Leadership Qualities

"Leaders don't create followers, they create more leaders." Tom Peters

Leaders - a rare group of species who are fearless, intuitive, staunch, impulsive, thoughtful, aggressive, confident, brazen, apposite, eccentric ......and the list of adjectives goes on and on. All of the qualities mentioned here may or may not be found in one person, but collectively, they define very much what goes into making of a great leader. There has been a never-ending debate whether leaders are born or they are cultivated, and the jury is still out on this! Penning down the qualities that make a leader are easy but trust me, it takes a lot of effort and perseverance to imbibe those to strengthen your character, and people who are able to do it stand tall among their contemporaries and become the path-bearers of an entire generation. Given the long-list of qualities that we have mentioned here, it will be easier for the readers to conclude that leaders are flawless but the fact is that they are people who have suffered hardships from an early stage of their life, and their zeal to face the adversities and get on with life is what makes them a person you can rely on. Take Winston Churchill for example - A man leading a country with its back against the walls and motivating his countrymen to unite against Nazi barbarism in World War II suffered from bipolar disorder. As psychiatrist and historian Anthony Storr puts it, "Had he been a stable and equable man, he could never have inspired the nation. In 1940, when all the odds were against Britain, a leader of sober judgment might well have concluded that we were finished." (Source: Bipolarlives.com)

Leaders have certain characteristics that distinguish them from the crowd. In today's fiercely-competitive scenario, the rules of leadership might have changed a bit, but at the core of it lies the same good' ol die-hard spirit and the piquant conviction in one's abilities. Let us try to get a gist of these qualities.

1. Good communication skills
Communication is the key to be a great leader. The reason for this is simple: if one possesses all the other qualities, but fails to communicate well, one has a little chance of being a good leader. Communication helps in passing on valuable information, motivation, healthy criticism, and above all a clear idea on what the team is aspiring to do.

2. Honesty
The most valuable asset of a leader is honesty. He must be honest with both his followers. This quality is closely related to integrity. Once a leader compromises his or her integrity, it is lost. That is perhaps the reason integrity is considered the most admirable trait. The leaders therefore must keep it "above all else."

3. Visionary outlook
Leadership qualities are different for different position. For example, a CEO must be able to anticipate the future trends in the industry and how it will affect his business. A leader has to look beyond where his business is today, and know where it is going. He has to use his vision to move the company forward. Being able to do this is a rare skill indeed.

4. Ability to take decisions
Although, there are a lot of advisors and analysts who help a leader with some valuable inputs on what action needs to be taken, the sails are always in the skipper's hands. The leader has to decide whether he wants to go for or against a plan. The call is his, and he has to accept appreciation or brickbats, whatever come his way after the decision is made.

5. Ability to motivate people
A good leader must always keep motivating his teammates for good work and strive towards maintaining a healthy environment. In a crisis situation, the morale and spirit takes a hard-hit, and it is the leader who has to motivate his team to fight against all odds.

6. Consistency
Leadership effectiveness is impossible without consistency. Every leader has an approach that is unique to them. Don't change your personal style radically after all; it got you in a leadership position. Modify the rough spots but take care not to confound your staff by displaying inconsistency. Your expectations, though subject to modification based on ever-changing business needs, should remain as constant as possible.

7. Ability to bear criticism
As the success rate increases your critics multiply and become louder. Come to peace with the fact that you will always have a camp of people who critique every decision you make. They are generally the ones who are excellent problem-identifiers rather than problem-solvers. Develop your skills of repelling such critics so that they do not diminish your confidence or enthusiasm. On the other hand, it is essential that you take in constructive feedback, and work on it, as may be there are some areas in which you need definite improvement.

These were some of the basic leadership qualities. If you have any ideas and suggestions, or you felt that we missed out on some aspects of leadership, your comments are always welcome.