Qualities of Leadership

Everyone wants to be a better leader. Unfortunately, many people are unable to identify the specific qualities of leadership. Since these men and women do not know what leadership qualities are, it is far more challenging to acquire these attributes because they don’t have a target at which to aim.

Over the next few weeks you will discover six of the most important qualities or skills you need to develop or improve in yourself in order to become an excellent leader. The six I have chosen are Vision, Productivity, Innovation, Intellectual curiosity, Courage and my favourite, Integrity.

VISION

Being a great leader begins with a Vision. You must have a purpose and a mission. Vision also involves the crucial questions of who you are and where you want to go. These are questions that only you can answer. Vision means knowing what has to be done to bring out your best.

In business, vision requires the devising of a strategy, for it is strategy that gives you the energy and momentum that will move you toward success.

Another name for this strategy is a Mission Statement. It is a declaration of where you want to go and how you plan to get there. Although vision leads to the creation of your mission statement, it is your mission statement that makes your vision real, set in concrete.

It is important to understand that this mission statement be written in such a way that anyone could understand it, with no need for complicated descriptions, just a simple statement of fact.

In the very best of organisations, it is not just the leader who has a mission statement. Everyone must decide that he or she is going to be the very best at what they are called to do. A great leader can set the example, showing the way to make the vision real.

To be a true leader, you need followers. The best way I know to produce followers is to give them someone and something worth following.

Have an outstanding week. You deserve it!

Grant Herbert
The People Builder