In the past, there was the mindset that if you were not born a leader, there was little you could do to gain leadership skills and knowledge¹. However, the modern view is that through patience, hard work, and training, one can become an effective leader¹. Leadership skills are essential to becoming a manager within an organization. Employers look for candidates that possess skills that they see fit for leading. Some of these skills include: leading by example, organization, delegation, responsibility, and communication. Additionally, a leader's skills greatly influences an organization's corporate culture. Through this, it is essential that leaders practice fair and objective leadership principles.
Furthermore, leadership skills are also essential for innovation. Finding a new idea is hard, but executing the idea is even harder. The difference between a dreamer and an entrepreneur is that an entrepreneur is able to lead his or her team. Starting a new business venture within an organization is stressful, and the key to keeping on track is to use leadership skills to keep yourself and your team confident and on track.
An example of leadership applied to business management might be when a team begins to loose its direction or motivation. A true business leader will find something that is going well, and highlight that point to the rest of the team to motivate them. Additionally, a leader may lead by example and begin to work on the project in a new and creative way to show the team that there is direction.
Reference:
1. Leadership Skills. Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/main/newMN_LDR.htm