By: The Capella Editorial Team with Bradly Roh, PhD, DBA and Interim Dean and Vice President for the School of Business, Technology and Health Care Administration
Reading Time: 12 minutes
Think about someone you admire at work. Chances are, it’s not just what they do but how they do it that stands out.
Strong leaders bring clarity, confidence and respect to every interaction. For many professionals, those same skills can be the catalyst for new opportunities and greater impact in their roles.
Whether you manage others or want to grow into it, you can strengthen your leadership by adopting some key habits and continuing to learn.
Explore what leadership looks like at different levels of your career, 10 practical ways to build those skills and next steps toward your professional goals.
Leadership at work is the ability to guide and influence others to achieve common goals in the workplace. As a leader, you take on responsibility, motivate team members and create a positive and productive work environment.
Being a leader at work and in your industry doesn’t always mean managing a team of people. Sometimes leadership is simply the way you help people learn and how you offer advice and inspiration when your team needs it most.
At its core, workplace leadership is about driving progress and empowering others, not just giving directions. Regardless of position or title, anyone can demonstrate leadership.
Leadership looks different at every level of an organization, but anyone can take steps to demonstrate it.
For entry-level employees, leadership starts with initiative and open communication. You must establish your presence within your team or role, and show you’re reliable and ready for more responsibility.
You can do that by volunteering to take on new projects, offering creative solutions during meetings or helping teammates meet deadlines.
Showing leadership when you’re a mid-level professional means showing maturity, taking ownership and earning trust from peers and supervisors.
For example, you can mentor your juniors, improve processes for better productivity or help different teams stay connected with easy and open communication.
Leaders at the management level focus on vision, engagement and empowerment. Good managers go beyond assigning tasks – they motivate, coach and create an environment where employees can thrive.
To show you’re a manager who is also a great leader, you can recognize your team members’ successes, support your team, guide them toward shared goals and be empathetic, even in stressful situations.
Executives and senior managers have to be model leaders every day. At this level, you set the tone for the entire company, so you have to show integrity and lead by example.
You can do this by living the organization’s values, making transparent decisions and empowering employees to innovate without fear.
Regardless of where you are in your organization, a good leader is always willing to learn and improve. So, let’s look at some practical tips to help you grow your leadership skills.
Bradly Roh, PhD, DBA, Interim Dean and Vice President at Capella University, walks us through 10 ways you can better show your leadership at work.
“Leadership at work is not defined by title, but by influence and how clearly you see the big picture, how well you communicate and uplift others, and how consistently you commit to growth, purpose and example,” says Dr. Roh.
Build a reputation for knowing your stuff and being on the leading edge of your industry. That might sound like a tall order, but don’t worry. You can do this in stages.
Add value by introducing the article with your own commentary or opinion. Also, interact with comments on your posts or on similar posts from other professionals to build credibility.
Becoming a thought leader on your preferred platform can establish you as an industry expert and help your company attract new clients. How? Decision makers are often experts in their field, so they trust other experts.
You can join a professional association in your industry and attend meetings, network with members or serve on a board. Talk about what you learned from the association with your colleagues and encourage them to get involved.
Not sure where to start? You can find several organizations by searching for your industry plus the term “professional association” online. Start by attending events, then find ways to get more involved. Build your leadership skills by volunteering to head a committee or organize an event.
To be recognized as a leader, you must be a strategic thinker who looks beyond daily tasks and understands the bigger picture. According to Dr. Roh, “Looking at the big picture allows leaders to connect strategy, people and purpose, ensuring short-term actions support long-term success.”
Viewing situations from the larger lens of the company can help you make better decisions and understand difficult changes.
For example, let’s say the supply chain department of a hospital elects to contain costs by reducing the amount of inventory on hand. This could save money up front, but the increased time it takes to replenish supplies results in inventory holes, which negatively impacts patient care.
Looking at things from a company perspective, you’d quickly realize that one cost-saving measure in the supply chain is not worth the larger cost of reduced patient care for the entire hospital.
Strategic leaders can also adapt ideas from other industries. Whoever looked at fast food drive-thrus and thought, “Hey, what if we did that in our retail pharmacies?” was demonstrating leadership and creative problem-solving.
When a project doesn’t go as planned, leaders don’t dwell on what went wrong. They also don’t get caught up in office politics or spend their lunch hour gossiping. Leaders proactively seek a solution. Dr. Roh adds that “Proactive leadership pairs optimism with action, setting direction early, engaging others meaningfully and driving results with intention.”
Be sure to set a good example for your colleagues by being optimistic. People like to be around positive people. They want to be excited about their jobs. Help create a positive, proactive atmosphere at the office.
Ways to do that include:
Good leaders don’t tell: they listen. Listening to and observing others is a great way to get ideas and gain perspective. Listen to your coworkers, your boss, your peers, your customers and the overall marketplace.
Listening also means being able to take in input from others. “Effective leaders listen with intent and learn continuously, using insight from others to make better, more informed decisions,” says Dr. Roh.
When you receive feedback, listen openly and avoid getting defensive. Ask clarifying questions to understand how you can improve. And when offering input, make it constructive, specific and supportive.
Curiosity and self-improvement are hallmarks of a growth-oriented leader. For example, after you finish a big presentation, ask a trusted colleague for their perspective. When you listen to learn, this feedback becomes a guide on how your next presentation can be even better.
Networking can help you find opportunities for growth and develop your leadership skills. Attend conferences, connect with peers on LinkedIn and find ways to meet people in your industry.
When you attend a networking event, your goal should be quality over quantity. In other words, handing out 100 business cards may not be as successful as having five solid conversations. The best connections are purposeful.
True leaders will identify a way to work together or connect again in the future. Their success is gained not in how many people they know but in how well they know those people. Get tips for successful networking.
Simply put, a mentor is a more experienced person who shares professional knowledge and career experiences with you, the mentee. The goal of a mentoring relationship is to gain insight and advice from your mentor to develop your own leadership skills and advance your career goals.
A mentor can be someone in your company or in another company. They can even be in another industry, depending on what you’re seeking to learn.
You can also find mentors through your education program. Capella University supports students and graduates through the Networking Platform in the Career Development Center. Here, you can connect with others in your industry and get help from experienced professionals.
Dr. Roh says that “Embracing unique perspectives allows leaders to challenge assumptions, broaden understanding and arrive at more effective solutions.” Strong leaders recognize that their own viewpoint is only one part of the picture.
Teams are made up of people with different backgrounds, experiences and ways of thinking, and those differences can be a strength when they’re acknowledged and valued.
Embracing unique perspectives starts with curiosity. Instead of assuming you have the best solution, invite others to share how they see a problem or opportunity. This approach can help people feel respected and included in the process.
Communication plays a key role. Leaders who create space for open dialogue make it easier for team members to speak up, especially when they have a different point of view. That means asking thoughtful questions, avoiding quick judgments and listening fully before responding.
For example, during a team discussion, letting a colleague finish explaining their concern and asking, “Can you help me understand how you’re seeing this?” signals that their perspective matters. Over time, these small moments build trust and encourage more honest collaboration.
You don’t need a formal title or major initiative to lead this way. By actively seeking out perspectives that differ from your own and being open to learning from them, you create a more inclusive environment and set the tone for stronger, more thoughtful leadership.
You can’t expect others to follow your lead if your actions don’t match your words. True leadership is rooted in consistency, reliability and striving for excellence. You must master your job and show a strong work ethic if you want others to follow or emulate you. Here are three ways you can do so:
1. Be reliable. You can show this through everyday actions like being punctual, meeting deadlines and maintaining high work standards.
2. Be consistent. This demonstrates to your managers and senior leaders that you have good time management and organization skills, and that they can trust you with more responsibility.
3. Never stop learning. If you want to excel in your field, you need in-depth knowledge.
Continuous learning helps you develop technical and soft skills, so you can better connect with your colleagues.
Many companies offer leadership training programs you can take advantage of. Pursuing further education is also a great way to develop yourself as a leader.
An online MBA gives you space to deepen your leadership toolkit and apply what you learn directly to your current role. Capella’s online MBA options are designed for working professionals, so you can keep gaining experience while earning your degree.
To lead others, you first need to understand yourself. That includes recognizing not only your technical skills, but also how you respond to challenges, communicate under pressure and interact with others. Emotional intelligence (also known as emotional quotient or EQ) is one of the most effective ways leaders gain that self-awareness.
EQ is the ability to recognize, understand and manage your emotions, as well as the emotions of the people you work with. For many leaders, EQ provides insight into personal strengths and work habits that directly affect how they show up on a team.
Leaders with high EQ can handle difficult conversations with clarity, reduce conflict and create an environment where people feel respected and heard. It helps you know when to push and when to simply listen.
EQ is a skill you can develop and improve over time through reflection and practice. Many organizations use personality assessments and self-evaluation tools to help employees better understand how they approach problems, communicate and work with others. These insights can help you build on your strengths while identifying areas for growth.
You can pick up some of these skills by observing successful leaders around you. Notice how they change tone across meetings, how they handle objections and how they use language and non-verbal cues to motivate others. Try to emulate these tactics in your own communication.
While generic tutorials and observation can help you improve, online skills-based leadership programs are a great option to build the communication skills you need to lead in your field.
Not everyone is born with leadership skills. Most great leaders have built their skills over time, not letting their thirst for self-improvement be quenched.
Your leadership potential grows when you invest in yourself. Capella University offers online business and leadership programs that can help you take the next step. You can build a strong foundation in the BS in Business, Management and Leadership program, or deepen your expertise with advanced options like the MBA or DBA.
Capella programs are also designed to fit into your life, with the FlexPath learning format allowing you to complete many business courses at your own speed. You can find a full list of our self-paced programs here.
You will also learn from experts with experience in their field, so you gain practical insights and real-world knowledge along with theoretical information.
With Capella University’s flexible online degrees, you can maintain your work commitments while making progress toward becoming a leader. Explore our business programs today.
Ready to become a leader at work? Find the best business program for you.
Start by building core leadership skills like communication, problem-solving and initiative through certificates, online courses or a business degree. Then, take on challenging projects to demonstrate reliability and build credibility. Get advanced degrees in your field to position yourself as an expert when you apply for senior roles.
Practice clear communication and develop your emotional intelligence. These are key traits for a leader that could help you guide your team efficiently. Then, volunteer to lead small projects and seek feedback to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Work on improving your leadership skills through mentorship and books about management and leadership.
Leadership struggles often stem from fear of judgment, limited feedback, a lack of experience or communication skills that are still developing. You can move past fears and inexperience and improve your skills by getting an online business degree from an accredited university.
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