In the not so distant past, I taught and facilitated discussions regarding leadership and management skills. There is an important point to mention about both.

First; Management is more task based, skills based around paperwork, forecasts, time management skills etc.. tangible things.

Leadership skills- are people based, how you deal with conflict, how you encourage, how do you get someone to stay motivated, understanding how your team solves problems, understanding behavior styles.

When the rubber hits the road, leadership is much harder. Why? Well think about it, can I teach you how to fill out a sales report? Yeah, sure why not?  But.. how do I make sure a team member does it on a regular basis, sends it in on time and really takes the initiative to do it thoroughly?  All of these questions come down to leadership and quite honestly, if you are not feeling good about yourself internally and are not grounded- you will have a very aggravating experience to say the least. Trust me , I have been there! Bottom line , you will not enjoy what you are doing and you will feel like you are trying to control a bunch or mis behaving kids who don't want to listen to you.

So some quick tips, read and understand human behavior and motivation. Create a survey for your team to fill out and ask them what motivates them, how is their work environment and don't take it personally. It is just business. You are going to have to make perhaps some tough decisions, it is not a popularity contest. It is important to be fair, be firm and be quiet and listen, don't make rash emotional decisions.

Leadership requires alot of introspective work, understand yourself and you will be able to understand others easier. And also realize, you can not change someone else, that is up to them. You can only do so much and then it is up to your team member to do the rest. Good luck on your quest, it truly is a life long journey.