Leadership is established over time through teaching, learning and experience and is a set of skills acquired, which when combined; equip you with the ability to lead a team to success.

Consider these 6 behaviours to become an effective leader.

• Self-Awareness of your strengths and weaknesses allows you to understand other people and how they perceive you. This in turn increases trust and credibility within your team. It also allows you to implement change effectively within your organisation.
• Listening not only is essential part of communication between you and your team, it also develops trust, enhances motivation and helps detect and solve problems faster.
• Commitment to advance the welfare of employees. Dedicate time to developing your employee’s skills, through coaching, mentoring and training, to help them become better leaders.
• Empathy not only to identify with others but to accept what others contribute to the company.
• Persuasion will influence many stakeholders to follow a course of action. Having influencing skills will assist with organisational change and development.
• Foresight allows leaders to analyse the past to make informed decisions for the future.

Each person embodies at least some leadership qualities; it is how you use and adapt these that determines your success.

Are you looking to develop yourself or your team? We identify skills gaps and integrate training into your business in order to create instant impact and drive results. Learn more.

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Today, in most fields, presenting information clearly and effectively is an incredibly desired skill.

Whether you are a student, administrator or sales executive, if you wish to start up your own business or apply for a grant, you may well be asked to not only create a presentation but also present it. Understandably, this could be a daunting prospect, yet our blog aims to help you achieve this with ease.

Know your audience

Understanding the needs of your audience can help you tailor your presentation to target their interests and explain how your company can be of use in their specific situation. Whether this be with the use of facts, figures, or using their logo to incorporate an example of a design, it all goes towards helping you create a memorable presentation.

Structure

Introduction
Your opening should be something that makes a connection with the audience. It can be a story, a question, or statistic. Avoid introductions of yourself or your team.

Body
Try to stick to your three most important points. It's more important to engage the audience than overload them with everything you know. It’s a good idea to leave some information out, as it is likely that what you don't cover in your presentation will come up when you take questions.

Keep your aim in mind. You don't have to write out your presentation word for word, instead just remember to refer back to your main points and working toward your desired outcome. It’s important to present both sides of an issue as you will appear more credible if you acknowledge your competitors or any opposing arguments. After you've explained the other side, you can spell out exactly why your company is better or your argument is stronger.

Conclusion
The closing of your presentation is the last opportunity you have to give your audience something to remember. You can then refer back to your opening or end on a clever slogan or a call to action.

Remember to smile
Smiling increases endorphins, replacing anxiety with calm and making you feel good about your presentation. Smiling also exhibits confidence and enthusiasm to the crowd.

Practice... but don’t memorize

Like anything, practice makes perfect, therefore you’ll want to ensure you have left enough time to rehearse your presentation a number of times. While it may seem difficult or sometimes even pointless, it’s essential if you want to deliver a presentation that is going to give you results.

Tip: It’s a good idea to write your speech, or even write bullet points to prompt you when speaking.

Your environment often has a bigger impact on your delivery than you think, therefore experts recommend rehearsing your presentation in various environments, in order for you to feel comfortable with your speech. Try and do a practice run, presenting in front of a friend, colleague or family member, or even record your presentation and play it back to evaluate which areas you need to improve.

Engage with the audience

Remember to engage with the audience. If you have the chance, talk to the people you will be presenting to get a feel of the audience. This will make it easier when presenting and inviting any questions. Welcoming audience participation can boost engagement and make attendees feel like part of a conversation. It also makes you, the presenter, seem much more relatable. Don’t be put off by unexpected questions – instead, see them as an opportunity to give your audience what they want.

Learn from others

Why not attend some conferences? This will allow you to see how others present and understand what potential you detail you could include in your presentation. If you are unable to attend conferences, there's some great examples on YouTube. 

For more top tips, follow us on Twitter @RHThinking or follow 'Roundhouse Thinking' on LinkedIn

Team building activities are often favoured by many businesses as they increase morale, improve productivity and develop team skills. One of the many ways employees benefit from completing a team away day is through a sense of achievement and accomplishment. Team building also allows employees to return to the office feeling reinvigorated, often with a new set of problem-solving skills and improved working relationships.

Improve Communication Skills

Team building is incredibly useful for strengthening existing relationships and welcoming new colleagues. By working through an activity as a group, it allows people to apply their skills and break down any barriers between individuals.

People who are not used to working together get a chance to work as part of a team and by working through a task, the wealth of skills within the team is highlighted and the group learns new and varied ways of working together.

Develop team roles

Each team member has the opportunity to take ownership in a team away day. It provides individuals with a platform to focus and develop on what they are best at, and allows them to find their niche within a team so that everyone can best contribute as an individual while still performing together.

Often, an advantage to a company team away day, is that you will be able to get to know your employees better and tap into their potential. Part of participating in a team building day, is that you can learn new things about yourself and others that you may not have previously realised.

Improved relationships

In a busy, high-pressured environment, it can be often difficult for employees to find time to develop new skills and relationships. Away from the office, team building activities allow each member of the team a chance to get to know one another and their strengths and weaknesses.

Long-term benefits

Team building is invaluable, especially because it promotes better working relationships, offers a shared positive experience and allows people to better understand their strengths and weakness. Once these have been identified, you can then look to improve weaknesses. 

Positive relationships

Team building provides an opportunity for the team to participate in activities together in an experience where everyone starts with an equal level of knowledge about the given tasks. The day often requires people to use their initiative in order to complete the task successfully. Working on task together, helps to develop relationships quickly, as well as boost morale.

Value your employees

Team building events and away days are among the most effective ways of increasing levels of engagement within an organisation. If employees feel that their contribution is valued, they will be more encouraged to demonstrate effort and commitment to the organisation. 

If your team are looking participate in a team away day experience, we can help whatever your location or goals.