In one of my previous articles, I asked you to “wake the leader in you.” Today, I will tell you about the essential qualities of a good leader and how you can develop them.
Some leaders are born but most of them are trained. Either they train themselves or they are trained in a training school. The complete qualities of a leader are manifold. But Stephen Kindel has identified four basic leadership qualities. All the leaders around the globe share these qualities. Without any one of these, you will disqualify yourself to be a leader. These four qualities are perhaps the only ones that all the leaders possess, irrespective of their demographic situation and time. They are the following:
1. Embracing Responsibility
All good leaders embrace responsibility and lead the people to achieve their common goal. A good leader is the one who is willing to accept the responsibility to see a cause through to the end. Bad leaders don’t do so. They try but bail out soon. They often change their mind quickly. They don’t want to bear the pain of seeing any cause through to the end.
2. Eliciting The Cooperation Of Others
All good leaders seek the cooperation of others while leading them. What is the meaning of a leader if there are no followers? Without the cooperation of the followers, how can a leader lead? These are simple but meaningful questions. The leaders require the help of others for what they have to accomplish. In fact, they need the wisdom and insight of others. Their impact as a leader is broadened and strengthened when they get cooperation from others.
3. Listening Well
Ability to listen well is a valuable quality that a good leadership demands. Listening may look like an insignificant activity. But it is not. 80% of your work to be accomplished as a leader depends on your listening to others. But most of the ordinary leaders don’t listen. They command. They force. Sometimes, they intimidate. Great leaders never stop listening. They really love to listen. They are ever alert listening with great attention to advisers, followers, inner voices, to enemies, and even to the wind. Your listening power proves your open-mindedness.
4. Placing Others’ Interest Above Their Own
To help the group achieve a common goal is all what a leader should do. Look at other’s interests as more important than your own. Jesus Christ modeled this in the supreme way by placing people’s eternal destiny above his own divine rights. What an example for a leader to follow! This is how they should treat those they lead!
Kindel says, “While most people do at least one or two of these things to some extent, the best leaders are those who do all these things with consistency." And therein lies the test of a leader’s maximum effectiveness.
Besides Kindel’s basic qualities, there are other qualities to be considered. They are: (a) Leaders are trustworthy.
(b) Leaders are fair and just.
(c) Leaders are sensitive to people.
(d) Leaders are sensitive to situations
(e) Leader exhibit unassuming behavior.
(f) Leaders don’t have specific visiting hours.
(g) Leaders are punctual.
(h) Leaders are polite and
(i) Leaders are hard working.
Tips for developing leadership qualities:
1. Be Simple:
Simplicity may seem too uninspiring. But it helps leaders to remain in touch with people around them. You must exhibit some amount of humility too. When famous American investor and stock marketer Warren Buffet was asked how he learnt to handle his enormous power and wealth, he said, “I live now the way I lived 30 years ago.” But many people change their behavior when they become wealthy and powerful. If your are simple, people will like you. If you show humility, they will like you even more. At the heart of their heart, people don’t like anybody who is superior to them. If you want to lead a group of people, try your level best to be one of them. Don’t act as if you are the one who knows everything. Remember what Lord Chesterfield said, “Be wiser than other people, if you can, but do not tell them so.”
2. Acknowledge Your Mistakes:
All leaders have certain inadequacies. However, the natural tendency to hide those inadequacies must be avoided. You must give an analytical thought to your weaknesses so as to understand yourself better. President John F. Kennedy was well known to take the responsibility for the mistakes committed by the officers in his administration. If you can take the responsibility for the mistake committed by any member of your group, you can be a great leader.
3. Test The Reality:
Leaders who have thrived on power engage in reality testing. They don’t live in fantasy. You, as a leader, have to check the information you receive and review your assumptions regularly. Reality testing helps you prepare for the unexpected.
4. Anticipate:
Leaders need to anticipate and to be careful about what might go wrong. Some leaders slip upon small steps. They overlook some problems as petty matters. But they don’t know these petty matters, if neglected, will pile up to become a serious matter one day. You, as a good leader, should not consider anything insignificant. You should sort out any problem whether big or small instantly. But be always on guard about your one misstep that can totally derail your mission.
5. Take Decisions:
Today’s way of life demands action, not diffidence. You can’t remain indecisive in any matter related to your leadership. You may take some time, but you should take a strong decision as early as possible. People like to follow leaders who take strong decisions and commit to their decisions. If you want to become or remain an efficient leader, you must be more thoughtful too.
6. Show Courage:
You should show courage by maintaining composure during hard times. Acknowledge when things don’t go according to the plan. Seek views of the people you lead. Give and seek feedback. In matters of taste, you can swim with the current. But in matters of principle, you should stand like a rock. This is how you can show your courage. People like leaders who have courage.
7. Empower Others:
You should empower others by enabling an innovative approach to problem solving, by providing appropriate support to the people you lead, by sharing information that enables others to achieve the common goal or goals, by delegating tasks and responsibility to others, by providing clear direction and framework for the common objectives.
8. Demonstrate Trust:
You should demonstrate trust by creating an environment in which people feel comfortable expressing their opinion. Provide your group members with opportunities to take responsibilities. Treat the people fairly without favoritism. Anticipate changes in direction. Provide the framework of proposed changes and help others through that change. Be honest and open in dealing with the people and impending issues.
9. Encourage:
You should encourage people to seek opportunities which challenge their capabilities. Encourage people to learn through experience and training, personal development through coaching. Create an environment in which work is done with a sense of fun. Train them for new and innovative ways to improve their communication skills. The key to leading effectively is not hereditary. The ability to deliver an appropriate combination of personal techniques, procedure and behaviors for any challenge is a valuable leadership quality. Like any other skill, leadership can be learned and developed.
Development of leadership qualities can start at the early stage. Younger generations are very advanced in leadership training. They are training the members of their own generation in acquiring leadership skills. Most of today’s adults didn’t think about taking leadership training during their prime time. Opportunities to develop leadership skills and leadership qualities are not limited to young generations. Adults can also start learning how to develop leadership qualities. They can join some Social Service organizations, Self Help groups, etc. There is a huge wealth of opportunities for those interested in developing leadership skills and leadership qualities. If you want, you can even join a political party. But simply joining will not make a leader. You have to actively participate in every activity of the organization or the party.
Even if you don’t aspire to be a public leader, there are various situations where you can apply leadership skills. For example, you are or are going to be the head of your family. If you apply the leadership skills, how happy and progressive your family will be! Everyone needs to develop leadership qualities, so as you.
Yours forever,
Rajendra Sagolsem
Some leaders are born but most of them are trained. Either they train themselves or they are trained in a training school. The complete qualities of a leader are manifold. But Stephen Kindel has identified four basic leadership qualities. All the leaders around the globe share these qualities. Without any one of these, you will disqualify yourself to be a leader. These four qualities are perhaps the only ones that all the leaders possess, irrespective of their demographic situation and time. They are the following:
1. Embracing Responsibility
All good leaders embrace responsibility and lead the people to achieve their common goal. A good leader is the one who is willing to accept the responsibility to see a cause through to the end. Bad leaders don’t do so. They try but bail out soon. They often change their mind quickly. They don’t want to bear the pain of seeing any cause through to the end.
2. Eliciting The Cooperation Of Others
All good leaders seek the cooperation of others while leading them. What is the meaning of a leader if there are no followers? Without the cooperation of the followers, how can a leader lead? These are simple but meaningful questions. The leaders require the help of others for what they have to accomplish. In fact, they need the wisdom and insight of others. Their impact as a leader is broadened and strengthened when they get cooperation from others.
3. Listening Well
Ability to listen well is a valuable quality that a good leadership demands. Listening may look like an insignificant activity. But it is not. 80% of your work to be accomplished as a leader depends on your listening to others. But most of the ordinary leaders don’t listen. They command. They force. Sometimes, they intimidate. Great leaders never stop listening. They really love to listen. They are ever alert listening with great attention to advisers, followers, inner voices, to enemies, and even to the wind. Your listening power proves your open-mindedness.
4. Placing Others’ Interest Above Their Own
To help the group achieve a common goal is all what a leader should do. Look at other’s interests as more important than your own. Jesus Christ modeled this in the supreme way by placing people’s eternal destiny above his own divine rights. What an example for a leader to follow! This is how they should treat those they lead!
Kindel says, “While most people do at least one or two of these things to some extent, the best leaders are those who do all these things with consistency." And therein lies the test of a leader’s maximum effectiveness.
Besides Kindel’s basic qualities, there are other qualities to be considered. They are: (a) Leaders are trustworthy.
(b) Leaders are fair and just.
(c) Leaders are sensitive to people.
(d) Leaders are sensitive to situations
(e) Leader exhibit unassuming behavior.
(f) Leaders don’t have specific visiting hours.
(g) Leaders are punctual.
(h) Leaders are polite and
(i) Leaders are hard working.
Tips for developing leadership qualities:
1. Be Simple:
Simplicity may seem too uninspiring. But it helps leaders to remain in touch with people around them. You must exhibit some amount of humility too. When famous American investor and stock marketer Warren Buffet was asked how he learnt to handle his enormous power and wealth, he said, “I live now the way I lived 30 years ago.” But many people change their behavior when they become wealthy and powerful. If your are simple, people will like you. If you show humility, they will like you even more. At the heart of their heart, people don’t like anybody who is superior to them. If you want to lead a group of people, try your level best to be one of them. Don’t act as if you are the one who knows everything. Remember what Lord Chesterfield said, “Be wiser than other people, if you can, but do not tell them so.”
2. Acknowledge Your Mistakes:
All leaders have certain inadequacies. However, the natural tendency to hide those inadequacies must be avoided. You must give an analytical thought to your weaknesses so as to understand yourself better. President John F. Kennedy was well known to take the responsibility for the mistakes committed by the officers in his administration. If you can take the responsibility for the mistake committed by any member of your group, you can be a great leader.
3. Test The Reality:
Leaders who have thrived on power engage in reality testing. They don’t live in fantasy. You, as a leader, have to check the information you receive and review your assumptions regularly. Reality testing helps you prepare for the unexpected.
4. Anticipate:
Leaders need to anticipate and to be careful about what might go wrong. Some leaders slip upon small steps. They overlook some problems as petty matters. But they don’t know these petty matters, if neglected, will pile up to become a serious matter one day. You, as a good leader, should not consider anything insignificant. You should sort out any problem whether big or small instantly. But be always on guard about your one misstep that can totally derail your mission.
5. Take Decisions:
Today’s way of life demands action, not diffidence. You can’t remain indecisive in any matter related to your leadership. You may take some time, but you should take a strong decision as early as possible. People like to follow leaders who take strong decisions and commit to their decisions. If you want to become or remain an efficient leader, you must be more thoughtful too.
6. Show Courage:
You should show courage by maintaining composure during hard times. Acknowledge when things don’t go according to the plan. Seek views of the people you lead. Give and seek feedback. In matters of taste, you can swim with the current. But in matters of principle, you should stand like a rock. This is how you can show your courage. People like leaders who have courage.
7. Empower Others:
You should empower others by enabling an innovative approach to problem solving, by providing appropriate support to the people you lead, by sharing information that enables others to achieve the common goal or goals, by delegating tasks and responsibility to others, by providing clear direction and framework for the common objectives.
8. Demonstrate Trust:
You should demonstrate trust by creating an environment in which people feel comfortable expressing their opinion. Provide your group members with opportunities to take responsibilities. Treat the people fairly without favoritism. Anticipate changes in direction. Provide the framework of proposed changes and help others through that change. Be honest and open in dealing with the people and impending issues.
9. Encourage:
You should encourage people to seek opportunities which challenge their capabilities. Encourage people to learn through experience and training, personal development through coaching. Create an environment in which work is done with a sense of fun. Train them for new and innovative ways to improve their communication skills. The key to leading effectively is not hereditary. The ability to deliver an appropriate combination of personal techniques, procedure and behaviors for any challenge is a valuable leadership quality. Like any other skill, leadership can be learned and developed.
Development of leadership qualities can start at the early stage. Younger generations are very advanced in leadership training. They are training the members of their own generation in acquiring leadership skills. Most of today’s adults didn’t think about taking leadership training during their prime time. Opportunities to develop leadership skills and leadership qualities are not limited to young generations. Adults can also start learning how to develop leadership qualities. They can join some Social Service organizations, Self Help groups, etc. There is a huge wealth of opportunities for those interested in developing leadership skills and leadership qualities. If you want, you can even join a political party. But simply joining will not make a leader. You have to actively participate in every activity of the organization or the party.
Even if you don’t aspire to be a public leader, there are various situations where you can apply leadership skills. For example, you are or are going to be the head of your family. If you apply the leadership skills, how happy and progressive your family will be! Everyone needs to develop leadership qualities, so as you.
Yours forever,
Rajendra Sagolsem
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