23 Traits Of Super Cool Leaders

  

Leadership is one of those nebulous terms -- you hear it all the time but it has various definitions.

The traits that make up a good leader can vary depending on the organization, team, manager and work environment.

Leadership can also vary in style -- are you someone who dictates the group and doesn't listen to anyone else's opinion? Or do you lead with a more bureaucratic or democratic style?

"Every leader has a particular style of leadership that is innate.

However, the behaviors, attitudes or methods of delivery that are effective for one staff member may in fact be counterproductive for another," says Michael Burke, account supervisor, MSR Communications, a public relations firm.

"Great leaders are aware of their own style and make the effort to learn how their style actually comes across to their team. They learn to flex their leadership style to individual team members so that they communicate and behave in ways that motivate and inspire."

Here are what five leadership professionals consider to be traits that make up a good leader:

Rachael Fisher-Layne, vice president of media relations, JCPR, a public relations agency

1. Honesty. Always do the honest thing. It makes employees feel like they know where they stand with you at all times.

2. Focus. Know where you're going and have a strong stated mission to lead people on. If you're not sure, how can your people be sure?

You have to have strong focus and stay the course.

3. Passion. Whatever it is, you must have passion for what you're doing. Live, breathe, eat and sleep your mission.

4. Respect. Not playing favorites with people and treating all people -- no matter what station in life, what class or what rank in the org chart -- the same.

5. Excellent persuasion abilities. People have to believe in you and your credibility.

Image is everything and the belief people have in you, your product, your mission, your facts or your reputation are key to being a great leader.

You have to persuade people of this -- it doesn't just happen.

Darcy Eikenberg, a leadership and workplace coach, Red Cape Revolution

1. Confidence. If you don't believe in yourself, no one will.

I hear leaders worrying that if they show too much confidence, others will think them arrogant.

The reality is people want to know what you know for sure -- and what you don't.

Having the confidence to say "I don't know" is a powerful skill.

2. Clarity. The only way you can get confidence is by becoming really, really clear about who you are and what is most important to you.

New leaders fail when they try to become all things to all people, or try to do too much out of their area of excellence.

Clarity helps you say "yes" to the right things -- and "no" to others.

3. Care. The strongest, most effective leaders I've met care not just about the business, but about the people in it and the people impacted by it.

Plus, they show they care through their words and actions, even proving how they care for themselves and their family by taking unplugged vacations and continuing their own professional development.

Care shouldn't be a four-letter word in our workplace today -- and the best leaders know it.

Tom Armour, co-founder, High Return Selection, a recruitment firm

1. Integrity. They are people who are respected and worth listening to. I find in general due to all of the economic difficulties, employees prioritize and seek leaders and organizations that are honest and meet their commitments.

2. Compassion. Too many leaders these days manage with the balance sheet, often times at the expense of their employees and long-term customer relationships.

Talented people want to work for leaders and organizations that truly care about their employees and the communities in which they operate.

3. Shared vision and actions. People produce real business gains and smart people need to understand what is needed and be part of the solution.

4. Engagement. Great business leaders are able to get all members of their teams engaged. They do this by offering them challenge, seeking their ideas and contributions and providing them with recognition for their contributions.

5. Celebration. In today's work environment, people are working very long hours and they need to take some time to celebrate their successes in order to recharge their batteries.

Those leaders who fail to do this create burnout environment overtime.

Mike Sprouse, CMO, Epic Media Group, and author of "The Greatness Gap"

1. Humility. True leaders have confidence but realize the point at which it becomes hubris.

2. Empowering. True leaders make their associates feel emboldened and powerful, not diminished and powerless.

3. Collaborative. True leaders solicit input and feedback from those around them so that everyone feels part of the process.

4. Communicative. True leaders share their vision or strategy often with those around them.

5. Fearlessness. True leaders are not afraid to take risks or make mistakes. True leaders make mistakes born from risk.

Nancy Clark, author of "18 Holes for Leadership"

1. Genuine. You need to be clear on what your values are and must be consistent in applying them.

As part of that, you need to have the courage to hold true to them.

You must not lose sight of reality.

Lost values may be one of the biggest causes of downfalls.

2. Self-awareness. You need to be clear on what your strengths are and what complementary strengths you need from others. This includes understanding others and learning how best to utilize their strengths.

Many unsophisticated leaders think everyone should be like them; that too can cause their downfall. They surround themselves with people like them. "Group think" can blindside them and cause failure.

3. Leverage team strengths. Part of awareness is don't expect people to change. If you think you can change someone, think again.

This doesn't mean you can't help them grow and develop. But don't expect to change anyone (even yourself) behaviorally.

We are who we are.

Your job as a leader is to understand each person's strengths and place them in positions where they can flourish and grow.

If you are good at that, you have a huge part of the equation for success.

4. Leadership transitions. Going from individual contributor to supervisor is only the first of many transitions along the leadership pipeline.

You need to understand the business model, how it applies to your current position, what you need to do to provide the greatest value, and how to leverage your strengths at this level.

This requires building competencies and focusing on the right things.

No one ever tells you that there are many levels and many adjustments you need to make along the way.

5. Supportive. You need to foster a positive environment that allows your team to flourish.

Also by aligning the reward and recognition systems that best match your teams profile and deliver results.

Source:     CNN

Top 10 Traits of Great Leaders

By: Robert Hewes, PhD

Being a leader today is different from what it was 10 or even 5 years ago.

Today’s workplace has a fast pace of change and many more demands. It also involves working with many teams usually across different time zones, etc. It’s a complex environment out there.

Leading and managing have moved well beyond just commanding the troops to “get it done.”

While there are a number of different leadership styles, the best leaders share some common traits.

Below is a list of ten leadership traits to get you thinking about your own leadership approach for 2017.

Be Results Orientated. Let’s put this right on the table: At the end of the day as a leader, you are responsible for delivering results however they are defined.

In the end, it is not about effort, which is no doubt good and very much needed, but what really counts is what is accomplished.

You have to keep this in the forefront of your mind as a guide to your activity. Great leaders spend their energy on the most effective activities to achieve the greatest outcomes.

Remember, action orientation is good, but be oriented on the right actions.

Don’t just be busy; be a busy leader who gets results.

Be Customer Focused. To get the best results, you have to know your customers. Customers may be internal or external. We all have them. (Note: If you don’t know who your customers are, you need to get an answer right away.).

Everything you do needs to be directed at what customers need or will need.

Get “outside the glass.”

In other words, look beyond your area.

You should find out what your customers want by asking them. You can’t intuit this one. You should continually listen to your customers; really listen to what they have to say.

Have a Vision. Simply put, know where you are headed. Have a picture of it in your head, and be able to communicate it effectively.

This is not the stuff of just a CEO.

It is critically important that you be able to paint a vivid picture of where your group or organization is headed.

In the end, you should use the vision to motivate and guide action. Make your vision a shared one with your group.

Every member of your group should be able to describe a similar picture and communicate it.

Be Strategically Focused. If you want to do big things, be more strategic in what you do and how you go about doing it.

Today’s leaders need to be ahead of marketplace demands while maintaining other critical functions.

This is not easy to do, but it is something leaders need to tackle head on.

If you are exclusively focused on what is in front of you, the future may pass you by.

Look forward. The future deserves some of your attention.

Think at a higher level than just what is on your daily action list.

Seeing the bigger picture and looking forward are critical to succeeding as a leader; without these, one’s head is down too much.

A leader should be strategically focused at least 15% of the time (the more senior, the higher the percentage).

You must take a hard look at where you actually spend your time, and where you should. Make an adjustment to be more strategic.

Effectively Get Work Done Through Others. Getting things done yourself is great, but it doesn’t scale very well.

If you want to do big things, it requires effectively getting work done through others.

One needs to become very good at delegating.

Note: This can’t be about just getting items off your plate. That is transparent and not being a great leader. If you say, “If you want it done, you must do it yourself,” stop. You need to become better at delegating and having things done through others.

Each week, look at what you have to do and make sure you are delegating effectively. Figure out who is the right person to tackle specific tasks or projects.

Be Good at Dealing with Conflict. A cornerstone of working effectively with people is being very good at dealing with conflict.

The reality is that conflict is going to happen. People think things should be done in different ways. No surprise. You should even expect it. The trick is not to have conflict be counterproductive.

Learn how to successfully resolve conflict and harness the best ideas from your staff.

Ask Great Questions. We’ve all seen it. You are in a meeting and someone asks a great question that unlocks a situation.

Funny thing is, many times, it is the same person who asks all the great questions. If you tend to ask questions, make sure they are really good questions. For a key meeting in the future, think of three good questions to ask.

Make High-Quality Decisions. Making decisions is one of the fundamental actions of an executive.

And, the great ones make really good decisions. Making decisions is easy--heck, you can flip a coin to pick between two things. However, making quality decisions is much harder.

Understand, reflect, and learn about your decision making process.

Leaders need to make both quality and timely decisions.

Be a Trusted Leader. People do want to follow and accomplish great things.

All else being equal, a trusted leader will get more from his people and have a stronger following.

Be someone your people can trust.

It is important to remember that it takes a long time to earn trust; it builds over time.

The flipside is that you can lose it quickly.

Be an Incredible Communicator. Communication is one of the fundamental leadership capabilities.

So much is done through communication; it is how initiatives are launched, results are reported, and a plethora of things are done in between.

Remember, too, communication is a two-way street with listening as important as speaking.

Great leaders listen incredibly well as part of their communication skills.

Leadership style sets the tone and approach for an organization, especially when it comes from leaders in the C-Suite. It is the classic “follow-the-leader” situation.

People will watch and mimic how things are done from top management on down.

One should always lead in a way that you want copied--because it will be.

Source:     AMA

5 Tell Tale Signs That You'ld Make A Good Leader

There’s no clear-cut path to leadership, and plenty of entrepreneurs go through life plagued by doubts that they really aren't cut out for leadership. 

By the same token, plenty of people with few managerial responsibilities never take a shot at leading—or even get a chance to.

But we now know that leadership isn't about some inherent quality or qualities. 

It's a series of experiences and habits, gathered over time, that lay the foundation for leading. 

So even if you don't see yourself as a leader, there’s a real possibility that you’re cut out to become one. 

You could very well be the prime candidate to take charge, inspire others, and help them grow.

Here are a few signs that you’re a leader, even if you didn’t know it.

1. YOU’VE FAILED—HARD

Whether or not you're a leader, the fact remains that no one achieves success without some measure of failure. 

That's why we've grown so used to hearing about how failing can create opportunities to learn and do better the next time.

What tends to differentiate leaders, though, is the severity of their failures. 

Put simply, great leaders have usually failed harder than most. 

And while it isn't true entirely across the board, the depth of your failure can sometimes be a good litmus test for leadership—something that indicates the degree of risk you allow yourself to take. 

It's discouraging when some of them fall flat, but leaders ultimately learn how necessary that is for long-term success.

So have a look at your past failures: What have they taught you? 

Chances are, you may have learned enough from them to take on leadership responsibilities with those insights as your guide.

2. YOU SEE EVERY RELATIONSHIP AS A LEARNING OPPORTUNITY

More and more these days, we tend to recognize that a key characteristic of great leaders is their modesty. 

Sure, they’re confident in themselves, but they know that there’s always more to learn. 

They approach every interaction as a chance to gain a new perspective, knowing it can change just about everything. 

It doesn’t matter who you’re speaking with—everyone can teach you something.

If that's your attitude, it's a great foundation for becoming a leader. 

Embracing this mind-set means you value everyone’s input, which not only helps you build loyalty among those you're hoping to lead, but helps lead you to make better decisions when you do.

3. YOU’RE ONLY CONCERNED ABOUT BEING YOURSELF

The most effective leaders tend to be the most authentic. 

They're focused on being themselves above all else. 

It's true that they want to inspire and be great, but they don't want to do it falsely or by hiding behind a persona. 

It’s a sad truth, but a fair number of entrepreneurs spend more time carefully managing their public profile than they do in the trenches, working on their business.

If you're the sort of person who's stayed away from leadership because the apparent need to self-promote doesn't appeal to you, you might be in luck: 

That type of artificial bombast doesn't take leaders as far as you may think. 

Appearances are important, but the best leaders are loved because they’re unabashedly themselves.

4. YOU’RE THE FIRST ONE IN AND THE LAST ONE OUT

It goes without saying that leadership takes hard work. 

Great leaders aren’t figureheads that comfortably sit in a private office; they’re the ones working just as hard as everyone else and deliberately placing themselves on the front lines. 

They know that greatness comes from getting their hands dirty. 

It might not occur to you that your powerful work ethic is a leadership quality all by itself, but the fact is that it's one of the most basic tools a leader can use.

Because they're so dedicated and immersed in things, leaders know what work has to get done in order to move ahead. 

That's where communication comes in. A friend of mine, Rob Grosshandler of iConsumer, tells me, "Leaders step up when things get difficult. Whether it’s a crisis, or just a tough situation, great leaders insert themselves, gather the troops, instill a sense of calm, scope out the situation, and then act."

Sometimes, he says, "All they’re initially communicating is the fact that they recognize there’s a problem. Then they do what they say they’re going to do." In other words, leadership isn't just talk—communication is all about supporting hard work and seeing it through.

5. YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR COMPANY CULTURE AS MUCH AS YOUR CLIENTS

Finally, great leaders don’t work only to satisfy their clients; they go the extra mile to ensure that everyone around them is happy as well. 

Take Southwest Airlines as an example, a company that’s known for how well it strives to treat employees. 

Believing that if team members aren’t happy, customers won’t be happy, CEO Gary Kelly works for his team, not the other way around.

You may be cut out for leadership if you're also passionate about collaborating with your colleagues and making sure everyone pulls together. 

Marcus Robinson, CEO and founder of hospitality technology company Monscierge, puts it perfectly: "I make it a point to know where each one of my team members wants to be in life when they finish ‘growing up.’ Even if Monscierge isn’t long term for them, I know that if I am contributing to their achieving set goals of perhaps owning a hotel one day, or getting a pilot's licence, that I’m building a world-class team. I strive to invest in people, not just employ them."

In other words, you may think aspiring to leadership is mainly about personal development, but you have to want to help others grow even more.

Original Article:     5-hidden-signs-that-youre-cut-out-for-leadership

How To Ignite The Leadership Traits In You

Five Ways To Grow Your Thought Leadership Flame In 2016

We are slowly waking up to the realization that everyone has great ideas. Some people keep their thoughts to themselves, and other people want to share their views.

When you say what you mean, some people will gather around and say “I feel the same way!” Some people will be curious. They’ll want to hear more. Some people will be 

horrified. God bless all three groups.

Your job is not to please anyone or to repeat the conventional wisdom. Your job is to listen to your own heart and brain and speak your own truth.

There are seven billion people in the world. Not all of them will agree with your views, and that’s fine. You don’t need seven billion fans.

When you put your thoughts out there for readers and listeners, you’ll attract people who see things the same way you do. They might live all over the world. Who knows what exciting conversation you could start!

It is easy now to get your message out — and people want to hear your ideas.

Why not share your ideas with a wider audience than your friends and your cat?

You can start growing your thought leadership muscles today.

You can write about the topics you are passionate about. 

You can speak in public about your favorite topics  or start a podcast or a video channel. 

You will become a thought leader the minute you begin sharing your ideas with other people.

The more ideas you share, the more ideas will pop into your head. 

Start bringing your ideas to light and you won’t run out of topics to write or speak or podcast about!

Here are five ways to begin letting your inner thought leader out. You can take baby steps at first. 

You are opening up a channel to your higher intellect or consciousness. 

Don’t beat up on yourself to write or speak more or to write or speak perfectly. 

Go easy on yourself, and don’t rush it!

Five Ways To Grow Your Thought Leadership Flame In 2016:

1. Get a journal and start writing in it every day or as often as you can. 

Write about your ideas. Make a list of topics you’re especially interested in. 

Write about your dreams and your own life and career. Don’t censor yourself! Just write, and don’t criticize what you write. 

Gradually as you write, the critical voice in your head will stop yammering at you and be quiet.

2. Talk to yourself in your head when you’re relaxing. 

Speak your thoughts out loud inside your head, as though you were giving a speech. 

Talk about the topics that interest you most. Don’t  use cue cards or an agenda as you speak to yourself silently in your head; just spin out your ideas about the things you feel most strongly about. 

You’ll see that speaking about a topic you feel passion for is completely different from speaking about a topic you couldn’t care less about.

3. Think about the authors and speakers you admire most. 

Write about them in your journal. What is it about those writers and speakers that you appreciate? 

Maybe it’s their topics, or the way they convey their ideas. 

Tune into the world of communication and choose a few thought leaders to follow. 

As you read or listen to their work, ask yourself “Why is this person compelling as he or she communicates? I want to be compelling, too — so what can I learn from the thought leaders I’ve learned the most from?”

4. Volunteer to make a presentation at work. 

If you’re not working right now, volunteer to make a presentation at your local job search networking club. 

You could present on any number of topics, from how to create a LinkedIn profile to a motivational talk for job-seekers. Grab any opportunity you can get to practice speaking this year!

5. Start a blog and write a new blog post at least once a week. 

You can blog for free at LinkedIn and over time build up an audience of followers. 

The more you write, the more confidence you’ll have. You are amazing right now and getting stronger every day. Hats off to you. 

Your thought leadership flame is growing!

Source:     Your Leadership Flame Is Glowing