There are many different views and experiences among company owners and executives about the strategy and characteristics required for successful leadership. Moreover, not all circumstances call for the same kind of leadership style to be used. Great leaders adapt to their surroundings and enable their teams to achieve success as a group. –
Many experts throughout many leadership books and articles agree on key principles that must be followed in order to lead a team to greatness, but when it comes down to it, the most essential element is whether or not the leader is completing the task at hand successfully.
As a result of my study, my combat experiences as a Navy SEAL, and my own triumphs and failures as a small company owner, my leadership beliefs have changed throughout the course of my career. It is my belief that the greatest leaders are enthusiastic about creating the next generation of leaders around them, that they are always working to enhance their emotional intelligence, and that they understand that a strong team culture is the basis for achieving the goal. They are always preparing for the inevitable changes that will occur in their companies, and they welcome these changes.
But for the sake of this piece, I wanted to obtain other business executives’ views on the subject by asking them to respond to one question:
Describe the characteristics of an excellent leader, in your view.
Maintain Your Confidence in Their Beliefs
“This consists of a variety of factors, but the most important one is having confidence in your ideas. You can’t expect people to see you as a leader unless you have strong convictions about your own beliefs. You may then build on it by being a good communicator, listening to others, setting an example, putting your best foot forward, and not giving up until you have achieved your goal(s). Being a leader is all about being enthusiastic about what you do and having faith in yourself as well as in the people you are responsible for motivating and instilling confidence in.”
Earn the trust and respect of your teammates.
A strong leader’s capacity to demonstrate respect, empathy, and concern for people who follow him or her is all linked to their ability to do so. In order to have a good connection with someone, you must first earn their respect, while also demonstrating your interest in their work or ideas. It is possible to connect with someone when they are sympathetic because it enables a leader to tap into their emotions. This allows the person to know that you understand what it is like to be in their position. A person who has all three of these characteristics would undoubtedly become an excellent leader. I work on these things with my own team and myself on a regular basis in order to become a better leader to people who matter to me.”
Get to Know the People
“In order to successfully manage the result of a team, it is necessary to understand each individual’s strengths and limitations. Leaders have a clear vision and utilize the resources at their disposal to solve challenges. Read more. They are willing to take chances and make difficult choices despite the fact that they may sometimes be incorrect. Those are the most essential characteristics of a true leader, and they apply in both our professional and personal life, respectively.”
Encourage others to perform at their highest level of performance.
“Clarity of purpose and excellent communication skills are essential characteristics of successful leaders. Because it all begins with the heart, I want to be the kind of leader that encourages others to be the greatest versions of themselves while also making them feel secure.”
Concentrate on assisting the team.
“Somebody who directs the group in a positive direction and fosters consensus among its members in order to achieve a common objective is called a positive leader. At the end of the day, leadership isn’t about who is in control. It is about ensuring that your team remains focused on the objectives, that they remain motivated, and that you assist them in becoming the best they can be in order to accomplish those goals. This is particularly true when the stakes are high and the repercussions are significant.”
Make No Use of Force When Trying to Influence Others.
When a great leader leads, he or she does not compel others to follow them. Great leaders inspire and encourage their followers instead of commanding and controlling. Those that follow them are inspired to do the same. Moreover, they set a good example, which is something that few leaders nowadays do.”
It takes continuous concentration and persistence to be a successful leader. It also takes the development of a team that is responsible and focused on achieving goals. Real leadership is impossible to achieve without the support of the team. In addition to providing valuable information, these 10 distinct viewpoints also serve to validate certain shared traits.
Those of us in leadership or management roles are well aware of the changes that must be made in order to become better leaders; we just fail to put these changes into action on a consistent basis. It takes continuous personal and professional growth, frequent and open feedback from the team, self-reflection, and action on the feedback received to be a successful leader. When it comes to their own performance, great leaders are seldom happy.
Contribute to a Greater Cause.
“Effective leadership is defined by one’s recurrent combination of personal humility and an unwavering will to lead others in service of a purpose greater than oneself. Great leaders are extremely ambitious, but never for their own personal gain. Rather, they have high expectations for the business and are willing to go to any length to further the greater good.”
Create a crystal-clear vision for yourself.
“A true leader has a clear vision, is brave, has integrity, honesty, humility, and is laser-focused on his or her objectives. He or she is a strategic thinker who values collaboration. Individuals achieve their objectives when they work with great leaders. They are not hesitant to employ people who may be better than them and take pleasure in the achievements of those they assist along the road.”
Recognize that people are the most important factor in achieving success.
“A smart leader knows that the success or failure of any endeavor is ultimately determined by the people who work for them. These folks surround themselves with outstanding persons whom they can develop into a group of competent, confident individuals who can work effectively together. When they do, they will be able to lead this team towards a well-defined vision by clearly expressing short and long-term objectives, instilling confidence and trust among colleagues, and exerting influence on shared efforts via their character rather than their position of power. In the end, a great leader is one who produces and fosters other great leaders.”
There are nine critical leadership characteristics that distinguish good leaders from bad ones.
Whenever you hear the term “leader,” you immediately think of individuals in authority and high-ranking positions: your boss, politicians, presidents, CEOs, and so on…
While a person’s position and seniority are important factors in leadership, they are not the only factors to consider. Just because someone has been working for a long period of time does not imply that s/he has developed the characteristics and abilities necessary to manage a team of individuals.
Similarly, being promoted to a management position does not immediately transform you into a successful leader in your organization. Leadership abilities are not always present in CEOs and other high-ranking individuals.
As a result, what characteristics characterize an effective leader? In what ways do leaders distinguish themselves?
Acquiring and developing particular talents is critical to effective leadership. When you have strong leadership abilities, you may serve as a role model for your team in any situation. Successful leaders may be found in a variety of settings, including the family, school, and the business, and they possess exceptional leadership characteristics.
A few of the numerous qualities that outstanding leaders demonstrate are listed below.
1.Positive Attitude
Great leaders understand that they will not have a happy and motivated workforce until they themselves have a good attitude about their jobs and their profession. This may be accomplished by staying optimistic even when things go wrong and by establishing a calm and pleasant environment in the workplace, among other strategies.
The smallest of gestures, such as giving refreshments or arranging a team Happy Hour, may make a significant impact. It’s also worth noting that team members who feel valued and appreciated are more willing to work harder and put in extra hours when required.
In the worst circumstances, such as when the team is suffering poor morale or when team members have made a major error at work, a strong leader maintains his or her optimistic attitude and finds methods to keep the team motivated to find solutions.
As with any great leader, Walt Disney had his fair share of difficulties and obstacles. But, like any great leader, he managed to remain optimistic and open to new possibilities. During the Oswald series’ production in 1928, Disney discovered that his film producer, Charles Mintz, intended to decrease his compensation. Disney decided to split ways with Mintz after he threatened to end their relationship if they did not meet his demands. Disney, on the other hand, chose to create something entirely new after he left Oswald: the legendary Mickey Mouse
.
Making large problems into smaller ones and devising strategies for dealing with them one at a time is the key.
Consider the lessons you can take away from the error and write them down because sometimes you win and sometimes you learn from your mistakes..
2. Belief in one’s ability
In order to be successful, all great leaders must exude an aura of self-assurance at all times. It is important not to mistake this with a sense of self-satisfaction or conceitedness. Not for the purpose of punching your face in the face, but rather to be looked up to as an inspiration.
When you are confident, people will turn to you for guidance on how to act, which is especially essential when things aren’t going well. It is much more probable that your teammates will stay cool and composed if you do. Thus, morale and production will stay high, and the issue will be resolved more rapidly as a consequence of this.
In the event that you panic and give up, they will be alerted instantly, and things will only become worse from then on.
Leaders that exude confidence, such as Elon Musk, are rare in today’s world. He really thinks that Tesla will be a success, as shown by his behavior on a number of occasions…. He converted 532,000 stock options at a cost of $6.63 per option, the value of each option on December 4, 2009, the day before Tesla went public, before the company went public. Considering Tesla’s stock price at the time was about $195 per share, that was a great deal of money to save. His political activities have attracted criticism from almost everyone since he makes no apologies for his views.
You won’t become a confident person overnight, but all of the little things you do on a daily basis can help you to become more confident over time. Examples include:
Every day, write down 5 positive characteristics about yourself (something new each day), and you’ll come to love yourself more.
Put your efforts towards developing your talents and maximizing them.
3.Good Sense of Humor
Having a sense of humor is essential for every kind of leader, especially when things aren’t going as planned. They will, I’m sure of it!
In a seemingly hopeless scenario, your team members will be turning to you for guidance on what to do. Most likely, it would be better if you didn’t start making a noose out of a rope in the corner right now. When things go wrong, you have to be able to shrug it off because if employee morale suffers, so will production.
Encourage comedy and personal conversations in the office to create this atmosphere prior to any kind of breakdown occurring.
When confronted with adversity as president, Barack Obama exhibited confidence and poise. But he was also well-known for his “dad jokes,” his really hilarious remarks at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, and his appearances on Zack Galifianakis’s Between Two Ferns. He passed away on November 30, 2018. In addition to keeping him grounded, realistic, and honest, Obama’s sense of humor undoubtedly assisted him through some of the most stressful times in the White House.
Make a conscious effort to have a good chuckle at your own expense. Self-assured individuals can laugh at their own stupid errors, and when you do so, others will trust you more since you are ready to share your own faults with them.
Paying Attention and Providing Feedback
This is much more complicated than it seems to be. A strong leader must be able to communicate effectively. You may be able to comprehend the cavern of madness that is your own mind, but it does not imply that you can properly extract the ideas from it and communicate them to someone else.
The most effective leaders must be able to communicate effectively with those around them. They must also be able to correctly read the actions of others and not take what they say personally.
The Dalai Lama, as a symbol of the unity of the Tibetan state, symbolizes and embodies Buddhist principles, which he also practices himself. Along with the other Buddhist precepts, the Dalai Lama’s leadership is compassionate and oriented upon truth and understanding. This is an excellent example for all leaders: if you want to provide appropriate instructions to others, you must first get feedback from them in order to fully comprehend the issue.
Encourage team members to communicate with one another and create an open door policy.
Make a point of not interrupting team members while they are talking. Instead, summarize what they have to say and then ask for comments after you have discussed your own thoughts with them.
Understanding When and How to Delegate
It is impossible to accomplish everything on your own, no matter how much you may want to. Even if you were able to, doing so in a group setting would be a bad idea.
Leaders that are effective understand that delegating does more than just reducing their personal stress levels (although that is certainly a great benefit). Delegating to others demonstrates that you have faith in their skills, which in turn leads to better morale in the workplace as well as more loyalty from your employees. What they really want is to be liked and trusted.
Despite the fact that Steve Jobs was renowned for paying attention to the tiniest of details, he was also skilled at delegation. In order to keep Apple running smoothly, Jobs had to identify, cultivate, and place his confidence in competent team members. This allowed him to be away from the company for long periods of time.
For you to know when and how to assign work to team members, you must first get intimately acquainted with each of them:
Make a list of all of their positive and negative characteristics, as well as their personalities.
More in-depth conversations with your team members will allow you to learn more about their passions and hobbies.
Finally, leadership characteristics may be taught. It is possible to be a great leader as well if you put in the effort on a regular basis.
Work with your team, wherever they are located, and make minor adjustments to your behaviors. Despite the fact that the vast majority of us are not presidents or CEOs, we all work with others, and our actions always have an effect on those around us. As a result, everyone has the opportunity to improve their leadership abilities and to distinguish themselves from the competition.
Mindset for Growth
Any effective leader understands how important it is to invest in the development of people who work with them. The finest are able to identify such abilities from an early age. Not only will development make job simpler as they improve and expand, but it will also increase morale among those who are involved. Additionally, they may learn certain talents that you do not already have that will be useful in the job.
Great leaders share their expertise with their teams and provide them with the chance to accomplish their goals and objectives. This is how leaders earn the respect and allegiance of their followers.
Pope Francis has garnered exceptionally high levels of support from both Catholics and non-Catholics. His position is not entirely conventional, which contributes to his attractiveness, but he also has exceptional leadership abilities. Pope Francis’s TED talk[4] gained attention because he urged leaders to be humble and to show unity with those who are less fortunate than themselves. It is very essential for any scenario to have a leader that is inclusive, courteous, and respectful of all people.
It is critical to spend time interacting with other team members one-on-one in order to better understand them.
Learn about the current difficulties that your team members are facing and attempt to provide criticism and support so that they may develop and perform better.
Responsibility
Leaders that are successful understand that they must accept personal responsibility for failure whether it comes to their business, work environment or any circumstance they find themselves in. How can they expect their workers to keep themselves responsible if they themselves don’t hold themselves accountable.
Rather of making excuses, the most effective leaders accept responsibility and immediately begin working on a solution. That they are trustworthy and have integrity is shown by this.
UC Irvine is led by Howard Gillman, who serves as its chancellor. [5] You may have heard about how the institution first revoked a number of acceptances, only to later reverse its decision. Due to an abnormally high number of accepted candidates choosing to matriculate this past spring, the school first reacted by rescinding offers due to issues such as missing deadlines. After realizing their error, the college decided to reverse their decision. In accepting responsibility, Gillman and the institution made the choice to move forward from their previous poor mistake.
Always ask yourself what you can do better or what you can alter in order to improve your situation. Admit your mistakes and consider what you can do differently to avoid a repeat of this occurring again.
Unquenchable need for knowledge
Everyone who aspires to be a great leader will, at some time in their career, have to navigate uncharted seas. Consequently, individuals must be able to trust their intuition while also drawing on their previous experiences to help them through the process.
All of their previous experiences, great leaders understand that there is always something new to learn. When faced with current problems, they are able to draw on previous experiences and learn from them in order to make timely choices and take action.
You may either remember what you’ve learnt from your memories or look through your notes to see what you’ve written down on the subject (ideally, a software that you can access anywhere with things well-organized).
In the majority of his decisions, Warren Buffett, one of the world’s wealthiest individuals, has been correct. Buffett, however, has made a number of multi-million (and occasionally multi-billion) dollar errors in his dealings with vast sums of money. The business Berkshire Hathaway, which he purchased, has been described as his worst mistake. After making such a bad decision, he recognized that pursuing “improvements” and “expansions” in the current textile business was a bad idea as well.
Contrary to his errors, Buffett has made smart investments, as shown by his record of success.
Write down the lessons you’ve learnt from any errors you’ve made so that you may use them in the future. Make sure all of the lessons are well-organized, and keep these lessons handy for when similar situations arise in the future.
Adaptability in the face of setbacks
Regardless of how hard you try, failures will occur; this is perfectly normal. All you need to know is how to deal with them when they show up on your doorstep.
Exceptional leaders are unafraid to face their fears. They maintain their composure and reason rationally through the issue, putting their resources to good use as they go along. Their failure to do so results in low morale, fear, and binge-drinking beneath their desks, which in turn leads to a downward spiral of bad emotions.
Although they are confronted with obstacles, great leaders continue to lead.
After developing and refining the Ford Quadricycle, Henry Ford suffered a significant setback in his life. In 1899, he established the Detroit Automobile Company, but the vehicles that were manufactured did not meet his high requirements and were too costly. On January 1, 1901, the corporation was officially closed down. With this in mind, Ford went on to establish the Henry Ford Company. After a period of sluggish sales and financial difficulties, the Ford Motor Company finally achieved success in 1903 and established the Ford as a global icon.
Investigate the underlying cause of any issue to determine how to avoid it from occurring again and what you can learn from your experience.
By asking “why” 5 times (or more) on why something occurred, you may uncover the main element that contributed to the issue and choose the most effective way to deal with it. “Why” is a powerful question since it allows you to discover the root cause of a problem.
Once you’ve identified the underlying cause of an issue, you’ll be able to avoid it from occurring again in the future.
