Five Qualities To Cultivate On Your Path To Leadership

Haven't we all been told since childhood that leaders are born? I used to believe the same thing until my experience with leadership changed my mind. I was never a natural leader; rather, I was pushed into leadership roles by people who believed I would do good. And for many years, I assumed it was just a coincidence, that I happened to be in the right place at the right time. Until I realized you could cultivate the qualities and skills required to call yourself a leader.

While some may still argue that natural-born leaders do exist, effective leadership still necessitates effort. Vince Lombardi, the legendary American football coach, once said. "Leaders aren't born; they're made," and like anything else, they're made through hard work." So, whether or not you were born with the "special sauce," if you want to be a leader, you'll have to work hard to develop and refine the qualities of great leaders.

Regardless, does anyone know what strong or perfect leadership entails? While there may be multiple answers and points of view to it, a few characteristics of a great leader tend to be true across the board — these are characteristics that every good leader possesses or should strive for.

I believe these are five essential qualities that will help you transition from being just another employee on your team to the leader who inspires others (and gets them excited about their work).

1.?????Taking A Bet On What Seems Impossible: The world is changing at an exponential rate these days; therefore, we need leaders who are open-minded enough to accept new challenges, learn from them and adapt themselves accordingly. An innovation mindset, failing fast, and pushing the boundaries are some of the qualities I believe are essential for becoming a next-generation leader in this highly competitive world.

2.?????Accountability With Empowerment: Accountability is one of the most essential characteristics and duties of a leader to instill in company culture. Leaders must create an environment in which leaders and employees acknowledge their mistakes and devise a plan of action to correct them. An environment in which the business owner, executive, or manager accepts responsibility for their actions or words not only fosters transparency and respect among team members but also helps to quickly crumble the facade of perfectionism which is essential for growth.

?3.?????Wearing The Business Hat Every Day: While it is easy to assume that wearing a business hat entails wearing a suit and tie every day, this is far from the case. Especially if you are in a leadership position because there are so many voices telling you which direction to take your company. This can be overwhelming. However, I have discovered that wearing the business hat helps me overcome these challenges by allowing me to focus on what is good for organizations as a whole rather than worrying about one single aspect opinion, or idea.

?4.?????Creating an Environment That Encourages Learning, Fun, and Growth: Great leaders understand that the quality of their team is directly related to the quality of their leadership. They recognize that leadership is more than just being the boss and ensuring that everyone follows your rules; it is also about creating an environment where people want to stretch themselves, grow and become better, #InspireServeGrow . Creating a learning, transparent, growing, and fun environment while working hard and setting examples as a leader is what makes a difference in the lives of others.

5.?????Listening And Learning: The best leaders have an undying appetite for learning. They are constantly looking for new information, not only for the sake of their jobs but also because they are curious to learn more. Another important quality is listening. A great leader listens to everyone, including those at the bottom of the organization - who may have insights into problems or opportunities that have not yet been identified or understood by top management teams, and learns from them. The ability to listen and learn is essential for any leader because this skill allows the leader to gain knowledge from others and use that knowledge more effectively. It also enables the leader to adapt quickly when changes occur in the environment or industry.