What is a Leader?

Why ask “What is a leader?” There are plenty of books, articles and speakers expounding principles of leadership so it seems that answer should be readily available. However, leadership is an attribute that’s in dire need for many organizations, businesses, relationships and lives. An article from Inc.com listed five qualities of someone with bad leadership skills. These include narcissistic tendencies, lack of recognition for good work, treating people like numbers, too much control and lack of communication.

Here, I’d like to approach some mindsets necessary for good leadership. I feel this is important because good leadership in an organization starts with vibrant and healthy self-leadership. Leadership is not merely asserting a strong personality, will or ultimatum, though a result of leadership may include any of those attributes from time to time. A leader is able to guide and influence toward a common goal or objective. They provide direction, inspiration and motivation. Some qualities that apply to both leading others as well as self-leadership are covered here.

One: A Good Leader is an Initiator

Evaluating my style of leadership, I realized that I am an initiator. Even though I have not put myself above any of the other members, I am still the one to set in motion meetings in multiple groups. Rather than feel sorry for myself that others weren’t constantly calling me to get together, I realized that I was probably thought as the initiator of the groups. I had identified the great value of getting together for specific relationships and meetings.

Two: A Good Leader Follows Through

Let’s catch up soon! Or Let’s get together soon! Is a phrase most of us often hear. I have a friend that says she’d love to get together soon. I have repeatedly told her I’d fly out and meet her halfway. But there has been no follow-through on her end. I could either take this personally, or realize that I got the credit for initiating, but can freely spend my time other ways. Following through on our word and promises, both to ourselves and others, is a quality of good leadership. (read more here...)

Three: A Good Leader Takes Responsibility

Part of what defines what is a leader is taking the responsibility for failure with the ability to apologize. How often have we seen those, especially in government, blame, blame and blame others? This escape route may work the first time, but most people will wise up fast to this game of avoidance. On February 1, 2003, Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated as it reentered the atmosphere over Texas and Louisiana, killing all seven astronauts on board. A problem that had been known for years and was even noted by one of the workers was ignored. The remnants of the tragedy serve as a reminder of the value of lives lost and to never ignore a small detail mentioned by a worker again.

Four: A Good Leader Takes Time to Think and Learn

Our world is moving faster and faster, especially with the explosion of technological advances. But good leaders, or might I say, great leaders take time to think and read. Warren Buffet, investor, philanthropist and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, has a reputation for being a prodigious reader as well as thinker. He quotes:

?I insist on a lot of time being spent, almost every day, to just sit and think. That is very uncommon in American business. I read and think. So I do more reading and thinking, and make less impulse decisions than most people in business. I do it because I like this kind of life.

Not everyone has the freedom and time to read and think as much as Buffet, but most everyone can carve out time to do more than they are currently doing. Deborah's books on Amazon

Five: A Good Leader Develops and Delegates

Developing teams take time to understand and know what their team should do and are capable of doing. Mary T. Barra is the first female CEO for an automaker to earn the Automotive Hall of Fame. At eighteen years old, she got a job on the assembly line at General Motors, inspecting hoods and fenders. Over the next few decades, she rose in the ranks to finally get to her current position. Not all leaders need to work their way up the chain of command to understand what needs to be done. They just need to know what skills are needed to make the right hires. (read more here...)

Six: A Good Leader has a Strategy for the Future

If a leader takes time to think, part of that thinking should be toward future trends. No one can fully predict economics, trends or style, but one can make good guesses. A good leader not only knows where a team is but where a team can go and how to get there. Athletics is a great illustration of this. Often, a trainer will push us past where we think we can go physically. Our doubts subside with amazement when we arrive.

Seven: A Good Leader Communicates Effectively

A good communicator and leader will make the time, even if very brief, to communicate clearly and effectively to team members. Part of this process includes listening.?For many personalities that may not realize they are not communicating, I suggest taking a step back to listen even more attentively to your team.

Application

We can ask ourselves the following questions as we apply these seven principles to our own self-leadership:

• Do we initiate?
• Do we follow through?
• Do we take responsibility?
• How much time do we spend thinking and learning?
• What else can we develop and delegate?
• Do we have a vision for the future?
• In what ways can we communicate more effectively?

Those questions should help us up our game with our self-leadership when we ask ourselves, What is a leader?

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The Host

DEBORAH JOHNSON, M.A.?has 25+ years working as an entertainer, composer, producer, author and speaker. Her keynote, "The Hero Inside" stirs audiences to not settle for merely playing as an accompanist to their dreams. Rather, it is to call upon everything they have inside to be soloist & center stage in pursuing & accomplishing their dreams and potential. This can include pursuing a new avenue or expanding on a current area of business, especially at mid-career or the halftime of life. Get more free downloads & links at:?DJWorks. Websites:?DeborahJohnsonSpeaker.com; GoalsForYourLife.com; DJWorksMusic.com