What it Takes To Be a Good Leader
Leadership is essential in any business. As a business owner myself, I realize how critical it is to be the right kind of leader, especially if I want high quality results. When it comes to coaching my clients, I do my part to teach them how to attract quality people to their business by first showing them how to be a skillful leader.
All great leaders have one thing in common—they work on their self-first, before claiming leadership status. Below I’ve listed the most important qualities that all great leaders should strive to cultivate.
Focus on Being Strong, Not Rude
To become a powerful and capable leader, you have to possess inner strength. Some people assume that as long as they are forceful and get their point across, that’s all that matters. But rudeness is not a substitute for strength. Focus on being strong in your delivery, but never rude.
Learn to be Kind, Not Weak
Kindness is not a weakness. It takes a lot of courage to maintain a calm and kind demeanor when your team isn’t quite hitting the mark week after week. The goal is to be kind enough to tell the truth without being condescending. Kindness is related to honesty, and honesty is the omission of delusion. Weakness falls in line with dishonesty, and if you don’t have the courage to tell the truth you won’t have the courage to be a good leader.
Be Bold, Nut Bullish
Great leaders aren’t afraid to walk in front of their team and tell them how it is. They are willing to take the first arrow, tackle the first problem, and discover the first sign of trouble. Cultivate that quality.
Be humble Not Timid
Let me be perfectly clear—humility is not timidity. It is a sense of self-awareness. Humility is understanding that you are powerful like the rest of the universe while maintaining your sense of humanness. Timidity is the opposite. It is an affliction you must cure to become a great leader.
Be Proud, Not Arrogant
Pride will help you build your ambition, community, and accomplishments. However, the key to becoming a good leader is being proud without arrogance. Arrogance and ignorance combined is a death curse, and will undoubtedly ruin your career before it ever begins. If you have a reason to be proud, because you’ve built something truly sustainable, than be prideful but never be arrogant.
Don’t Take Yourself So Seriously
A sense of humor will go a long way when you’re in a leadership position. Don’t be afraid to be witty, but avoid going overboard with silliness. It will make you appear incompetent. Be fun, but don’t make yourself into a fool in the process.
Accept Things As They Are
Always deal in truths. Life is unique and full of challenges and drama. You can choose to view it as a tragedy, but that won’t get you far as a leader. Instead, focus on what is and forget what isn’t. Deal in realities and let the rest go.
You can easily adapt these skills to fit your career, community, and home life and become stronger for it.
What are some other skills that you admire in great leaders, and how can you implement them into your life?
