The concept of leadership lends itself to very different interpretations and points of view. Some believe that to be a good leader it is enough to play an important hierarchical role in the company (as if a desk could really influence a person’s qualities) others reduce everything to the order-giving activity in an authoritarian and rigid way. Nothing could be more wrong and misleading!
Leadership is given by a set of personal leader qualities that are recognized to us by other people and that help us to manage every possible difficulty, both in work and in everyday life.
Here’s how to become a leader …
1. Competent
There can be no leadership without knowledge and experience of the subject matter. This is little, but safe. To be a good guide to the eyes of your employees, you need to have your hands full and learn as much as possible about the sector in which you operate.
2. Positive
The positive attitude certainly cannot be lacking. Even in times of difficulty, the true leader must be able to see the pros of each situation and act accordingly. This approach is also useful to instill as much positivity even to the people around you, motivating them to overcome adversity.
3. Charismatic
The charisma is a powerful weapon for obtaining the consent and trust of the people who work with you. Charm, dialectics and gestures are all things that can exercise influence over others, who will be much more inclined to respect the figure of the head.
4. Purposeful
Nothing ventured nothing gained and if this saying applies to every person in general, even more reason must be an absolute truth for a good leader. Even if a challenge may seem challenging, the OKR will never come until you face it. A leader who always stays in his comfort zone is not a true leader.
5. Self-criticism
One of the most important virtues that those in charge should have is to be objective even with themselves, not to take themselves too seriously, recognize their faults, admit their mistakes and be willing to improve for the good of the whole team.
6. Responsible
Just as he must be able to take risks, it is equally true that the leader must also take responsibility for his actions and decisions, as well as for any mistakes that may be made by any member of his team.
7. Forward-looking
Another thing that distinguishes a good leader is to have ambitious goals for the future. A sort of overall vision that regulates and feeds all the actions that he himself will perform. The same long-term goals must then be shared with the rest of the group so that they can be reached.
8. Inclusive
There can be no leader without a team to guide and coordinate … it’s the union to make strength! Precisely for this reason, those in charge must be able to keep the team together and avoid someone being left behind.
9. Empathetic
To keep the group together it is essential first of all to be able to manage individuals. To this end, empathy plays a key role in interpreting the mood of others and creating an emotional connection with those around them. This will also strengthen the team’s confidence in the figure of the leader.
10. Authoritative
Last thing is being authoritative, not authoritarian! Where is the difference? In essence, to be authoritative in the eyes of your collaborators, you will have to work on everything I have told so far. Only then will you have an active, motivated and collaborative team … who will recognize your authority!
Now that you know the main qualities to lead your team, the time has come to roll up your sleeves and work on your leadership.
