So, what does it take to be a leader? Are they born or are they made? There are many experts that argue both sides. Overall I feel that in order to be a successful boss you must have certain behaviors or tools in your skills set. Here are the top 7 tools I feel that you need to have:
Passion– The people who have the greatest chances of being successful are those that work hard and are excited about what they do. Follow your passion and success will soon follow.
Respect: Make people your priority; as a leader you are only as good as your staff. Give respect and you will earn respect. By giving respect you will earn the loyalty of the talented people that work for you, this is essential to your success.
Vision: In order to accomplish things, you have to have a vision on how you are going to complete it. A good leader sets the course of action, one that is attainable and inspiring.
Humanity: You should have a desire to make the community around you a better place. Embrace diversity and bigger ideas to not only enhance your leadership style, but also enhance the tools of the people you work for. You should work hard so that others, not just you, are happy and productive.
Curiosity: Look, Listen and Learn. Learn for learning’s sake, not just to say you went to school. Learning takes place everyday and can take place everywhere, if you ignore this you will miss out. Try and don’t ever be afraid to fail; one way to be successful in life is not be afraid of what will happen if you fail.
Integrity: Be honest above all, to all. Your integrity and ethics reflect not just the leader, but also the organization. Make integrity your priority and lying is never acceptable.
Humble: Be humble, concentrate on the things that matter most and get better at them. Don’t take yourself too seriously and learn to laugh at yourself. The people that you work for want to know that you are human and that you make mistakes. Admit those mistakes, learn from them and make yourself better because of them.
We are all professionals who take our jobs seriously and will do whatever it takes to get the job done each day of our lives. Leadership is not a thought that disappears at the end of our day. It is our being and it is who we are. Make others success your success, and your time in leadership will be much more successful.
