Think back on all the leaders/bosses you’ve ever known. Get a mental picture now of a specific person or persons. This has to get personal. What characteristics did that individual have that made him or her the “best”? It might not be one individual, maybe it’s a conglomeration of several individuals you’ve known, each with his or her own special skills.
I’ve asked many of my clients this question and here are some of the most often identified characteristics:
- The best leaders have integrity.
- They are honest, direct, clear communicators.
- They care about people.
- They have business savvy.
- They are good listeners.
- They empower their teams.
- They know what the goals are and clearly communicate those goals.
- They trust their team to be responsible for results.
- They treat people with respect.
- They lead by example.
How do you stack up? Whether you are leading a company, a church community, a family, a classroom, a sports team...even a country, these are good solid qualities to strive for, don’t you think?
Roll all these characteristics into one leader and that’s a tall order to live up to – at least for us mere mortals. So what should we do?
Well, here’s my suggestion. Break it down into the specific skills we need to learn in order to be a better leader. And then we prioritize the ones we need to improve in first and begin there. You remember that old saying, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” Well, all improvement begins with identifying the goal and working toward it one step at a time.
Don’t you agree?
Camille Hess - The Results Group International
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