Real business leadership starts from within. As a leader, you need to be what you want your people to be. Just like parents who want to instill in their children the best of values, they have to live what they preach. A leader has to be “worthy of being followed.” You don’t lay down a work ethos, values, ways to handle obstacles, and rules; you live them.
Do You Have the Leadership Qualities Needed to Be a Great Leader?
Many are born with leadership qualities that effortlessly make them great leaders and inspire employees to give their maximum best for the organization. Others have to work harder at developing, practicing and maintaining these qualities. What are these leadership and management traits you would need to reflect in order to be perceived as a great leader?
1. You Have Your Heart in the Right Place
Once upon a time, everything was about the company. People were expendable “for the greater good of the company.” Not today. Success of a company is often built on the premise that it’s “all for one and one for all.” Business leadership is nothing if the leader is not seen as caring for or about their people. They know everyone’s problems and always do their best to ensure their people are well taken care of.
2. You Are a Mentor
The highest leadership team development potential is reached only when everyone pulls in the same direction. Everyone will pull in the same direction when, instead of competing against one another for visibility, recognition and growth, they see their success in the success of the team. To do this, strategic leadership principles demand a leader nurtures every member of their team to grow to the highest potential.
3. Your Leadership Skills Are Seen Not Heard
Leaders do. Bosses instruct. This is the simplest of all leadership and management skills to understand, yet the most difficult to follow unless you are or want to be a great leader. You have to be one with your team. You’re the first in the office and last to go; first to take a hit when there’s trouble; first to take responsibility when things go wrong and so on.
To be a great leader, you need to focus on each one of these skills and hone them to perfection.