Welcome

Everything is getting busy in my life, I am deep into a lot of things needing attention at work and I am also expecting my second child, due in March. So as you can imagine things are a little crazy in my household right now.

This has had a little impact on my ability to plan get writing this weekly newsletter. Even to the point that I am realising I can’t disappoint people with getting this out too late, which in itself creates additional stress, and I have personally been struggling to get the time I really need to ensure that this newsletter gets the attention it deserves.

So taking ownership of missing this weekend I think I need to ensure that I get time through the week where I can and time on the weekend to properly write. Due to this I think it is best that I move the time from Saturday to a Wednesday. This means I can actually spend a little more time to get this done through the week with writing on the weekend to prepare for the edition to go out. Sorry for any inconvenience and look out for your inbox on Wednesday’s going forward.

Working through all this got me thinking about leadership in more detail and that writing a newsletter that people sign-up to is a skill. You need to be really clear in your writing and communication. You need to learn SEO and eventually things begin to click.

This is the topic for today, leadership is not something you just pick up and do naturally (some are natural born leaders) but everyone else we need to learn it focus intentionally in developing this as a skill.

Lets jump in….

Why Leadership is a Skill, Not Just a Trait

Many aspiring leaders believe that leadership is something you're either born with or not. You’ve probably heard people say, “She’s a natural leader” or “He was born to lead.”

But the truth? Leadership isn’t about genetics, it’s about practice.

While some people may have natural leadership tendencies such as charisma, decisiveness, or confidence. Leadership itself is a learned skill. Just like public speaking, writing, or coding, the more you practice leadership, the better you get.

This means that anyone willing to put in the effort can become a great leader.

From a number of leaders that I have coached and supported all of them went on a journey that went something like this:

• Stage 1: I’m better than this leader, this is so easy; I should go into leadership and show them how to lead.

• Stage 2: This is not what I expected, but I know that I am better than X.

• Stage 3: Why did they choose me? I can’t do this role!

• Stage 4: I think I can manage this.

• Stage 5: It all starts with me….

• Stage 6: Effective leader…if they have had some training otherwise back to stage 3 you go.

To me too many people leadership as a career step to develop but in essence this an entirely new role, which means new skills from the start.

So, how do you actually develop leadership skills?

The Leadership Learning Loop: How to Develop as a Leader

To improve at anything—including leadership—you need a structured approach. That’s where the Leadership Learning Loop comes in:

1. Learn: Observe great leaders, read books, take courses, and gather insights.

2. Apply: Put what you learn into action. Lead meetings, give feedback, and take ownership.

3. Reflect: After each leadership moment, ask: What worked? What didn’t?

4. Adjust: Use those insights to tweak and improve your approach.

This cycle repeats over time, turning leadership into a continuous growth process rather than a single event. And if you add in getting feedback from the team, peers and managers and you will truly be on the launchpad to becoming a great leader.

For me this picture sums about a lot about learning and developing as a leader

You can see the development and sleekness overtime of these engines; at first as a leader you are trying to figure things out with complexity but as you become self-aware and learn the role you can modify your approach to be more sleek and efficient.

As a leader you should never stop learning and developing. Your mission should be spending 30 mins a day or 1 hour a week (ideally more) in learning and harnessing your craft as a leader. Becoming a better leader means your team comes effectively better. The results of the team improve and this enables you to progress in your career as well but also drives better business results.

Building Your Leadership Development Plan

If leadership is a skill, then developing it requires a deliberate and structured practice plan, much like the meticulous preparation a rocket engineer undertakes to ensure a successful space mission. Just as engineers dedicate countless hours to refining their designs and testing systems for a launch, you as a leader need to be investing and honing your skills too.

Here’s how to create your own Leadership Development Plan:

Step 1: Identify Your Focus Area
No one becomes a master in all leadership areas overnight. Pick one key skill to develop first. Some options:

• Self-awareness

• Decision-making

• Delegation

• Communication

• Giving feedback

• Conflict resolution

• Self-care

Ask yourself: What’s the one leadership skill that would make the biggest impact on my growth?

Step 2: Learn from Others

• Find a mentor or leadership peer to exchange insights and lessons.

• Study great leaders; watch how they handle situations.

• Read books, listen to leadership podcasts, or take an online course.

Step 3: Take Action
You won’t become a better leader just by reading about it—you have to apply what you learn.

• Volunteer for leadership opportunities at work.

• Run a meeting, lead a project, or coach a colleague.

• Step into moments where leadership is needed and practice.

Step 4: Reflect & Adjust

• After every leadership experience, ask: What went well? What could I improve?

• Keep a leadership journal to track your challenges and wins.

• Seek feedback from your team, peers, or mentors.

By following these steps, leadership development becomes a habit, not an afterthought.

Book Recommendation

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Summary:

This book is all about how small, consistent habits lead to big changes, perfect for leadership development. Just like fitness or learning a language, leadership improves through deliberate, repeated practice.

3 Key Takeaways:

1. Small Changes Lead to Big Impact: Focusing on 1% improvements each day adds up to massive growth over time.

2. Systems Matter More Than Goals: The key to success isn’t just setting goals it’s building habits that make success inevitable.

3. Identity Shapes Behaviour: Want to be a great leader? Start acting like one daily, and leadership will become part of who you are.

PS If you want to build out on your leadership development plan, then you should check out my leadership toolkit. In there is a leadership development plan. Get it for FREE here.