Monday, April 7, 2014

4 Key Characteristics of a Great Leader

As Shakespeare said, "Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.”

There is no simple answer to leadership: it takes devotion, hard work, time and patience. But, most importantly, it takes a great deal of knowledge and practice. Here is a list of traits that sales and marketing headhunters look for in leaders, according to Entrepeneur.com:

Strength - People are drawn to confidence and shy away from nervousness, lack of authenticity and insecurity. How you feel about yourself will dictate your ability to lead. Essentially, if you don’t feel you’re important and deserving, don’t expect your co-workers to.


Image via roseburgphoenix.com

Positive Energy - Leaders show positive energy and optimism, showering their people with a can-do attitude. This outlook draws co-workers to them and paves the way for influence, respect and admiration from others. When you’re positive, you think in terms of solutions, not problems, you inspire risk taking, tend to be more resilient and think more clearly.

Passion - Being passionate about your job means possessing a heartfelt and authentic excitement about work. This excitement is infectious and will draw others to your way of thinking. People follow positivity, effectiveness, intelligence and resiliency. Until you learn to love work, you can’t hope to display the necessary positive energy leadership requires.

Selflessness - Leaders are more interested in group achievements as opposed to their own goals. By pouring out encouragement, caring and recognition, your co-workers will be more drawn to you.

Ultimately, leadership is all about the idea that the most significant things at work and in life require work, and most importantly, practice. 
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