Leadership isn’t a title you hold—it’s a skill you build. And like any other skill, the only way to get better is through feedback and practice.
If you’re asking yourself how to improve leadership skills in the workplace, that’s already a strong first step. Improvement doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from choosing a skill to focus on, picking a model for how you’ll do it, and then running real reps with regular feedback.
This is where many people get stuck. They set big goals like “be a better leader” or wait for outcomes like sales numbers to prove they’ve improved. The problem? The workplace is messy. Markets swing, priorities shift, and dozens of variables influence results.
If you really want to know how to improve leadership skills in the workplace, the answer is much simpler: be intentional about the habits you practice, the conversations you run, and the feedback you seek out.
In this post, we’ll walk through the most effective ways to strengthen your leadership skills step by step—and we’ll explore how modern tools like AI role play can give you safer, repeatable practice in less time.
The process for developing as a leader isn’t linear. It’s a loop:
Assess → Choose one specific skill → Select a model or framework → Practice with feedback → Reflect → Repeat.
That loop matters because the workplace is too chaotic for a perfect, controlled experiment. You can’t change one variable at a time like a scientist. You need to be intentional about how you’ll know if you’re actually growing.
The fastest way to improve is to narrow your focus. Pick a skill that matters (like accountability conversations, priority management, or giving feedback), then choose a framework that defines what “good” looks like. Layer in a feedback partner, timebox your effort (30, 60, or 90 days), and run weekly reps. If you do that, you’ll see noticeable improvement in any leadership skill you take on.
Growth in leadership is both personal and social. It shows up in how you manage your own calendar and priorities, and in how you run conversations with your team. That said, the common denominator is the same: consistent practice, measured with feedback.
The first step in improving your leadership is to actually know where you stand. Self-awareness is the foundation for any real change. The tricky part? We’re all biased when it comes to judging ourselves. You might think you’re holding clear accountability conversations or managing priorities well, but without outside input, you don’t really know.
That’s why you need multiple angles of feedback:
- Self-reflection: After important leadership moments, take a few minutes to jot down what happened, what you tried, and what you’ll do differently next time. Even short notes can reveal patterns.
- Other people: Ask for observations from a peer, mentor, your boss, or even a direct report. Don’t just ask “How am I doing?”—make it specific. For example, “When I give feedback, am I being clear and timely?”
- Data: Look for lightweight signals. Team pulse surveys, quick sentiment checks, or a 360-style review can show whether changes you’re making are having an impact.
And remember: leadership is one of the most common areas where people misjudge themselves. External eyes help surface blind spots you can’t catch alone. Yet most people aren’t getting enough useful input (only 21% of U.S. employees say they received meaningful feedback in the past week, according to
Gallup). That scarcity makes it even more important to actively seek it out.
If you want a deeper dive into this, check out our breakdown of different
types of feedback and how to leverage them to supercharge your growth.
Once you’ve gathered feedback, resist the urge to set a vague goal like “become a better leader.” That kind of target is too broad, and it leaves you chasing outcome metrics that don’t actually prove you’ve improved. Outcomes like sales numbers are influenced by dozens of variables you don’t control. Your team might hit their targets because the market swung in your favor, not because you got sharper as a leader.
A better approach is to
pick one specific skill to focus on and keep it behavioral. Examples:
- Accountability conversations: Run at least one focused follow-up each week and ask a peer to debrief with you
- Priority management: Map your calendar every Monday to protect time for your top three priorities.
- Feedback delivery: Practice one short, clear feedback conversation per week.
- Negotiation: Look for low-risk opportunities to practice making a clear ask and pausing for response.
Whatever you choose,
shape the goal around the reps, not the results. Then add a measurement partner: someone who will check in with you and ask how it went. This simple structure turns a fuzzy ambition into something you can actually track and improve over time.
A lot of leaders assume they’ll improve just by trying harder. But effort without direction doesn’t usually move the needle.
To get better, you have to know how to do it better. That means choosing a model or framework that shows you what “good” looks like before you start running reps.
Maybe that’s following a clear
accountability process, using a structured method for priority management, or becoming fluent in your project management tool so it finally works for you instead of against you. The point is to pick a proven model you can practice against. When you know the framework, you can measure yourself against it and see whether you’re actually getting closer to the mark.
Leadership training and coaching are great ways to fill in those gaps. They give you the tools and structure you might not have on your own. But training is just the start. What really builds the muscle is repetition—taking what you’ve learned and applying it week after week until it becomes second nature.
Leadership development doesn’t happen in big leaps. It happens in small, consistent reps. Just like an athlete or musician, you improve by doing the thing again and again with feedback, not by waiting for rare, high-stakes opportunities.
That’s why practice matters so much. A single conversation won’t transform your leadership. But a series of intentional, low-stakes practice moments will. Each week, you have chances to practice accountability, feedback, and priority management in real time. Those small moments are where real growth happens.
And because habits form over time, not overnight, consistency is everything. Research from
University College London shows it takes about 66 days for a new behavior to become automatic. That’s why a 60–90 day practice window works so well for leadership growth.
Once you’ve picked a skill and a framework, the question becomes: where do you actually practice? The answer is
in the everyday moments that already exist in your week. You don’t need to invent new scenarios—you just need to approach the ones you have with more intention.
Here are a few places to start:
- Weekly planning: Begin each week with a short game plan. Decide what you’ll focus on and, just as important, what you won’t.
- Calendar mapping: Protect time for your top priorities. If it’s not blocked on your calendar, chances are it won’t happen.
- Conversation reps: Run one accountability or feedback conversation each week using the same structure. The repetition builds comfort and consistency.
- Negotiation reps: Look for low-risk opportunities to practice making a clear ask and pausing for response. The smaller stakes give you room to refine.
- Tool mastery: Get fluent in your project management system so it supports your process rather than slows you down.
These practice points might feel small, but they compound quickly.
One rep a week is better than one heroic effort a quarter.Self-reflection is essential, but it’s not enough on its own. We’re all too biased about our own performance, especially with skills that are subjective, like accountability or feedback conversations. That’s why you need a partner.
Find a peer, mentor, or your boss and set up short check-ins. Even fifteen minutes once a week can change the game. One simple approach is to ask them to hold you accountable for the skill you’re working on. For example:
“This month I’m focusing on accountability. Each week, ask me who I held accountable and how it went.” Four conversations like that across a month will sharpen your focus and accelerate growth.
You can also practice in a group setting.
Coaching circles, mastermind groups, or informal peer check-ins give you the chance to share progress, compare approaches, and commit to next steps together. The social element of leadership practice makes it harder to drift and easier to stay consistent.
Sometimes you don’t have a peer or mentor available when you want to practice. That’s where AI can step in as the “somebody else” who gives you feedback.
AI conversation simulators and role play tools are a powerful way to rehearse leadership skills like expectation setting, accountability, giving feedback, or even negotiation. They give you a safe, low-risk environment to test your approach, get immediate guidance, and adjust in real time.
The biggest benefit is momentum. Instead of waiting a week between peer check-ins, you can keep your reps going every day. The repetition helps you notice patterns in your own language, tighten your phrasing, and build confidence faster.
If you want to see this in action, check out our guide on
ai role play for leadership skills development. It breaks down how simulated conversations accelerate real-world growth.
The best way to know if you’re improving is to
track the behaviors you committed to. As we discussed above, outcomes like sales or project results are influenced by too many variables. What you can control is the reps.
Ask yourself:
- How many accountability conversations did I run this month?
- Did I block time for my top three priorities each week?
- Was I consistent in practicing feedback conversations?
Then build a simple cadence:
quick self-checks each week, a debrief with a partner once a month, and a more formal review at 30, 60, or 90 days.This approach keeps your focus on the habits that actually change your leadership. Over time, those small, consistent behaviors add up to meaningful results.
Improving as a leader doesn’t happen by accident. It takes focus, feedback, and repetition. The path is straightforward:
- Pick one skill that matters, like accountability, feedback, negotiation, or priority management.
- Choose a framework so you know what “good” looks like.
- Set a time window (30, 60, or 90 days) to run focused reps.
- Recruit a partner or use tools to give you feedback along the way.
- Practice consistently—weekly reps, tracked and reviewed.
Follow these steps, and you’ll see meaningful growth. Over time, those small, deliberate changes compound into the kind of leadership your team can feel.
Of course, knowing the steps is one thing, and actually sticking with them is another. The best way to make this really stick is by joining a
structured program designed to improve leadership skills. That’s what the
Language of Leadership program is built for:
- Proven frameworks so you know exactly what to practice.
- Regular peer and expert feedback to accelerate your growth.
- A clear rhythm of practice to help you stay consistent.
- A supportive community of leaders walking the same path.
If you’d like to experience what that looks like before diving in, join our
free Language of Leadership webinar. You’ll walk away with the critical leadership shifts top performers use, practical tools for clearer communication, and a framework you can start applying right away.
With structure, feedback, and consistent reps, you won’t just learn how to improve—you’ll actually do it.
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