Characteristics of Leaders
What is leadership? what does it mean to be a good leader? It doesn’t mean you get to boss people around. It doesn’t mean that you make all the decisions. It also doesn’t mean that you are the person with all the answers. Wit share some characteristics of great leaders as I see them around me and the community.
A good leader is humble, it is an enabler, a good listener, an organizer, a connector and a coach. Leaders are not experts. They get experts together and enable them to apply their expertise. Leaders don’t tell people what to do, instead they listen and ask many questions.
If you want to be a leader you need to be ready to check your ego at the door and be humble. You also need to be able to make informed decisions and empower people to do the same. You don’t have to be the smarter person in the room, you just need to be able to identify those who are.
Good leaders are good storytellers, they have a vision and inspire others to follow them. They identify and recognize people’s strengths and weaknesses to help them achieve success. They make mistakes, and aren’t afraid to recognize it and be vulnerable. They encourage people to take risks, and support them when they fail.
They are mentors and coaches. Leaders adapt to people’s personalities and unique ways of working. They help people identify and recognize their strengths. Leaders help people advance their careers and accelerate their personal growth.
A leader that isn’t a good leader is not a leader. Leaders don’t tell people what to do. They don’t try to impose their views or ideas on others. Leaders don’t have all the answers. Leaders don’t answer questions, they ask them.
