Leadership: What Makes a Good Leader?
John Maxwell, a national author and speaker on leadership, says that everything rises and falls on leadership. According to businesslink.gov, effective leadership is the most important aspect of having a successful business. Good leadership provides clear vision, exhibits integrity and is able to govern people effectively. Certain attributes and qualities are attributed to good leadership, which produces productive teams, efficient systems and a positive corporate culture.
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Definition
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A leader is someone who has influence over a group of people. This can be an executive, a pop star or an employee who has the ability to influence coworkers' thoughts, feelings and beliefs. A leader does not need a title to be considered one. He simply needs influence.
Qualities
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Qualities that every good leader possesses are integrity, dedication, giving credit where it's due, being in touch with the human spirit, openness, fairness, assertiveness and a sense of humor. Integrity is the ability of a person to do what he says he will do and maintain honesty personally and publicly. A good leader will not take credit for accomplishments that have been achieved because of other people's hard work. A good leader understands the human spirit in individuals, and pays attention to emotional, physical and mental needs. Being assertive, maintaining an open mind and being honest and able to handle difficult situations with a sense of humor all make a good leader.
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Actions
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Leaders listen, motivate, delegate and provide vision. Effective listening is an important action point good leaders must put into practice. Listening skills can be enhanced through practice and education. A leader motivates those under her to work harder and inspires them to be more productive. Delegating tasks and goals to people who can accomplish them is another leadership action point. Providing a vision that is clear and comprehensive is an important action of an effective leader.
Training
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Good leaders are in constant leadership training through personal development. Good leaders involve themselves in accountability groups, attend leadership conferences and read books that strengthen their ability to lead. They are self-motivated and take personal responsibility to continually educate themselves so they can better their personal and professional leadership ability.
Consideration
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In order for a leader to improve his leadership skills, he should participate in a leadership assessment performed by a professional leadership consultant. A leadership consultant will evaluate the leader's goals, performance and effectiveness, identify areas of strength and weakness, and provide an action plan to make improvements.
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References
- Photo Credit leadership business3 image by Andrey Kiselev from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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good stuf
