My recent post 11 Things Great LeadersDo that Managers Only Think About was wildly hot on social media, which compelled me to write a sequel.
Below are 6 more critical traits demonstrated by all great leaders.
These are things that average managers can’t even begin to accept as necessary.
12. Great leaders understand the value of trust.
Great leaders place trust in others and, more importantly, the people they put trust in know it and feel it. Outcome is those people who feel trusted wind up rising to a higher level of success.
13. Great leaders realize the way to unleash full potential is by empowering others.
An outgrowth of trust is empowerment. People who know they have a leader who trusts them also feel empowered. A key trait of a leader is they create other leaders, and the way they do this is by empowering others.
14. Great leaders realize the only way empowerment works is if they provide support.
Great leaders don’t abdicate. They don’t walk away from others. They assist, they help, they support. The support they give is not to in doing the job others are supposed to be doing, but rather in helping develop others and allowing them to achieve success.
15. Great leaders know it’s more than what they say or even what they do that matters. They recognize the importance of values.
Great leaders have a system of values they don’t compromise. More than just having a system of values they live them and allow their values to be on display in what they do and how they do it.
Great leaders don’t do this arrogantly or as a way to draw attention to themselves. No, they do this as part of their lifestyle, and as a result, it creates stability and confidence in those around them.
16. Great leaders are visionaries.
Leaders are not focused merely on today, but more importantly, they’re focused on tomorrow. The best part is not only are they visionaries, but as a result of their role as a leader, they’re helping others to become visionaries too.
17. Great leaders are optimists.
I will conclude the list with what I believe is the core trait of any leader — being an optimist. People don’t want to be led by a pessimist. No, they want to be led by a leader. Optimists see things clearer, and as a result, they make clearer decisions.
We become like who we associate with. Optimists create optimists. It is impossible to have a high-performing organization that is not also an optimistic organization. Success creates success. Optimism creates optimism
Leadership is the foundation of success. What are you doing to build your foundation of success?
Copyright 2014, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of High-Profit Selling: Win the Sale Without Compromising on Price.
Click on the below book cover for more info on boosting your profits!
One Response
great article. I have been reading a book by David Silverstein called Become an Elite Mental Athlete. He addresses health, in the body and brain. There is a lot to be said for feeling at your best and how that affects the things you do daily. I find that feeling better helps me lead with much more confidence. I recommend this book to my co workers, a great short read. davesdots.com is where you can find his info and the books info. It’s definitely worth a look.