Successful leadership is achieved through having a positive influence on those whom you lead. This level of influence is available through the mastery of seven 7 leadership qualities that motivate people as you lead them through a path of excellence.
1. Knowledge of Self
An effective leader focuses on cultivating their strengths to optimal performance while enlisting people whose talents help mitigate their weaknesses. By having keen self-knowledge, a leader is more eager to seek wise and knowledgeable counsel when making decisions. They understand that, in order to achieve more, they must do less.
2. Being Industrious
Leaders, who motivate their teams, do so through their relentless work ethic and diligence to perform at their highest capacity with full concentration on the task at hand.
“Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and never succeed.” (Proverbs 12:24 LBT)
3. Enthusiasm
To be a leader is to be filled with energy, eagerness, joy, and passion for what you do. Your excitement for a cause has the high potential to ignite those around you. You cannot attain industriousness without enthusiasm!
4. Loyalty
Being dedicated to growth and development for a goal should extend beyond the cause and reflect compassion for those who are led. You should always be eager to demonstrate fairness, respect, dignity and consideration for the people who follow you. How they’re doing reflects how you are doing as a leader.
5. Cooperation
There’s no room for ego when it comes to successful leadership. Active listening, sharing ideas, embracing differences of thought and nurturing feedback are all components of this quality and drive your team towards the best methods, instead of just YOUR methods.
6. Skill
These are simply your core competencies; the things you do well. Skills can be developed, quickened and improved to bring forth an efficiency that is admired and sought after by your team. This includes hard and soft skills commensurate with exemplary people skills. Most importantly, there is no pinnacle of skill; it is an ongoing process of learning meant to keep you on the top of your leadership game.
7. Poise
Successful leaders show consistency of mood, despite the nature of the event. They are calm, cool and collected when situations impact emotions. This quality helps build trust as your poise and composure permits clear thinking when others may not be as advanced in their leadership walk.