September 10, 2011
Leadership plays an important role in one’s life. To be a successful leader, one must demonstrate some or all of the following characteristics.
1. The ability to listen – Most leaders do too much talking but not enough listening.
2. The ability to acknowledge and change – People often refuse to change because it’s hard. They believe their way is best but often times being willing to change for the team makes the individual even more successful.
3. The ability to form one-on-one relationships – people will need to be able to relate with you. It’s important to be able to spend time with your people so that you can understand them better and know how to coach them well. Also your people need to know you so that they understand you and are able to trust your leadership.
4. Successful people make sure they surround themselves with like-minded people – this is not saying that millionaires should ignore anyone who might be “beneath” them financially. But you need to spend time communicating with like-minded people. You cannot be successful by yourself. By interacting with others you can motivate others as well as have the chance to be motivated by them as well.
5. The ability to know yourself – It’s very important to know what you’re best at, and what your weaknesses are. A business is a team sport. Often one cannot handle all the aspects of a business. You need to know when to seek assistance from others. There’s no shame in that.
6. Successful people display high levels of optimism and confidence – They believe in themselves and they are not afraid of failures. They see every obstacle as a stepping-stone to their success. They turn challenges into motivators and become their advantages.
7. People who are successful leaders are passionate about what they do- they know what they want and they openly talk about why with other people. Passion is contagious and the key ingredient to leading many people. You have to know where you’re going if you want others to follow.
