What are the key actions that leaders must undertake?

The correct answer emphasizes the essential actions leaders must take to effectively guide their teams and organizations. Influencing is a critical leadership skill because it involves motivating and inspiring individuals to embrace a shared vision and work towards common goals. Effective leaders must also excel in operating, which entails managing daily tasks and ensuring that processes function smoothly. Additionally, improving highlights the need for leaders to foster a culture of continuous improvement, encouraging innovation and growth within their teams.

Other options touch on important aspects of management or support functions but do not encapsulate the core actions leaders take to inspire and guide their teams. While managing, assigning, and evaluating are certainly relevant to a leadership role, they lean more towards administrative functions rather than the inspirational and developmental aspects central to effective leadership. Planning, executing, and reporting are crucial for project management and operational execution but do not fully capture the relational and influence-driven nature of leadership. Finally, coaching, mentoring, and networking also represent vital skills for leaders but are more focused on support and personal development rather than the broader strategic dimensions of leadership, such as influencing and improving organizational culture.