I recently had an great discussion with a group of execs about the qualities of a successful leader, and wanted to share them with you.
Among those mentioned were: authenticity, accountability, nurturing, humbleness, being motivational and being inspirational.
Below, I've detailed six additional characteristics that have helped me take my leadership to the next level. I'm confident they will boost your leadership skills too.
1. Equality and fairness
I've seen too many leaders alienate, offend or upset their team due to a lack of impartiality. This may take many forms, such as having one set of rules for some and another set for others, having favourites who get special treatment or perhaps even having different criteria of excellence depending on whom they're working with. If your people see you as a fair leader, you will gain their trust, engagement and commitment, and people will be willing to go the extra mile for you.
2. Adaptability and flexibility
The road to success is a winding one with plenty of ups and downs, and not every path you follow will be the right one. I believe in firmly sticking to your goals while remaining adaptable in your approach to achieving them. Recognising when to switch gears is a valuable talent, since sticking with a strategy that isn't working will frustrate and demoralise your team.
3. Positivity
Having the capacity to perceive problems as opportunities, creating a positive environment, and having faith in your team's abilities are excellent confidence boosters.
4. Rationality
Setting significant, bold objectives and having an ambitious vision is great, but you need a practical plan to get there. Pragmatism enables you to examine and dismiss ways that won't work or are overly ambitious and helps you to be realistic. It will assist you in breaking down monumental, audacious ambitions into smaller, more manageable objectives. As you achieve each step, you will gain confidence and enthusiasm.
5. Open-mindedness
Being open-minded does not imply that you must embrace everything; instead, you are ready to listen, learn and try something new. You still have the option to dismiss ideas that you don't think fit your plan or approach, but you'll be making decisions based on knowledge instead of bias.
TAKEAWAY: The good news is that all these abilities can be improved with practice. The return on your investment may be substantial in terms of the outcomes achieved, your leadership reputation and people's willingness to work with you.
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