgency — Which gaps are limiting your effectiveness right now?
2. Leverage — Which capabilities would create the biggest improvement?
3. Opportunity — Which skills can you practice regularly in your current role?
4. Alignment — Which areas connect to your career aspirations?
5. Energy — Which development areas genuinely engage you?

Rotating Focus Over Time

Once you've made meaningful progress on initial priorities, rotate focus to new areas. Most leaders benefit from annual reassessment of development priorities, adjusting based on progress, changing circumstances, and evolving career goals.

Creating Your Leadership Development Plan

Transform intentions into action through structured planning.

Step 1: Define Specific Objectives

Move from vague goals to specific, observable outcomes:

Vague Goal	Specific Objective
"Improve communication"	"Deliver presentations that stakeholders rate as clear and persuasive"
"Get better at feedback"	"Provide specific, actionable feedback in every one-to-one meeting"
"Develop strategic thinking"	"Contribute strategic perspective in leadership meetings that influences decisions"

Step 2: Identify Development Methods

Different skills develop through different approaches:

Skill Type	Most Effective Development Methods
Knowledge-based	Reading, courses, workshops
Behavioural	Practice, feedback, coaching
Mindset/perspective	Challenging experiences, reflection, mentoring
Technical	Structured training, certification

Most leadership skills are behavioural—they develop through practice and feedback rather than reading and studying.

Step 3: Create Practice Opportunities

Skill development requires deliberate practice in real situations:

• Volunteer for stretch assignments that require skills you're developing
• Create practice rituals — regular situations where you intentionally apply new approaches
• Seek developmental relationships — mentors, coaches, or peer partners who support your growth
• Request specific feedback on skills you're developing

Step 4: Establish Accountability

Development intentions fade without accountability:

• Share your goals with your manager, mentor, or trusted colleagues
• Schedule regular reviews of progress against development objectives
• Track observable indicators of skill improvement
• Celebrate milestones whilst maintaining momentum toward larger goals

Common Development Areas by Role

For New Managers

Priority development areas:

1. Delegation — Shifting from doing to enabling
2. Feedback — Providing specific, regular performance input
3. Difficult conversations — Addressing underperformance and conflict
4. Time management as a leader — Balancing responsibilities differently

For Middle Managers

Priority development areas:

1. Cross-functional influence — Achieving results through peers, not just direct reports
2. Strategic execution — Translating organisational strategy into team action
3. Developing others — Building capabilities beyond immediate task completion
4. Managing upward — Influencing senior leaders effectively

For Senior Leaders

Priority development areas:

1. Enterprise thinking — Seeing across organisational boundaries
2. Stakeholder management — Navigating complex relationships and interests
3. Change leadership — Driving transformation beyond incremental improvement
4. Executive presence — Communicating with impact at senior levels

Answering the Question in Interviews and Development Conversations

When asked "What leadership skills do you want to develop?" in interviews or career discussions, demonstrate self-awareness and strategic thinking:

Strong Response Elements

1. Specific skills — Name concrete capabilities, not vague areas
2. Self-awareness — Show you've honestly assessed your gaps
3. Strategic rationale — Explain why these skills matter for your goals
4. Development approach — Describe how you're actively working on growth
5. Progress indicators — Share evidence of improvement

Sample Response

"The leadership skill I'm most focused on developing is influencing without authority. In my current role, many of my most important initiatives require collaboration with teams that don't report to me, and I've recognised that my approach has been too reliant on logical argument alone. I'm working with a coach to develop better stakeholder analysis skills and to practice building coalitions before seeking formal decisions. I've already seen improvement in my last two cross-functional projects, where I invested more time understanding each stakeholder's priorities before proposing solutions."

What If You're Not Sure What to Develop?

When uncertain about development priorities, these approaches help clarify direction:

Gather Multiple Perspectives

• Request 360-degree feedback specifically focused on development areas
• Ask your manager what would make the biggest difference in your effectiveness
• Consult mentors who know your work and career aspirations
• Seek input from trusted peers who observe your leadership

Experiment with Multiple Areas

If genuinely unsure, spend time exploring several potential development areas:

• Try different approaches and notice where you see the most improvement
• Pay attention to which areas energise versus drain you
• Observe which capabilities most differentiate the leaders you admire

Seek Professional Assessment

Leadership assessment tools and executive coaching can provide structured insight:

• Psychometric assessments identify patterns in your leadership approach
• Coaching conversations surface themes you may not recognise
• 360-degree instruments reveal how others experience your leadership

Frequently Asked Questions

How many leadership skills should I try to develop at once?

Focus on developing two to three leadership skills simultaneously. This constraint enables meaningful depth rather than superficial attention across many areas. Attempting to develop too many skills at once typically means none receive sufficient focus for genuine improvement. After making measurable progress on initial priorities, rotate focus to new development areas.

How long does it take to develop a leadership skill?

Meaningful improvement in a leadership skill typically requires six to twelve months of focused effort, including regular practice, feedback, and reflection. Simple behaviour changes may show results in weeks; deeper capability transformation takes longer. Some skills—like strategic thinking or executive presence—develop over years through accumulated experience rather than discrete training interventions.

Should I focus on strengths or weaknesses?

Research generally supports focusing primarily on strengths whilst addressing weaknesses that could derail your effectiveness. Develop capabilities that are already strong—you'll likely achieve greater returns. Address weaknesses only when they significantly limit your effectiveness or block advancement. For other limitations, consider building complementary teams rather than forcing personal development in areas of persistent difficulty.

How do I know if I'm developing the right skills?

Assess whether you're developing the right skills by examining impact and feedback. Are colleagues noticing improvement? Are you more effective in situations that previously challenged you? Is your manager providing positive feedback on your growth? Does the development align with your career aspirations? If development effort isn't producing observable results, reconsider either your approach or your priority selection.

What if my manager wants me to develop different skills than I've chosen?

Your manager's perspective deserves serious consideration—they observe your leadership in context and understand role requirements. However, authentic development requires genuine commitment. Seek to understand your manager's reasoning and look for alignment between their suggestions and your aspirations. If disagreement persists, consider whether their feedback reveals blind spots in your self-assessment.

How do I find time for leadership development?

Integrate development into daily work rather than treating it as a separate activity. Choose development areas you can practice in your regular responsibilities. Use existing meetings and projects as practice opportunities. Shift from viewing development as additional burden to seeing it as enriching your current work. Even fifteen minutes of daily reflection on leadership situations accelerates growth.

Can leadership skills be developed at any age?

Leadership skills can absolutely be developed at any age. Research on neuroplasticity confirms that adults can learn new capabilities throughout life. What matters is commitment to growth, willingness to receive feedback, and regular practice. Some advantages may accrue with experience—broader perspective, more situations for practice—whilst other advantages favour earlier development—more career runway to benefit from improvements.

Conclusion: Making Development Choices That Matter

The question "What leadership skills do you want to develop?" deserves thoughtful consideration rather than generic answers. Your response should reflect genuine self-assessment, strategic analysis of what your situation requires, and focused commitment to a manageable number of priorities.

Resist the temptation to pursue development in too many areas simultaneously. The leader who focuses intently on three capabilities over the next year will grow more than one who dabbles in ten. Choose priorities that address genuine gaps, align with your aspirations, and offer regular practice opportunities in your current work.

Remember that leadership development is a long-term journey, not a single destination. The skills you need today will differ from those you need in five years. Build the habit of periodic reassessment—annually at minimum—adjusting your development focus as your circumstances and aspirations evolve.

Begin now by selecting your three priority development areas. Define specific objectives. Create practice opportunities. Establish accountability. Then invest consistently, knowing that the capabilities you build today create the leadership impact you'll deliver for years to come.