How to include leadership skills on a resume

Leadership skills can help you stand out as a more qualified candidate for an open position, especially if you’re applying for a management or executive role. But figuring out how to highlight and describe these skills on your resume can be challenging. Explore this guide that outlines what to include and how to emphasize your leadership skills on a resume.

Valuable leadership skills to include

Many job postings for open positions receive hundreds of applications, making it hard for applicants to stand out amid this competition. Demonstrable leadership skills can make a candidate look more appealing and qualified for an open job. Learn about some of the most desirable leadership skills you’ll want to include on your resume to distinguish yourself from other job candidates:

Adaptability

Needs change, and problems arise in every workplace across all industries. Adapting to evolving needs and rising concerns is a leadership skill many people lack. If you’ve ever worked with an employee who wants the workload and tasks to remain at the status quo, you can attest to the importance of adaptability. A willingness to adopt change positively can help you become a better leader, especially since you can lead your team by example.

Communication

Communicating with those you lead significantly affects your effectiveness as a leader. Oral and written communication skills should be high on your resume, as hiring managers often look for candidates who can speak clearly and communicate effectively. In a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), approximately 82% of employers place a high value on written communication skills. Additionally, 67% of the employers surveyed ranked verbal communication skills as extremely important.

Willingness to take risks

Along the same lines as adaptability, a strong leader must be willing to take risks. Risk-taking is a highly valued trait among the subordinates of leaders in various positions, according to a study published in the PLOS One Journal. This study outlined how others viewed risk-takers in the workplace and demonstrated that those who take risks and fail are more likely to receive job offers and promotions. The reasoning behind this finding is that people willing to take risks are less likely to be seen as indecisive.

If you’re willing to put yourself out there and take a risk, include this skill on your resume. It’s a skill that not everyone has, and your ability to jump on a new project or try something new could be the difference between being passed over or scoring an interview.

Team building

When you lead a team, it’s essential to foster a cohesive unit working toward shared goals. Building relationships that encourage an atmosphere of support and teamwork can help you stand out as a leader. Team-building and relationship-building skills have a high value in today’s business world. When describing how you build up your team and create a collaborative unit, think about a specific situation you could mention. A strong leader can communicate well, manage people effectively, and listen actively to form a team that works well together.

“A strong leader can communicate well, manage people effectively, and listen actively to form a team that works well together.”

Creativity

Creative thinking is another valuable leadership skill that can benefit you in many ways. You might use creativity when developing a new marketing strategy or improving customer retention rates. By applying your experiences and thinking outside the box, you can come up with ideas that others may love. Even if your team members don’t jump on board right away, you may be able to use your other leadership skills to highlight the value of your proposition and encourage them to take a risk and try something new.

Positivity

A positive attitude goes a long way in the workplace, especially when it starts at the top. Your attitude and outlook play a significant role in team morale as a leader. Suppose you’re pumping up your employees and encouraging them to do something extraordinary for your customers, even when situations pose challenges. In that case, you can create a supportive and positive culture in your department. This attitude can often trickle down to the rest of the team members as they strive to match your positivity and excitement level.

Dependability

Your team members must feel they can depend on you to show up when you say you will and keep your word. If you’re dependable, follow through on your plans and honor your promises. This skill is essential for a business leader, as team members are less likely to believe in or support a leader who isn’t very dependable. A lack of dependability from the leader can also create a waterfall effect, potentially resulting in increased absenteeism and decreased productivity.

Decisiveness

Making decisions is certainly a vital leadership skill, but it’s not the only skill to highlight on your resume. When describing your willingness and ability to make a decision, mention that you can make effective decisions quickly with the information available. Simply making a decision isn’t enough in a fast-paced business environment. Hiring managers want to know that you can act promptly and decisively to help boost efficiency and move projects along.

To demonstrate your decision-making ability, you can outline other related skills, such as problem-solving, evaluation, and research skills. You may also want to describe a situation in which you pulled from your experiences to make a decision that benefited the company.

How to include leadership skills on a resume

Now that you understand the building blocks of leadership skills, it’s time to put them to work for you by incorporating them into the resume you create. Follow these steps as you draft your professional document in preparation to submit it with applications. You can also create a profile so that employers can find you on CareerBuilder and connect you with jobs that align with your skill set.

Review the job posting

Tailoring your resume to each job you apply to can help you stand out and get through any artificial intelligence or applicant-tracking software that the organization might use to screen applicant resumes. Look for keywords and phrases related to leadership skills and match those elements as closely as possible on your resume.

Include concrete examples of leadership

One of the best ways to demonstrate your leadership skills is to highlight specific instances in which you gained or applied those skills in ways that benefited your colleagues or the company. For example, if you want to show the strength of your communication skills, outline the written projects you contributed to, such as newsletters, training documents, and reports. To demonstrate your oral skills, you could talk about public speaking events in which you participated or meetings you led and their outcomes.

Use strong language

Certain words and phrases evoke feelings in those reading them, so look for ways to incorporate emotional and strong language into your resume. When describing your leadership skills, try to use action verbs like:

Execute
Implement
Inspire
Mentor
Motivate
Overhaul
Oversee
Spearhead

By incorporating this type of language into your resume highlights, you can demonstrate your experience concisely and descriptively.

As you include the leadership skills that hiring managers are looking for, you can create a resume that clearly outlines why you’d be a great leader in a higher-level management role. As you review your resume, look for ways to enhance the language, describe opportunities and successes resulting from your leadership, and highlight what skills and experiences you bring to the table as a strong and trustworthy leader.