LEADERSHIP TRAITS
Celebration. In today's environment, people are working long hours and need to take some time to celebrate successes to recharge their batteries. The leaders who fail to do this will eventually contribute to burnout.
Compassion. Too many leaders try to manage with the balance sheet, often at the expense of their employees and long-term customer relationships. Talented people want to work for leaders and organizations that truly care about their employees and the communities in which they operate.
Collaboration. True leaders solicit input and feedback from those around them so that everyone feels part of the growth process.
Communication. The best leaders always share their vision, or strategy with everyone around them and pays attention to responses.
Confidence. If you don't believe in yourself, no one else will. I hear leaders worrying that if they show too much confidence, others will think they're arrogant. The reality is that people want to know what you know for sure -- and what you don't. Having the confidence to say, "I don't know" is a powerful skill. Also admitting mistakes can be an amazing asset.
Clarity. The only way you can get confidence is by becoming very clear about who you are and what is most important to you. New leaders fail when they try to become all things to all people, or try to do too much out of their area of excellence. Clarity helps you say yes to the right things and no to other things.
Care. The strongest, most effective leaders out there care not just about the organization, but about the people in it and the people affected by it. Plus, they show they care through their words and actions, even proving how they care for themselves and their family by taking unplugged vacations and continuing their own professional development. Care shouldn't be a four-letter word in our workplace today, and the best leaders know it.
Empowerment. True leaders make their associates feel emboldened and powerful, not diminished and powerless.
Engagement. Great business leaders are able to get all members of their teams engaged. They do this by offering them challenges, seeking their ideas and contributions and providing them with recognition for their contributions
Focus. Knows where they're going and have a strong stated mission on which to lead people. If you're not sure, how can your people be sure? You have to have strong focus and stay the course.
Fearlessness. True leaders are not afraid to take risks or make mistakes. True leaders make mistakes born from risk.
Genuineness. You need to be clear on what your values are and must be consistent in applying them. As part of that, you need to have the courage to hold true to them. You must not lose sight of reality. Lost values may be one of the biggest causes of downfalls.
Honesty. Always does the honest thing and makes employees feel like they know where they stand at all times.
Humility. True leaders have confidence but realize the point at which it becomes arrogance, which may indicate a loss of contact with reality.
Integrity. They are people who are respected and worth listening to. I find in general due to all of the economic difficulties, employees prioritize and seek leaders and organizations that are honest and meet their commitments.
Passion. Whatever it is, you must have passion for what you're doing. Live, breathe, eat and sleep your mission.
Persuasiveness. People have to believe in you and your credibility. Image is everything, and the belief people have in you, your product, your mission, your facts or your reputation is key to being a great leader. You have to persuade people of this -- it doesn't just happen.
Respect. Not playing favorites with people and treating all people -- no matter what station in life, what class or what rank in the organizational chart -- the same.
Shared vision and actions. People produce real business gains and smart people need to understand what is needed and be part of the solution.
Self-awareness. You need to be clear on what your strengths are and what complementary strengths you need from others. This includes understanding others and learning how best to use their strengths. Many unsophisticated leaders think everyone should be like them; that too can cause their downfall. They surround themselves with people like them. "Group think" can blindside them and cause failure.
Supportive. You need to foster a positive environment that allows your team to flourish. Also, align the reward and recognition systems that best match your team's profile and deliver results.
Teamwork. A bib part of being a good leader is awareness and not necessarily expecting people to change. This doesn't mean you can't help them grow and develop. But don't expect to change anyone's behavior, not even your own. We are who we are and you should accept it. Your job as a coach is to understand each person's strengths and place them in positions where they can flourish and grow. If you are good at that, you have a huge part of the equation for leadership success.