“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”
– John C. Maxwell
When you picture a leader, what comes to mind? If you’re anything like most people, you probably envision a brave and fearless soul. Someone who’s not afraid to take the helm, never wavering in the face of danger.
While most of us view leadership as an innate personality trait, something that some people have and others don’t; the truth is that leadership is an acquired skill, not something that we’ve either got or not; instead, it’s something that we must work hard to cultivate.
In his book Leadership, Rudolph Giuliani reiterates this point. He says that “Leadership does not simply happen. It can be taught, learned, developed.”
No matter how you define the word itself, Chair of the Public Works Trust Board Stan Finkelstein argues that most would agree that important leadership characteristics include the ability to identify important issues, to work collaboratively with others, and to find collective solutions.
Of course, there are a number of other traits that most excellent leaders have as well, things that are commonly found in most effective leaders. While their methods will vary, here’s a look at those traits now.
Confidence
A great leader exudes confidence. Not an overinflated opinion of themselves, but a calm confidence in the company and its future. When the going gets tough, a good leader can lead his people through, all while maintaining confidence in the process, solution, and viability of the big-picture goals.
Inspirational
A great leader is also able to help inspire and motivate her team. As John Quincy Adams famously said, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”
While the team might not always have the strong confidence of their leader, their leader should be able to inspire them and keep their morale up. As a leader, it’s important to work to keep your team motivated, inspired, and upbeat. Sometimes this means giving a few words of encouragement and other times it means stepping in to work alongside them. A good leader has a knack for boosting morale and knows what to do and when to do it to keep the team going strong.
A Great Communicator
Let’s face it; good communication is important in every aspect of business, but being an effective communicator is especially vital for a leader. A good leader understands that his or her team won’t understand the vision, goal, or plan without a clear message. Words have great power. They can motivate people to go beyond their comfort zones and achieve more. Used effectively, words can also produce great results.
Accountable
As a leader, it falls to you to accept most of the blame and little of the credit. As Arnold H. Glasgow once reportedly said, “A good leader takes little more than his share of the blame and little less than his share of the credit.” A good leader doesn’t care about taking credit for a job well done, as long as the job is finished, it doesn’t matter that the spotlight isn’t shining on them. On the other hand, though, if there’s blame to assign, most of the time a good leader will be willing to stand up and accept it as their responsibility.
Enthusiastic
People tend to respond well to enthusiasm. The best leaders know how to inspire others, and are upbeat and positive. They aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty and get involved with the team and is a constant enthusiastic voice, continually encouraging those on the team. A great leader is passionate about their work, and that enthusiasm rubs off on others as well.
Responsible
A great leader is also responsible. They know what it takes to get things done and fight the temptation to make excuses or pass the buck. Instead of looking to assign blame, they focus on creating a solution.
“Take responsibility for any of your team’s failures,” advises Lane Campbell of Syntress SCDT. “At the end of the day, you ultimately hold all the responsibility anyway, so let your team know you understand that things didn’t work out the way they should have. Then propose solutions instead of assigning blame.”
Strong leaders are also responsible in the example that they set for their team. They show up on time, don’t engage in gossip, and work hard; formulating plans and sourcing tools that they and their team need to do their jobs.
Decisive
Apart from simply having a vision, a good leader will also have the ability to make good decisions. Decisions made by leaders often have a lasting impact and shouldn’t be taken lighting. However, many times leaders aren’t given a lot of time to mull things over and must come to a decision quickly. A great leader is adept at navigating different scenarios and making key decisions that are in the collective best interest of both the team and the company.
Empathetic
Finally, a great leader is also empathetic. They understand the struggles their team members face and don’t downplay or undermine them. They also strive to put the welfare of their people above their own. Genuine understanding is an important quality for any leader, and being able to empathize with someone will allow you to come alongside them and help them become a stronger person.
“Leaders must understand the problems their team faces, and then begin doing anything to remove barriers to entry so their team can do the best job possible,” says Adam Root of Hiplogiq. “In my experience, these barriers include a lack of resources, a lack of direction and a lack of culture.”
Recognizing that most people aren’t born natural leaders is good news for most of us. This means that you’re not destined to fail simply because you may not have every one of the above traits. Instead, leadership abilities are something that can be improved and perfected with practice. Fighting the temptation to make it all about your performance, and instead looking to focus on cultivating the above trademarks of true leaders will help you to become a great leader, the type of person that inspires others to get things done.
What traits do you feel true leaders exhibit?
Imagination!!!!