Everybody
defines leadership differently but I really like the way John C Maxwell defines
leadership, “A leader is one who knows
the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” Irrespective of how you
define a leader, he or she can prove to be a difference maker between success
and failure. A good leader has a futuristic vision and knows how to turn his
ideas into real-world success stories. In this article, we take an in-depth
look at some of the important leadership qualities that separate good leaders
from a bad one.
HONESTY AND INTEGRITY: The
34th President of United States, Dwight.
D. Eisenhower once said, “The
supreme quality of leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it,
no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a
football field, in an army, or in an office.” Honesty and integrity
are two important ingredients which make a good leader. How can you
expect your followers to be honest when you lack these qualities yourself?
Leaders succeed when they stick to their values and core beliefs and without
ethics, this will not be possible.
CONFIDENCE:
To be an effective leader, you
should be confident enough to ensure that other follow your commands. If you
are unsure about your own decisions and qualities, then your subordinates will
never follow you. As a leader, you have to be oozing with confidence, show some
swagger and assertiveness to gain the respect of your subordinates. This does not
mean that you should be overconfident, but you should at least reflect the
degree of confidence required to ensure that your followers trust you as a
leader.
INSPIRE OTHERS: Probably the
most difficult job for a leader is to persuade others to follow. It can only be
possible if you inspire your followers by setting a good example. When the
going gets tough, they look up to you and see how you react to the situation.
If you handle it well, they will follow you. As a leader, should think positive
and this positive approach should be visible through your actions. Stay calm
under pressure and keep the motivation level up. As John Quincy Adams puts it,
“If your actions inspire others to
dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” If you
are successful in inspiring your subordinates, you can easily overcome any
current and future challenge easily.
COMMITMENT AND PASSION: Your teams look up to you and if you
want them to give them their all, you will have to be passionate about it too.
When your teammates see you getting your hands dirty, they will also give their
best shot. It will also help you to gain the respect of your subordinates and
infuse new energy in your team members, which helps them to perform better. If
they feel that you are not fully committed or lacks passion, then it would be
an uphill task for the leader to motivate your followers to achieve the goal.
GOOD COMMUNICATOR: Until you
clearly communicate your vision to your team and tell them the strategy to
achieve the goal, it will be very difficult for you to get the results you
want. Simply put, if you are unable to communicate your message effectively to
your team, you can never be a good leader. A good communicator can be a good
leader. Words have the power to motivate people and make them do the
unthinkable. If you use them effectively, you can also achieve better results.
DECISION-MAKING CAPABILITIES:
Apart
from having a futuristic vision, a leader should have the ability to take the
right decision at the right time. Decisions taken by leaders have a profound
impact on masses. A leader should think long and hard before taking a decision
but once the decision is taken, stand by it. Although, most leaders take
decisions on their own, but it is highly recommended that you consult key
stakeholders before taking a decision. After all, they are the ones who will
benefit or suffer from your decisions.
ACCOUNTABILITY: When it comes
to accountability, you need to follow the approach highlighted by Arnold H
Glasow when he said, “A good leader
takes little more than his share of the blame and little less than his share of
the credit.” Make sure that every one of your subordinates is
accountable for what they are doing. If they do well, give them a pat on the
back but if they struggle, make them realize their mistakes and work together
to improve. Holding them accountable for their actions will create a sense of
responsibility among your subordinates and they will go about the business more
seriously.
DELEGATION AND EMPOWERMENT: You
cannot do everything, right. It is important for a leader to focus on key
responsibilities while leaving the rest to others. By that, I mean empowering
your followers and delegating tasks to them. If you continue to micromanage
your subordinates, it will develop a lack of trust and more importantly, you
will not be able to focus on important matters, as you should be. Delegate
tasks to your subordinates and see how they perform. Provide them with all the
resources and support they need to achieve the objective and give them a chance
to bear the responsibility.
CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION
What
separates a leader from a follower? Steve Jobs, the greatest visionary
of our time answers this question this way, “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” In
order to get ahead in today’s fast-paced world, a leader must be creative and
innovative at the same time. Creative thinking and constant innovation is what
makes you and your team stand out from the crowd. Think out of the box to come
up with unique ideas and turn those ideas and goals into reality.
EMPATHY: Leaders should
develop empathy with their followers. Unfortunately, most leaders follow a
dictatorial style and neglect empathy altogether. Due to this, they fail to
make a closer connection with their followers. Understanding the problems of
your followers and feeling their pain is the first step to become an effective
leader. Even that is not enough until you work hard and provide your followers
with the suitable solution to their problems.
0 comments:
Post a Comment