Top Leadership Qualities from People Who Know
There are those who are born to lead and those who need to learn how. Any one of us can be thrust into a situation where we must take a leadership role and run with it, and these situations often come with little or no warning. Let’s take a look at common traits that separate leaders from the rest of the pack in order to incorporate them into our own lives.
Reliability
Leaders are often entrusted with lives, utilize expensive resources and have a lot of responsibility. Reliability is one of the first things that superiors as well as followers look at in a leader. They keep their word, they do their jobs with alarming regularity, they are predictable and they are competent. They know they can be counted on, and so do others. Being dependable and reliable is one of the most fundamental traits that almost all good leaders have.
Be an Example
Good leaders lead by example, not by barking orders. Someone who is trustworthy will be willing to pitch in, know how to treat others with respect, and deal with situations with maturity and confidence. Great leaders will inspire others to become better and stronger. They build people up, they motivate and they encourage. Remember that people watch what we do more than they react to what we say. Our actions will be the strongest indicator with respect to our leadership abilities, and it’s important to remember that eyes are on us.
Organization
Good leaders are organized. They know things. They know where things are and when they need to be used. They have answers to questions and can solve problems. You can hone your organizational skills throughout the course of your preparedness efforts, and this will make a big impact on how you perform during a crisis as well as how others view you. There is also a close relationship between organization and being resourceful. The more organized you are now will help you to quickly and properly solve problems later.
Honing Skills
Good leaders always keep learning and sharpening their skills. They keep growing, evolving and developing solutions to problems. They have experience, and they know how to pass that on to others. The more you hone and develop your skills will not only help you to make good decisions in a crisis, but you will also help to inspire confidence in your capabilities. Never stop learning, training and passing what you master on to others.
Motivators
Good leaders are motivators. They know how to bring out the best in people. They can encourage, teach, inspire, mentor and correct when necessary. While there are many different schools of thought with respect to the best “style” of motivation to use, and a lot of this is situational, leaders know how to get people to do what needs to be done. How well do you motivate others?
Part of the success that good leaders have is through their ability to build relationships and strengthen bonds. They have a knack for viewing a group as a collection of individual parts who each have their unique strengths and weaknesses. By delegating, fostering communication, inspiring confidence and getting people to work together, good leaders know how to make a team shine, and all of this comes from their ability to build positive relationships.
All of us have our own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to leading. However, we often don’t think about them until we’re thrust in a situation where our abilities are tested. Try to take an honest look at where you stand, and what needs improvement, so you can evolve into a strong, capable and effective leader when it matters the most.
