Eisenhower certainly understood the concepts of the best leadership qualities and attributes, didn’t he? Spot on. I have been in leadership positions in the military and business world for forty years, and I often get asked what it takes to be an effective, influential leader. Dwight Eisenhower was only of many I studied over those many years.
Nothing really prepares you to be a leader. In most cases, you get the opportunity to lead by being good at something else. However, while being a strong performer gives you the credibility to lead, it says nothing about your ability to lead. Leadership is a skill in its own right and, for the most part, it’s one you learn on the job.
Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want to be done because he wants to do it.
– Dwight Eisenhower
Being such a leader is a lifelong learning process. You are never done learning. Every great leader always looks for ways to improve their ability to improve their leadership qualities and attributes.
If you read ten books on leadership, you could easily build a checklist of 50 or more leadership qualities and attributes. But more is not necessarily better for the best checklist. The following leadership checklist represents my favorite 15 leadership attributes.
It represents those 15 leadership attributes that I would least like to be without:
Not about you
Many of us want to be effective leaders … ones that can make a difference. But that doesn’t happen by talking about it or self-marketing. It takes time to build connections, by taking a genuine interest in people. In true leadership situations, listening comes first.
Perhaps the worst personal trait I’ve personally observed is ego. We all have an ego, but the ego I’m talking about is the ‘super-ego’ that dominates. I’ve found if a leader is really good at what they do, they won’t have to tell others about it.
Humility
Leaders teach us “Don’t think too highly of yourself.” How can you improve? We are not perfect. Your success is because of many team members’ contributions.
How can we up our leadership game?
Passion
You only live once. Give it all you got. Be the best so no competitor can keep up. Know your passion and live it. Let it drive you to be the best in your niche.
Leadership qualities … team first
Do what it takes to make your team more effective and productive. Make each team member focus on putting the team before themselves.
Remember, whatever your role is, be a servant to the team and make your teammates better.
Speak appreciation
Gratitude must be a constant drumbeat of your dialogue. Infuse your conversations with an appreciation of your team’s acumen and determination to improve. Learn to be thankful certainly when there’s great success, but also be thankful for what you’ve learned through the hard times because there’s great wisdom in those experiences.
After you have been knocked down, gain your composure, reflect on why this occurred and make changes.
Push people
A good leader makes sure their team members never stop looking bad until eventually, they look good because they have improved.
Push them to be the best they can be. Be a great motivator.
Provide structure but encourage improvisation
Provide structure to the team but always encourage everyone to improvise. Inspire them could not do alone.
Show them by example and let other teammates help them do it; that builds a bond that lasts forever.
Build relationships and culture
Constantly build relationships with and between the team. It is the foundation of the culture you want to develop. Remember this: Five percent of what we do is to be sure we perform.
The other ninety-five percent is to create a culture that leads to the team effort.
Continuous improvement and learning
If you’re not doing, you’re not learning. Everybody makes mistakes. It’s what you do with them that counts.
Give people opportunity to input
It has to be the team’s game plan, not just the leader’s plan. Ensure you are giving everyone an opportunity for inputs and listen carefully. Do what you can to build a team plan.
Adapt your leadership to team
Not all teams are the same, and each requires and responds best to its leadership qualities. Focus on becoming a good reader of the team and adapt your leadership style to what is needed.
Develop other leaders
Leaders are measured not just on what they achieve personally but also on what the people they mentored go on to do as leaders in their right.
Take pride in people you have developed. It is a big ‘pick-me-upper’ if you let it.
Agree to disagree, but don’t be disagreeable
It is all about maintaining a positive attitude all the time, even when times are tough. People can agree to disagree, but need to avoid being disagreeable at all costs.
Character over reputation
Your reputation will vary. It’s your character that counts, and it’s what you can control. Encourage everyone to make an effort to do the best of which you’re capable and try to improve each situation that exists.
Your reputation is what you are perceived to be, and your character is what you are. The character is much more important than what you are perceived to be, isn’t it? It is for me.
Balance is everything
Keep this quality near the top of your leadership priorities. Preach it and live it.
Balance is everything. Be balanced … controlled action in all areas of life.
Don’t let failure be fatal
Keep going. Don’t let setbacks stop you. Carry your lessons forward, and change your approach as required. Don’t fear change … it is a fact of life.
Failure is not fatal, but often a failure to change can be.
Key takeaways
The moral of this story is company culture has a great influence on leadership development. If these different thoughts are possessed by your current leadership team or your emerging leaders, you will be in a good position for the road ahead.
Which of these leadership thoughts stand out to you? Do you have any other thoughts of effective leaders worthy of mention? Leave a comment and share your insights with others…
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More leadership material from Digital Spark Marketing’s Library:
Build an Effective Team by Being a Talent Hound
Success Enablers of Highly Creative Leaders
Secrets to Becoming a Remarkably Mindful Leader
Leadership Characteristics That Improve Influence |