“What qualities in a Leader will make someone follow that Leader?” Research conducted by LEADERS SCHOOL OF WISDOM asked this very question to about 4000 people. The first nine qualities below were indicated by the respondents as being important for them in order to follow someone as a Leader. The last three are also indispensable for effective and sustainable Leadership. The key to effective and sustainable leadership is for the leaders to enjoy the trust of the people they lead. I believe the qualities of a leader below go a long way to foster this trust. 1. Honesty Honesty is more than just telling the truth, although telling the truth is a critical part of being a leader. Honesty is acting in fairness and being straightforward in your conduct. This builds trust in the people you lead because what they see is what they get. There are no blind spots and the leaders’ actions are based on the truth. 2. Confidence Leaders must demonstrate a consciousness of their powers and abilities. If people are to put their trust in the leader, it is important that the leader appears confident in their abilities. 3. Knowledgeable To be knowledgeable, leaders must have a large range of information and knowledge at their disposal. This means they read widely and communicate this knowledge effectively to the people they lead. It is much easier for people to trust someone who seems to be up to date with current affairs. 4. Intelligence Intelligence is the ability to learn, understand, and deal with new information, as well as the ability to apply knowledge and think abstractly. Leaders who display intelligence are better able to communicate vision and to make better decisions as the situation demands. People trust leaders who display intelligence, because they are more likely to make the correct decision in a given situation. 5. Listener Leaders deal with people. People want to be reassured that when they speak or offer an opinion, the leader hears that with thoughtful attention and is giving it genuine consideration. 6. Fairness Fairness does not mean the leader makes sure everyone gets an equal opportunity. It is not always possible when making difficult decisions to give everyone an equal opportunity. Fairness is acting free from self-interest, prejudice, or favoritism. People trust leaders who act from this definition of fairness. 7. Vision Vision is probably one of the most important qualities a leader must have. Vision gives direction and builds cohesion amongst the people being led. Without vision, it is not possible to lead effectively. People trust a leader who can communicate to them exactly where they are going and how it will look when they get there. 8. People oriented Good leaders understand that they deal primarily with people. Leadership can therefore be nothing but people orientated. Leadership that does not put people first is not sustainable. People will much rather follow someone who values them as human beings. 9. Compassion Sustainable leadership is people orientated; therefore compassion is a vital component of sustainable leadership. Compassion understands that people are human and that they need to feel emotionally safe with the people leading them. Compassion enables the leader to nurture the people being led. 10. Servant-hood Leaders are the servants of the people they lead. The role of a leader is to serve the people they lead and to make sure that the needs of the people are taken care of first. The benchmark of servant-hood is for the leader to ask: “Do those being led grow as persons?” 11. Integrity Integrity is aligning what you say in public and what you do in private. It is an adherence to a code or moral values that the leader not only communicates but also displays in everyday life. Having integrity reinforces trust with the people you lead. 12. Humility The humble leader assumes that they do not have all the answers and they listen to people’s opinions and explanations. Humble leaders look for the opportunities to learn and make others feel valued. As you lead, remember these qualities. Successful leadership depends on it.
Posted on: Thu, 11 Jul 2013 13:05:47 +0000
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