Attributes of a Leader

Leaders are the ones who set high standards for themselves as well as for those who follow them. To understand what their role is, it is essential to get acquainted with the attributes of a leader. A leader is not born with a quality to lead. Rather, he absorbs knowledge, gains experience, understands the world around and incorporates the positive qualities. Leaders are the ones who are identified by their thinking, actions and words. These people do not command excellence rather they build excellence. Excellence is not just about achieving targets. It means "to be all what you can be" within the limits of doing right. If you wish to be one of those who possess these attributes, you must bear certain qualities which will make you profoundly different from the rest. Following are some of the key attributes you should be aware of.

Optimism
This quality is reflected in his actions. This individual always looks at the positive side of a problem. He perceives a problem as a challenge or an opportunity and extracts a chance to learn more and develop a new strength. Optimism is the key to achievement.

Determination
Strong leaders have a strong determination. They assert on self-assessment and self-evaluation. They believe in the continuous process of improvement. They always try to answer, what can be a better way to do this task or how can we perform better? This exercise gives them the strength to meet the objectives and create a positive impression on their followers. Individuals determined to bring a positive change find continuous ways of innovation.

Lateral Thinking
To think out of the box is lateral thinking. It denotes various ways of doing a task or finding unusual methods of doing it. Lateral thinking is very similar to creative thinking when one rejects the predefined patterns and sets his own way to find a solution to a problem. Thus, multiply the possibilities of arriving at the solution even of the most difficult problem.

Empowerment
A person who possesses management skills focuses on problems right from the beginning and makes sure that it is removed at its initial stage itself, without hampering the task at hand. They don't allow the problem to grow bigger. In this way, an effective leader motivates and empowers his followers which positively affects both the initiation and consistency of the work. Empowered employees are more independent and self motivated.

Delegation
The primary task is not to execute but to motivate and get the work done by the team members. To accomplish a task successfully, being able to delegate tasks becomes one of the key roles. Delegation becomes important when more time on planning and development is to be given. Delegation of tasks gives an opportunity to the members to feel the responsibility and encourages them to participate actively. Choosing the right person for the right job is the thumb rule of delegation.

Pro-activeness
A leader must be capable of initiating a change rather than reacting to events. He should have the ability to instill enthusiasm in his followers to accomplish a goal. He must also be able to realize the importance of time and resources and effectively utilize them.

Foresightedness
The individual should be anticipatory and always have far sightedness so that correct decisions can be taken. Ideally, a leader should be future oriented, realistic and prudent in taking decisions. He/she must be able to think constructively about the necessary steps required to achieve a goal. He should be able to look beyond the present situation and formulate strategies accordingly.

Dedication, integrity, magnanimity, humility, openness, and creativity are a few more examples. Here, I have tried to highlight different types of attributes which a leader must possess to be an example for others. And that brings us to another important attribute, which is, leading by example.