Leadership Qualities

One of the greatest gifts we can be afforded, is that of Leadership. To support, develop, grow and inspire others. Whether it is in a military environment or business world the responsibility remains key. Leadership is a responsibility to advocate for others.

John Quincy Adams famously stated, "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."

Some elements that an individual might exercise in order to lead…

1. Integrity ‘Behaviour gets Behaviour’. This personal quality involves the incorporation of the leaders’ values and qualities not only in words but also in actions.

2. Magnanimity ‘Own it’ a behaviour that embodies the element of taking personal responsibility when there is failure in any aspect of the structure also while giving due credit

3. Openness ‘No idea is a bad idea’ A concept underlined by the ability to be open to and listen to new ideas without judgement, being open is a great way to encourage growth

4. Dedication ‘Getting it done’ The drive and ability to use any and all resources necessary to ensure that the job is done where the use of resources is perpetual, dynamic and cyclical

5. Fairness ‘Firm but Fair’ A qualitative trait of consistency in the way we deal with others, irrespective of role, rank, or relationship. Consider all elements before passing judgement

6. Humility ‘Be Humble’ Humility is an opportunity to serve and show direction in lieu of giving orders. Good teams follow good leaders, subordinates follow managers

7. Assertiveness ‘JFDI’ often mistaken for abrasiveness, being assertive comes from trust and experience in oneself and one’s team to be clear on expectations and outcomes

?8. Creativity ‘Yes’ The ability to think outside the box or leftfield and prepared to back it up. Being different often shows no limitation in the pursuit of solutions

9. Humour 'Jokes on you’ Humour has been used to lift, for decades, a barrier removal tool in times of hardship, difficulty or tension. The right humour can energise a team.

10. Visionary ‘I have a dream’ A vision, goal or strategy are key objectives in leadership and enabling a team to realise the objective or route are key skills in ensuring alignment

11. Adaptability ‘Take a chance’ Being flexible and dynamic to change is an important quality, being rigid and unwilling to change can often lead to failure or missed opportunities in driving improvement or solutions

12. Persuasion ‘Go on’ The ability to look at things from another’s point of view is a key quality when addressing the ‘reality’ and ‘perception’ of a gap ‘opportunity’. Making ‘it’ happen is the art of persuasion

13. Training and development of a team ‘Team first’ a quality often talked about yet seldom actioned. Leaders should nurture, encourage and enhance the capacity of a team to a point your leadership becomes irrelevant ?

14.????Cooperation and teamwork ‘There’s no I in Team’ The team will always be greater than the sum of its parts. United we stand divided we fall, Teamwork is the only way a team should work

”As a leader, you determine the team's performance. There are no bad teams only bad leaders.” Jocko Willink – Extreme Ownership

“Great things in business are never done by one person. They are done by a team of people.” Steve Jobs

“Be the change you want to see” Mahatma Gandhi