experts tell us that it's the person who knows how to delegate that achieves greatness. No matter what you're told or what you believe, one thing is undeniable: successful leaders share many of the same characteristics and views. Regardless of their independent skills, the brilliant business leaders of the nation all have these characteristics in common:1. Drive
The best leaders among us don't rest on their laurels. These people know what needs to be done and have the drive to make it happen. Not only does this drive benefit the leader him or herself, but it benefits all of the employees in the company. With a “can do” leader, employees are motivated and, in turn, more productive. We've all had bosses in our lives that spent more energy avoiding work than doing work. It's the bosses that we've had that work just as hard, if not harder, than their employees who we look up to.
2. Competency
If you hope to become a superb leader, you must possess a level of competency that others do not. If you aren't seen as highly knowledgeable by those you work for and those who work for you, you have little hope of finding success. If you want to gain competency, you need to expose yourself to as many on-the-job experiences as possible. This may mean that you have to push a broom to understand how your building is maintained or answer phones to gain a better awareness of customer service. Competent leaders know how their companies operate from the ground up.
3. Communication
Not only do you need to possess the skill of speaking to people with respect, you need to know how to communicate your thoughts and ideas in a clear and concise manner. Business leaders of today also need to be adept at various methods of communication: email, telephone, video-conferencing, and more. Additionally, knowing when to use which form of communication is a skill that can often only be gained through trial-and-error or on-the-job experience.
4. Ambition
Great leaders have ambition; it's just that simple. Leaders are people who strive to constantly grow and improve. Whether it's training employees or improving the bottom-line, you need to have goals and the ambition to see them through to fruition. As ambitious as you are, you also must be able to admit the need for assistance. It takes a team to get the job done; don't be so ambitious that you forget to allow your employees to work with you, not just for you.
5. Inspiration
The best leaders, whether in the business or political worlds, are those who inspire others to be better themselves. As the person in charge, you've got to be able to inspire the people who are working for you. Your goal as a boss should be to impart knowledge and skills onto your employees in a way that is respectful. Never ask your employees to do something that you are unwilling to do, never set your employees up for failure and always strive to lead by example. If you can do these things, you will inspire your employees, and even your co-leaders, to give 100 percent every day.
There are reasons that some people rise to the top and others fail miserably; those reasons lie in the characteristics that people possess. If you want to be a brilliant leader, you simply must possess the five characteristics discussed above. The good news is this: If you don't possess them now, you can adopt them with experience and practice.
About the Author
Patricia Lent is a full-time writer for higher ed blogs. Several schools offer MBA degrees, including Howard University and Georgetown University.
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