Leadership, not an easy job!
There are many strings to the bow on being a great leader, needing to wear a range of hats each having different personas – Decisiveness, Creativity, Emotional Intelligence, Vision, Wisdom, Assertiveness, Enthusiasm, Integrity, Communicator, Empowerer….the list is endless so what is the differentiator between just managing or effectively leading either yourself, a team or a business. Anyone can be a leader.
Here are my top 3 attributes that excellent leaders posses and how they bring these to life.
1) Set clear passionate vision and goals – if anyone is driven enough to have a passion then they are automatically a leader, as an enthusiastic passionate person will gain traction and followers if a vision is communicated effectively. Clear direction is key for people to get onboard and follow.
2) “Leadership Develops daily, not in a day” (John Maxwell, the law of process). Dedicate time to learn and constantly educate yourself, learn from mistakes, learn from people around you, surround yourself with excellent leaders and the more you improve the more you will influence. This should also be encouraged throughout a business, the more people grow the more the business grows, so self and team development is a key leadership necessity.
3) Communicate and Connect – when communication breaks down so does motivation and performance. Ensure individuals are being connected with, personal circumstances are understood and business issues are out in the open and addressed. Celebrate wins and successes and also highlight failures to learn from rather than to use as a criticism. Being a leader involves being honest and this can be rewarding and also uncomfortable.
One final aspect of being an effective leader especially in challenging times is setting a state of mind. State of mind is “how” you are being. Are you being frustrated, defeated or angry, or are you being passionate, driven and enthusiastic? Your state of mind is a choice. Great leaders choose to lead, they don’t choose to be defeated, they find solutions, reset the page, re-plan, re-engage and drive forward with passion and enthusiasm. Skills of a leader can be taught, state of mind is a choice.
Who do you choose to be today?
Interested in how to improve your leadership style and lead your employees to success? – Book a chat with one of our business coaches!
Lorna Smith – Partner & Business Coach – Find me on LinkedIn
