• Take initiative: Look beyond the tasks in your job description. Think long-term about what would be beneficial for the job you are seeking or the career you are pursuing. Circumstances often change from when a project, challenge, or issue originally surfaced. Leaders have to consider that technology may have evolved, or availability of resources may have changed. If they can keep a growth mindset and are willing to seek new solutions, they can keep the project moving—even if adjustments need to be made.

• Be a problem solver: Leaders are often known for their ability to solve problems quickly and efficiently. Asking questions is the best way towards identifying needs and probable solutions. Demonstrate that you value brainstorming by questions: “What are the advantages of doing this assignment/project?” “What is the greatest obstacle in making this process more efficient?” “Who may I reach out internally (in another department) to get clarity on the process or why actions were taken?” Asking questions not only develops your problem-solving skills, but also identifies you as a forward thinker.

• Be a mentor: Help others in your department to grow and develop their skills. Offer advice and guidance when needed, but also give others the space to figure things out on their own. For example, when a team member appears usure of how to address a problem, pose a “what if” question and ask them for the answer. This may provide insight on the team member’s understanding, and it can also provide an opportunity to build their problem-solving skills. Praising those who are succeeding and encouraging those who are struggling are key in helping develop leadership skills.

• Be a good communicator: After all, if you can’t communicate your intentions and expectations to your team, they’ll never be able to achieve their goals. Because communication goes both ways, be sure to demonstrate your ability to listen as well as to clearly communicate your thoughts. “Communication is a two-way street." Active listening demonstrates empathy and promotes the exchange of ideas. Be prepared to listen to others by shifting your perspective to theirs and set aside any biases.

• Take ownership of your own career development: When entering a new role or profession, there are likely areas of further development —procedures, technology, etc.— or nuances. Invest the time, and possibly money out of your own pocket, to get a jump start on your success. Whether you need to take a course, read a book, or simply ask an expert, taking the extra step to enhance these skills early on will help you gain traction. Doing this while you are preparing for a job transition and adding this to your resume even if you have not finished the course demonstrates initiative and commitment to your future growth.
  

If you're looking to make your leadership skills stand out, there are a few things you can do. First, be sure to add relevant leadership skills to your resume by highlighting the key words as well as specific accomplishments. Second, highlight leadership skills in your cover letter. This will give you a chance to elaborate on your leadership experience and how it can benefit the company. Finally, use skill words in your job interview and be prepared to provide examples which demonstrate to the potential employer that you have the ability to lead effectively in challenging situations. By following these simple tips, you'll be sure to make your leadership skills stand out and land the job you want.

For starters, you can include a major leadership accomplishment in your resume summary statement as a way of immediately capturing the reader’s attention and interest. Use your work experience section to highlight how you have used your leadership skills to build teams and solve problems. Find places throughout your resume where you can describe how you shared ideas, listened, and collaborated effectively to complete tasks, and used emotional intelligence to relate to others. Make it clear that you can communicate clearly by how you present the information on your resume! Ask yourself two questions: what did I do and how did I do it.

In both your resume summary statement and work experience, try to include numbers to quantify the impact or percentage of goal accomplished when possible. Describing your responsibilities and the results of them in more detail helps a hiring manager understand the context and impact of your specific

contributions.

Here are a few examples:

• Coached my team and adopted a new business strategy (mention details about the strategy) which reduced the training period of new team members by 30%
• Successfully organized seminars, meetings, team-building activities, and collaborations with industry partners resulting in greater acceptance and understanding of our new technology
• Led a team of 6 associates to successfully deploy a new data processing platform ahead of schedule resulting in a 15 % savings to company
  

Your cover letter gives you a chance to bring the facts of your resume to life. Leaders need to be engaging and effective communicators, and a cover letter is a great place to show both of these attributes. Open with a strong story of a successful project you led. Describe the “how” and “why” of your leadership style and preferred tactics…and don’t hesitate to be humbly bold if doing so accentuates your personal style.  And most importantly, bring in more numbers, just like in your resume. Numbers don’t just provide context; they also draw the eye.



• Tailoring and organizing your resume and cover letter can help an employer or recruiter consider you as a “person of action,” someone who’s efficient and gets the job done. Tailoring means mentioning the specific leadership skills from the job description and give examples to prove how you demonstrate them. This also shows that you actually read the job post which hiring managers appreciate.
• Include words associated with leadership in your cover letter and resume. Here are examples of words that are associated with leadership: campaign, advocate, engage, mobilize, mentor, empower, delegate, commitment, enable, lead, assemble, enlist, instill, stimulate, elect, guide, coach. Use words like these to emphasize your ability to lead.

Prepare for interview questions about leadership by thinking about the leadership skills that are most important for the position. Analyze the job listing for more information on the type of leader the organization is looking for, as well as the types of tasks you will need to perform. 



Another way to prepare is to look at this list of leadership skills and circle any skills that you think are critical to the job. Once you have a few key skills in mind, think back to all of the positions you have had where you applied or cultivated leadership skills and be prepared to highlight in interview.

• What experience do you have that would help you succeed in this role? 
• In communicating with your team how would you determine the method of communication on a particular matter - email, phone call, or on-line meeting ? 
• Describe a time when took a lead role in completing a complex or challenging project. Explain how you approached it. What was the result and was there anything you learned from it? 
• How would you describe the qualities of an effective leader? 

• Sound like a leader. The tone of voice and body language you use when answering questions about leadership are as important as your actual responses. Sit up straight, maintain eye contact, and let your expression display your enthusiasm for your work and the company.
• Look like a leader. A title doesn’t earn respect—a person does. Take inventory of what your professional social media conveys in comparison to what your resume/cover letter conveys. Consistency is key. Be aware of expressions of any strong biases as this may raise concerns of your ability to be objective. 
• Strategize like a leader. Whenever you can, use your answers to show how you would address common management issues for the employer. Research the company ahead of time so that you are well-versed in its organizational structure, company culture, mission, successes, and more importantly, challenges. Prepare a list of questions to ask the interviewer that shows that you have thought deeply about how you could bring value to their operations.
• Give credit where it’s due. Good leaders acknowledge the contributions of their team members. As you describe instances where you assumed leadership, remember to credit the individual and collaborative efforts of your team.

Effective leaders have the ability to communicate well, motivate their team, handle, and delegate responsibilities, listen to feedback, and have the flexibility to solve problems in an ever-changing workplace. Whether you're starting out in an entry-level position and looking to move up the career ladder or you're seeking a promotion, your leadership skills will be among your most valuable assets.