Think of a great leader who has captured your attention. Is it a political leader? The leader of your department or company? Maybe it’s a leader who has a social impact on our world. No matter the mission, a great leader has a distinctive style and traits that set that individual apart. The good news is that all of us have the ability to achieve high leadership potential. Yesterday, Promotional Consultant Today shared five key traits to successful leadership. Today, we share five more.
6. Great leaders know when to take advice. They value support from others and bring people into their circle who can provide the counsel they need. They realize how large their tasks are and find the resources and people they need to generate support, which is vital for success. Coaches, mentors and other respected leaders are a part of their support team.
7. Great leaders possess the foresight to move ahead, even in the most questionable times. They take risks and realize the importance of moving forward—daring themselves and others to venture out in new directions. They realize this is part of their responsibility and not something on which they can turn their backs. Once they realize the vision, they rise up to the occasion and take the necessary risks required for implementation.
8. Great leaders love what they do and communicate their passion to others. They exude a passionate energy that rubs off on others around them. They have a light, effortless and clear persona that is projected to everyone they meet because they are so in tune with their work. Others feel this and want to be a part of the vision that the leader is bringing forward.
9. Great leaders learn to lead by following. They trust those who are in authority above them, and are loyal to them. They are inspired by the vision that is being passed on to them and may even notice themselves liking and wanting to be more like their leaders and managers.
10. Great leaders never quit. They embrace and overcome any obstacle—personal or otherwise—that stands in their way. Thus, they need to do the necessary work on themselves to prevent anything from holding them up and eliminate habits that are keeping them from being the best leader possible.
Source: Joel Garfinkle is recognized as one of the top 50 business coaches in the U.S., and is the author of seven books including Getting Ahead: Three Steps to Take Your Career to the Next Level. He has worked with many of the world’s leading companies including Google, Deloitte, Amazon, Ritz-Carlton, Gap, Cisco and Oracle.
