13 Great Leader Signs
Sometimes, people with the greatest potential for leadership, don’t even realise they have it. Here are 13 signs showing that you are going to be a great leader, even if you don’t realize it right now.
1. You empower others
Leadership is not a position of privilege or power. It is a position of service. A leader’s job, first and foremost is to help and guide people achieve what they want to achieve; not to make them subservient to their own whims and agenda.
2. You have emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence is one of the single most important characteristics of good leaders. Without it, the most intelligent, skilled and ambitious people will still fall short of achieving greatness in leadership.
Studies undertaken by psychologists found that emotional intelligence was twice as important for “excellent performance” as IQ and technical skills for people in jobs at all levels.
3. You start with why
According to recent studies, 70% of the American workforce are disengaged from their work. So what’s missing? Inspiration! People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. Whether you’re starting a social movement or building a great company, you need followers. Great leaders use the power of ‘why’ to find people that believe what they believe and inspire them to take action.
4. You focus on solutions, not problems
When the pressure is on and deadlines are approaching, what separates great leaders from the rest is their ability to focus on solutions, rather than problems. Great leaders only spend enough time focusing on a problem to learn from it what they need to overcome it
5. You are a learner
A commitment to life long learning is one of the most important attributes of great leaders. The ability to challenge one’s own assumptions and learn lessons from successes or failures is the cornerstone of progress.
6. You make others better
Great leaders are not interested in subordinating their followers. Instead, they want to create more leaders. Personal and professional development of team members and building an army of capable and effective drivers for whatever cause a leader is working toward is a great-leader’s top priority.
7. You think outside the box
Great leaders challenge the status quo. They disrupt the natural order of things to find new and better ways of doing things. Anyone can tow-the-line. Great leaders achieve great things because they’re willing to ask questions, be critical and create change where it’s needed to drive progress.
8. You are a good follower
Great leadership comes from being a great follower. A good follower is not a sheep or a yes-man. A good follower is active, independent and is constructively critical of directions and decisions before carrying them out. Most importantly, a good follower can function at a high level without a leader present.
9. You listen more than you talk
Great leaders are life long learners, and nobody has ever learned anything from talking. Listening over talking gives you the full picture when trying to tackle challenges. It puts things in full and proper perspective which gives great leaders an advantage.
10. You give frank and fearless advice
One of the most important attributes of a great leader is integrity. A great leader stays true to their convictions, even when the advice they’re giving is not what the people around and above them want to hear — and even at their own expense.
11. You communicate effectively
Leadership and effective communication go hand in hand. Great leaders spend most of their time in some kind of interaction with other people. Whether it’s the people they want to influence at the highest levels or future leaders who need inspiration to take action, a leader cannot lead without the ability to communicate effectively.
12. You are compassionate
Great leaders care about the well being of the people around them. And it pays dividends. A recent study found that employee loyalty is influenced more by having positive relationships at work than by the salary.Great leaders are so effective because they’re able to generate loyal followers, in part due to a compassionate approach to their relationships.
13. You are not afraid of making the big decisions
Stepping up to make the big calls is hard. That’s why it takes an extraordinary leader to do it. They don’t do it because it’s easy. They do it because they know that, in many cases, failure to make a decision is worse than making a bad one.
The ability to lead can be learned and this list is a great starting point.
What leadership characteristics would you add to this list?
Vocabulary (словарь):
Confuse
Value Attitude Behavior Achieve progress Guide people Make smb subservient Emotional intelligence Skilled Fall short Be disengaged from work Inspiration Focus on solutions To learn from a problem To overcome a problem Commitment to smth Lifelong learning Challenge assumptions Cornerstone Subordinate smb Capable To make the big calls Failure to make a decision |
Путать
Ценность Положение, отношение Поведение Достигать прогресса Направлять Заставлять подчиняться Эмоц.интеллект Квалифицированный Терпеть неудачу Не вовлекаться в работу Вдохновение Концентрироваться на решениях Вынести урок из проблемы Справиться с проблемой Приверженность ч-либо Постоянное обучение Подвергать сомнению выводы Краеугольный камень Подчинять Способный Выполнять сложные задачи Неудачное решение |
Think outside a box
Disrupt the natural order Drive progress Tow-the-line Yes-man Independent Constructively critical Carry out Listening over talking Tackle challenges Put things in full perspective Give advantage Integrity Stay true to convictions At their own expense Go hand in hand Interaction Compassionate approach Step up Care about well being Pay dividends Employee loyalty |
Мыслить нестандартно
Нарушать естественный ход Способствовать прогрессу Идти по накатанной Тот, кто все время соглашается Независимый Конструктивно критикующий Выполнять Больше слушать чем говорить Подходить в сложностям Рассматривать во времени Давать преимущества Целостность Оставаться верным убеждениям За свой счет Рука об руку Взаимодействие Участие Подниматься Заботиться о благополучии Платить дивиденды Лояльность сотрудников |