"Everything Rises & Falls Based on Leadership"

 
John Maxwell says everything rises and falls based on leadership. Do you agree? How would you rate your leadership abilities and the success you are having?

Leadership needs to be studied, understood, put into practice, without fear, and honed to perfection. It is a constantly moving set of skills that should be fun and challenging for you. Over the years, I have watched, whom I consider effective /great leaders and picked up, what I believe, are some of the most effective leadership traits and incorporated them into my leadership plan. I am still a work in progress, as I hope all leaders reading this are too.

Here are seven traits of leadership I've learned by watching leaders who exhibited them:

Vision ~ This is the ability to see the future. The Bible says without vision, the people perish. I've learned to focus on one thing and simply work in that direction when I didn't have any idea what do. Somehow, a way is found. A vision will lead to a plan and a plan can be communicated to those that matter. What time of day do you do your best thinking. How can you tab into your inner self, those higher levels of energy were there is non-judgment, absolute joy and creation?

Problem-solving ~ Leadership is more than a huge idealistic vision. A leader must also have problem-solving skills. No matter what you do, problems develop, and it's up to the leader to figure out what's wrong and to fix it. Dr. Mark Rutland, is a terrific problem solver, whose book ReLaunch has wonderful word pictures for diagnosing problems. When nothing happens, he says the gears have rusted shut and the leader must grease them to get them moving. Mark describes the leader as the air traffic controller that decides which planes to land now and which ones to keep circling until there's time and money to let them land.

Constant Growth & Development ~ A leader must constantly grow and develop their craft. Of course, we know that healthy things grow. An organization can't grow, however, unless it's healthy and the leader is also growing. Change in this world is constant due to technology. In a culture that seems to be shifting beneath our feet, a leader must grow or perish.

Motivation & Communication ~ Warren Bennis, an authority on organizational development, leadership and change said this, "A leader does not just get the message across ~ a leader is the message!" A leader must be able to motivate and tell great stories. That's what gets people to follow. You aren't a leader unless someone is following. Note: In order to effectively motivate others, they have to trust you. Build two way trust as quickly as you can and be your authentic self (or they will see right through you). You must be able to communicate in such a way it motivates people to do what must be done for the vision to be realized.

Tenacity ~ Winston Churchill famously said in the dark days of World War II, "Never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense." I believe too many people give up before they have a chance to succeed. When people say I've been successful in the media world, I remind them that I'm too stubborn to quit and that somehow I simply lasted longer than many competitors that went out of business.

Generosity of Spirit ~ A leader must be a good and kind person. The old dictatorial leadership style went out long ago. But a leader can't be loosey-goosey or the organization becomes like the insane asylum run by the inmates! As a leader full of integrity and authenticity, don't you think for a moment that having a gentle demeanor represents soft leadership. If you're clear on your vision and how to lead others with a generosity of spirit, you'll be a unique and effective leader. We need more of you.

Comfortable In Their Own Skin ~ There are many leadership qualities that could be included in a list like this. So maybe this last item on my list will come to you as a surprise. But I feel that every leader must be confident, able to take criticism and not worry about the people who will be unhappy with any decision that's made. The leader must be comfortable in his or her own skin.

There you have it. Thank you for taking the time to read this. What do you think of these traits or skills on becoming an effective leader? How would you begin to break through your thoughts, emotions and actions to becoming a better leader? We would love to hear from you with comments or questions. Send me a note via email at brad@aperiocoaching.net or on Twitter @bparcells.