Below are 3 of my favorite leaders.
From them, I have highlighted behavior traits in which enabled them to become successful leaders.
Responsibility
The best leaders take responsibility for making things happen. We all know just how easy it is to blame external factors and we probably all have done this at some time. You know the scenario. If only accounts, purchasing, sales and marketing, customer services, etc would do this everything would be okay. We might even blame the economy, the weather or even the competition. If you want to excel as a leader take responsibility for making things happen.
Decision takers
We all have fears and doubts when it comes to taking decisions. Will it be the right one, what happens if it goes wrong, how will I look or be perceived by others? These are just a few of the questions and dilemmas faced or going through their head. What sets successful leaders apart is their willingness to face fears and take decisions rather than procrastinate. They know that they will get their fair share of decisions wrong and will learn from them.
Deal with facts
Realism is essential if you are to be a successful leader. Realism is about facing up to whatever is going on, rather than expending energy wishing it was different. When faced with decisions, the best leaders will focus on the facts to determine what is realistic. Imagine you are faced with a poorly performing organisation. You might wish it could be fixed next month or next week, but the reality might be that it will take months and maybe years.
Vision and inspiration
The most successful leaders have the ability not just to create a vision but to communicate it in an inspiring way. They see the big picture and inspire others to work together to make it happen.
Optimism
There are some who are naturally pessimistic, while others are naturally optimistic. Successful leaders are part of the second group. They know that they cannot control every eventuality but they can control how they respond. They focus on solutions, not problems.
Resilient
No matter what you set out to as a leader, there will be set backs, disappointments and failures along the way. The most successful leaders are extremely resilient and when things do not work out as they hoped, they bounce back.
John Wooden
Integrity
Your success depends on others following. People will only follow if they believe they can rely on you to demonstrate high standards, be open, honest and truthful with them. They also expect consistency. When you are consistent (no matter what your leadership style is) people know what to expect.
Excellence
Excellence in what they do is one of the defining qualities of successful leaders. They have a mindset of continuous improvement. They look for better, smarter ways of doing things. They are continual learners.
Dan-
ReplyDeleteI am really impressed with the leadership traits you shared. I believe you hit a lot of really key traits that make a successful leader.
Responsibility is such a big part of leadership. I agree that a leader cannot expect to excel if they are unable to take responsibility not only for positive outcomes, but negative occurrences as well.
Decision Making is a trait that is also very important. Nothing turns me away from a potential leader more than someone who is unable to make a decision and stick with it. Even if it is not the right choice always, it is important to take a stance and allows others the opportunity to follow.
A leader should “deal with facts.” I agree that it is really important to stay realistic. There are bound to be realistic people in a group of followers. It would be easier to thought of as a leader with your head in the clouds if you were not grounded and able to see the big picture. This goes along with vision and inspiration, optimism and integrity as well. Nobody wants to follow a pessimistic person with no direction in mind. It is like playing darts without the board. What are you aiming at?! As a leader you must know your vision and be optimistic that you and your followers can achieve it.