What is leadership?
Leadership is a complex set of behaviours and attributes that involves more than simply directing others and thinking strategically. It is shown in your ability to
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manage others
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develop strategy
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negotiate with others
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set goals and enable others to achieve them
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provide positive supervision
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give and receive feedback
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motivate others
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act as coach or mentor
Leadership skills are among the main competencies that graduate recruiters look for evidence of and assess through recruitment and selection processes. However, a recent survey, Skills for graduates in the 21st century (Association of Graduate Recruiters, 2011), highlighted that leadership was the third most listed skills shortage, with 33% of respondents saying that they could not recruit graduates with the leadership skills their businesses needed.
Leadership 'behaviours'
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Being able to direct and supervise others
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Organising and motivating others
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Setting objectives
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Taking the initiative
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Giving constructive feedback
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Demonstrating confidence and assertiveness
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Taking responsibility for the directions and actions of a team
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Showing maturity and acting on feedback you have received
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Demonstrating resilience and persevering when things are not working out
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Accepting responsibility for when things haven't gone to plan
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Being flexible and prepared to adapt goals and strategy if circumstances change
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Taking a positive attitude to frustration/failure
Leadership skills development: examples and evidence
Leadership examples and evidence
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Academic related
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Acting as chair/spokesperson of your project team
Involvement in LSE life (eg volunteering to sit on your department's SSLC)
Representing your fellow students on the Undergraduate Students' Consultative Forum|
Becoming a student mentor for first year students in your department
Setting up a study group
Participating in peer mentoring and PASS (peer assisted study sessions)
Attending Teaching and Learning Centre events|, such as Communicating assertively|
Becoming a departmental Careers Representative
Participating in LSE Peer Support|
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Extra-curricular
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Taking on a position of responsibility (eg treasurer, president) for a student society or sports club
Captaining a sports team
Bringing together a team of people to take part in a short term project like a student competition/activity
Becoming a Student Volunteering Ambassador
Taking on a position of responsibility in your Hall of Residence
Joining the Sports Volunteers Scheme to undertake coaching in local schools
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Work experience/volunteering
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Training new members of staff at your place of work
Volunteering in an inner city school
Volunteering with Inter-University mentoring young people and running homework clubs
Joining the Widening Participation Student Ambassador scheme|
Applying for funding for volunteering/enterprise projects via LSE Careers|
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Other
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Taking the initiative and leading on group based skills sessions (eg by volunteering to chair the discussion)
Taking a leadership style test
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