Thousands of books have been written and more speeches have been made about leadership than almost any other subject. It’s true that great leader possess certain characteristics that others just don’t seem to have. Some ‘experts’ think it’s all about skills and talents while others think it takes charisma and trust to be a leader.
You may be great at coming up with ideas and plans about creating a successful business, but unless you have communication skills your great ideas may never come to fruition.
Here are 10 attributes that are found in inspirational and successful leaders:
- Organized This attribute doesn’t mean that you must have a cubby hole for every paper, but you should be able to prepare yourself for presentations, meetings or whatever you’re called to do in an organized fashion.
- Motivator Motivating a team (or children or whatever) to follow you means that you must be a positive motivator. You must be willing to roll up your sleeves and do whatever you’re asking others to do.
- Respect When you show respect for others, you’re building respect and admiration for yourself. Treating those who serve you with respect is the mark of a true leader.
- Flexible Unexpected situations arise. The merit of a leader depends on how he or she handles the unexpected and adapts to whatever adjustments need to be made.
- Confidence Exuding confidence even when you don’t feel it inspires confidence in others. Avoid becoming cocky in your confidence, but be humble with it.
- Positive While you can’t keep a smile on your face 24/7, it is possible to look adversity in its face and still have a positive and “can do” attitude. People look to positive-thinking people for guidance.
- Communicate Listening is the main attribute for a good communicator. Ask questions so that you can consider what options are available for a solution and then be ready to act on a decision.
- Sense of Humor Maintaining a light and humorous attitude about things help others feel good about themselves and helps to keep up morale. Laughing or making a joke about a broken copier is better than yelling at it.
- Consistence Rather than developing the personality of the stock market with numerous ups and downs, good leaders are consistent in how they handle problems.
- Initiator A true leader is also an initiator – one who grabs the reins of a task or project and keeps it on track. He or she implements new projects and ideas and keeps the enthusiasm high.
When you recognize the exceptional attributes in leaders you admire, you can emulate them in yourself and become the leader that will both inspire people and help you become successful in whatever you do.
