11 Factors of Leadership

Leadership has been endlessly dissected and there are so many books on leadership every year. That maybe because it is one topic that never can be exhausted. I reread Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill recently in which he defines 11 important factors of leadership. I found them to be absolutely on target. Here they are with my take on each.

Unwavering Courage

Leaders are respected when they take charge and are able to make tough decisions. They have high self-confidence and never give up. Courage is truly the leader’s edge. It can be also known as authenticity. This is what Jack Welch said senior executives need to have to make tough decisions.

Self-control

This can also be another way of setting an example. Leaders are role models for the followers. Unless you master yourself you cannot lead others. The first victory is truly to conquer self. This is also the basis of stoicism.

A keen sense of justice

A true leader is not biased. They are independent of petty problems. They are always on the look out to help their followers. Irrespective of personal reasons they always make decisions which are just in the long run.

Definiteness of Decision

This is a real key to effective leadership. Even in one of the recent podcasts in Masters of Scale Eric Schmidt said leaders make decisions fast. You cannot think for too long. Even Google took the decision to buy YouTube in a very short timeframe. Henry Ford was known to make decisions with speed and also stick to them with conviction,

Definiteness of Plans

As Eisenhower said “The plans are nothing but planning is everything.” All top leaders work according to plans. They are great at organizing plans for victory. So set clear precise objectives and take action on those plans.

The habit of doing more than paid for

This basically can be translated to go the extra mile. Provide that extra plus in your service to customers. There are no traffic jams on the extra mile.

A pleasing personality

Leaders are dealers in hope. They should know how to deal with every type of individual. They should respect everyone for who they are, they should be great listeners, and they should take an active interest in others and should reward everyone for their good deeds. They should always praise in public and criticize in private.

Sympathy and understanding

This means always having empathy for the followers and understanding their problems. As Stephen Covey said “Seek first to understand then be understood.”

Mastery of detail

Leaders who pay close attention to detail win big in the end. This is a quality that must be developed if you want to be a great leader.

Willingness to assume full responsibility

The buck truly does stop with the leader. Top leaders accept complete responsibility for the results of the enterprise. They take ownership when something goes wrong and share the spoils of victory with the team.

Cooperation

Cooperation is the ability to get along with everyone to achieve company objectives. The only way to succeed as a leader in the 21st Century is through solid team work. No team can win in the long run without strong cooperation.

There you have it the 11 factors of leadership. Thanks for reading this post.

The views expressed here are my own and do not represent my organization.