As a leading resume-writing company, we have been creating tailored resumes and other application documents for new and experienced leaders. Our skilled writers can help emphasize your leadership skills for employers to help you land a better-paying, rewarding position. Here's what we can help you with:
Resume
Our experienced or certified writer will craft a resume that portrays you as an effective leader. We'll incorporate measurable achievements, relevant keywords, and an effective structure to give a better picture of your skills.
Cover letter
The writer will prepare a tailored cover letter that uncovers your leadership style, showcases specific projects, and shows your cultural fit with a target company.
LinkedIn profile development
We will present a sequence of your leadership roles and your potential in more depth. Get a keyword-rich profile that helps recruiters from top companies find you online!
Professional bio
Senior-level leaders need to submit a professional bio as part of their job application. Order an impactful bio that showcases your history of success in a common language and unveils your personality and values.
What leadership styles are there?
Our test will help you identify your leadership personality and show in what organization you are likely to thrive. If you haven't researched the theory of leadership before, here are the most common leadership styles.
1. Authoritarian (or autocratic) leadership style
The authoritarian leader has a clear vision of what should be achieved, but they only involve employees to perform individual tasks upon request. Decision-making processes are centralized, and the leader makes the most important decisions. This leadership style is characterized by a clear command approach and control over subordinates.
Such leaders can complete projects under tight deadlines and usually have broader knowledge than the rest of the team. Such an approach is useful when decisive action is needed - for example, when business is facing a crisis. On the other hand, this leadership style doesn't welcome creativity, doesn't prioritize workplace relationships, and such leaders have a hard time delegating.
2. Democratic leadership style
Democratic leaders welcome all opinions and encourage team collaboration. Such leaders share responsibility for decision-making with every person in their team. They participate in the professional development of the team, as they realize that the focus on professional development will help achieve company goals. This leadership style works in different situations, as the leader listens to all opinions and encourages everyone to contribute.
According to Kurt Levin, this leadership approach is the most effective. It helps improve the quality of work, encourages the creativity of every person in the team, and makes everyone feel involved. Plus, everyone is involved in the big-picture strategy, which helps individual growth and boosts employee morale. There is a downside, too - if some team members don't feel involved or are not willing to contribute, this style might be less effective.
3. Delegative (or Laissez-faire) leadership style
Delegate leaders enable the team to complete the task without direct instructions or micromanagement. They give the team complete freedom in decision-making as long as it helps get the job done. Such leaders in an organization differentiate themselves from the team and don't control the project much.
Delegate leadership works best when the team members are highly skilled and experienced in their field, and can work independently. The leader transfers all resources to the team and allows subordinates to make their own decisions. They encourage initiative and let employees decide what works best to achieve the goal.
There are downsides, too. Teams with this leadership style are the least productive, and the roles and responsibilities of each member might be blurred (which is not a problem if everyone is actively engaged and qualified). However, team members might start blaming each other if something goes wrong, and not take any responsibility for the failure.
4. Visionary leadership style
Visionary leaders have a clear picture of the end goal and can inspire and motivate people towards it. This leadership type is perfect when the organization is undergoing major changes or there is a need for clear direction, and employees need someone they can trust and follow. Thus, employees can get the inspiration they need to achieve goals.
This style is less effective when team members are experts and their ideas and opinions differ from those of their leader. Plus, the team might lack a long-term vision of the situation. Vision and inspiration are closely tied to the personality of the leader, so if a new leader is assigned, the team might feel unmotivated.
Tips on how to strengthen your leadership skills
With the above leadership personality assessment, you can quickly understand what type of leader you are. However, your pathway to being a good leader doesn't stop there. Here are some recommendations to boost your leadership skills:
Identify your strengths and weaknesses
Our leadership personality test will show your strengths and weaknesses as a leader. You can go further and ask for feedback from your coworkers or manager about your strengths and weaknesses.
Take the time to understand what hard and soft skills you excel at, and in what areas there's room for growth. Write down your weaknesses and work on them and strengthen your ability to lead.
Target specific skills
After you've identified your weak areas, it's time to improve them. No need to target all skills at a time - 2-3 are enough to get started.
For example, the test has shown that you are an authoritarian leader. It means that you can take responsibility for your actions, give clear directions to subordinates, and navigate challenging situations. Yet, you might be not adaptable enough, don't let people in your team showcase creativity, or lack relationship-building skills.
Think about how you can work on each of these skills. You can take online courses, join the employee training program, volunteer, find a coach, etc.
Find a coach
Leadership coaching is a great instrument that works for experienced and new leaders. Your coach can help evaluate your leadership skills better, recommend how to work on the weak areas, and how to progress faster in your career. If your organization doesn't offer coaching programs, you can find an external coach. Be sure to pick someone with solid experience in your industry.
Be open to new challenges
The best way to hone your leadership skills is through practice. If you're not a leader yet, ask your boss to give you leadership assignments - for example, to lead a new project, supervise new employees, or else. You can acquire leadership skills in other ways, such as volunteering projects or community initiatives. Be ready to step out of the comfort zone and face new challenges associated with managing and motivating others. For experienced managers, it helps to try out your skills in different situations and contexts.