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Great Leaders are optimists first and foremost.

Their tendency is to interact according to


Henry Ford's observation, "whether you think you can or think you can't - you are right."
Because the buck must stop somewhere and because the dynamic of authority dictates
that all delegated authorities are themselves subject to authority, they understand that
being a leader is far more than a title. The ten qualities listed herein are based on these
assumptions and are just the beginning of developing the character of a great leader.
Here's to a great beginning!

1. Great Leaders are mission inclined and ensure the survival of the vision. By making
certain that the principles of that vision are daily implemented, the Great Leader indicates
a firm grasp of the mission and visions of the organization and is in agreement with them,
making a conscious choice to submit to and support them.

2. Great Leaders are providers, oriented to whatever the individual or team cannot supply
for itself. The leader is often called to provide for needs the group is virtually unaware of.
It becomes the role of the leader to first identify the need, and then to provide a means of
fulfillment.

3. Great Leaders are motivated by the welfare of the team. The motive is never self-
promotion, self-aggrandizement. The great leader self-checks frequently. The welfare of
the team will always be in line with the greater mission, if integrity is at the base.

4. Great Leaders are always ready to provide the tools necessary for achieving the goals
of the team. Individual and team achievement furthers the purpose of the organizational
mission. Great Leaders must assess the needs and provide the tools, as well as the
instruction necessary to attain and maintain optimum productivity.

5. Great Leaders have great integrity (wholeness, soundness) and assume the role of
keeper of ethics. Leaders must articulate the ethical expectations necessary to maintain
the wholeness and soundness of the team, as well as the individual members. The two are
inseparable.

6. Great Leaders are consistently teachable. Information flows from the top. Zest for
information and knowledge will do the same. An eager to learn leader will generate
followers enthusiastic about the process as well.

7. Great Leaders are always willing to step aside rather than compromise the team. We
have established that the Great Leader is motivated by the welfare of the team rather than
his or her own agenda, and as a result, will step aside if necessary to insure it. The same
is true of the Great Leader's dedication to team unity and productivity. The leader will
never play one member against another as a tactic, realizing that unity of purpose, when
grounded in the integrity of the vision, will always lead to increased productivity and
progress.

8. Great Leaders do not take control, but accept surrendered control. Seized control will
ultimately end in rebellion and insurrection. Conversely, cooperation always follows
surrendered control, the voluntary submission to authority. (Note: sub=under, and
mission=vision, i.e., a voluntary stepping under, in a supporting capacity, to the mission
of the team, the reason for its continued existence.)

9. Great Leaders understand the awesome responsibility of guiding human beings.


At any level - - in any organization - - for any reason - - without reservation

10. Great Leaders understand the difference between passion for excellence and passion
for power. Passion for excellence is fervor and zeal for fineness and quality. Passion for
power is lust and greed for control, at any cost. These two highlight the enormous
variance between Authority and Power.

Plus One...

Great Leaders always lead by example. The Great Leader is always willing, at any point,
to walk out in front of the group. The Great Leader is never merely an observer. All other
qualities will flow naturally from this characteristic at the very heart of Great Leadership.

So what makes a great corporate leader? According to Brennan, six qualities separate the
leaders from the followers:

1. Integrity: This is a deal breaker if you don't have it completely. When it comes to
governance, Brennan said, he "never did anything or asked anyone to do anything
he couldn't go home and explain to his kids."
2. A deep understanding of the business: "You can't fake it. People will know."
While you don't need to know every detail, you do have to have a good grasp of
the business.
3. Consistency: While keeping things fresh is important, leaders cannot change
direction frequently. They will lose people's confidence.
4. Willingness to admit a mistake: Everyone makes mistakes. If you're not making
any, you're not doing your job right. But Brennan emphasized the importance of
admitting your missteps -- otherwise people will not respect you.
5. The ability to listen: Good leaders must be willing to handle opinions contrary to
their own and absorb as much as they can.
6. Decisiveness: While you should listen to others' opinions, the final decision is
yours to make. Brennan said when CEOs fail, very often it's because they are not
decisive. Average tenure for a CEO has fallen from more than a decade to three
years because people lose confidence in leaders whose indecision results in
failure.
Top 7 Qualities of a Great
Leader
By Dan Lightfritz

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Effective & efficient leadership is a must! The qualities I am about to share with you
are derived from the "The Trilogy of 7". This is a concept that I personally created to
help everyone master the three core fundementals of business: Marketing, Sales,
Serives.

If you are in a leadership role, regardless if you are a business owner, president of a
company, sales manager or a team leader, commit these 7 qualities of an Effective &
Efficient leader to memory and you WILL become that person.

1. NEVER LET ANYONE FIGURE YOU OUT!

Simpy put, once you become predicable, you become vulneralbe.


Great leaders keep there entire operation on their toes, they are the
individuals that thrive in business! Never respond to the daily situations the
same way, everyday. Once your team members think that they know how
you will respond or react to common everyday events, they then believe that
they have figured you out. Never let this happen. Don't come to work at the
same time everyday, don't leave and return for lunch at the same time
everyday, don' hire and terminated based on the same strategies everyday.
Don't always market your products the same way, etc. Efficient and effective
leaders NEVER let anyone figure them out!

2. LIVE LIFE, LEARN TO LOVE AND LEAVE A LEGACY!

This is a 4 part structured philosphy. First, an effective leader will LIVE THEIR
LIVES to the fullest. For example, their god, their family, and then their job.
Structure is clearly defined and the lifes are meaningful. Live your life so that
joy, peace, and the truely important things that your life has to offer are
always there for you.

Secondly, an effective leader LEARNS everything they can at every given


moment. Education is motivation and knowledge is acquired is fuel for their
business success. The more you learn, the more that you can teach, and the
more that you can teach, the faster you become a mentor.

Thirdly, an effective leader has LOVE in his/her life. You have two separate
areas of your life; business life and personal life. Once you leave the office,
your emotional love of someone or something must come into you world.
Whether it be your family, your friends, or a love of a hobby. Emotional bliss
is something to be cherished. Find it and keep it!

Last but not least, is to leave a LEGACY. As human beings, we all want to be
remembered, we all want to leave a legacy. How will you develop, manage,
and subsequently leave a legacy that your children, your family, and your
friends will be able to continue your vision. A great leader creates a legacy.
Create yours, then pass it on.

3. GIANTS WILL PERISH WHILE CHASING MINNOWS!

An effective and efficient leader does not chase down meaningless business.
In order to be a giant in your industry, a superstar, a top producer, or to
become "THE MAN/WOMAN", you must market your business to the big fish,
sell your products to the big fish, and provide exceptional service to all of the
big fish that you have capture. The effective and efficient leader builds, trains,
and maintains a dynamic sales force that embraces this concept. Sure, you
will have to go after a couple of minnows every now and then, but do not fear
marketing, selling and servicing the big fish.

4. OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES MUST BE INGRAINED IN YOUR BRAIN!

As of right now, do you know how to do everyones job in your company? As


an effecient and effictive leader, one of your primary focuses should be to
know how to take care of the day-to-day activities of your key level team
members positions. For example, if you have sales manager, do you know, on
a day to day basis, what he/she does with all of their sales people. Do you
know what days of the week the sales meetings are held, or do you know who
is the top producer and why? Another example, do you know what your
operation manager/business manager does on a daily or weekly basis? Have
all of the taxes been paid, receivable and payables, where do they stand? I
could go on an on. The point here is if any of your key level, senior
management individuals decides to leave your company, or if they were to
get a prolonged illeness, are you fully prepared to cover and train another
individual for that position? Again, do you know how to do their job? This is
the million dollar question, literally. If you do not know the basic functions of
everyone in your company, then you are vulneralbe to a negative impact on
your operations. Learn what and how they do their jobs, and have it ingrained
in your brain.

5. THE MOST IMPORTANT COMMODITY IN BUSINESS TODAY IS "PEOPLE"!

Simply put, "employee dupiciation" is the secret that effective and efficient
leaders possess. They are always trying to attract success, and through this
attraction,, they will build a bullet proof organization. A effective and efficient
leader is always networking and searching for top notch, high quality
individuals to bring into their business. Always! Even if you are fully staffed,
keep planting the seeds that will make your business a continued success.
Once you have planted the seeds, you must water them, cultivate them, and
take care of them. This means that you must be a part of some networking
group, business luncheon, etc...Then, actively and consistently participate in
these activities. You and I don't know what tomorrow will bring you. If you
already have highly polished, top notch individuals in your organization, don't
you think that some other company will or may be at this moment trying to
steal them from you? What if you lost them? Are you prepared to replace
them with an equal or more qualified person? "Employee duplication" is the
key to always being an effective and efficient leader.
6. BUILD, TRAIN, AND MAINTAIN A DYNAMIC ORGANIZATION!

In order to be a great leader, you need to first off, "build" a dynamic


organization. This is accomplished by surrounding yourself with professional,
successful individuals that have that "can do" attitude. Then, once those
individuals are in place, you must train them to their fullest potential.
Remember, education is motivation, motivation is not education. Once this
completed, you must "maintain" this dynamic group of individuals within your
organization.
Employee turnover creates complications and becomes expensive. You must
build, train and maintain your dynamic organization in order to be an effective
and efficient leader.

7. I CAN DO ALL THINGS!

These are the 5 most powerful words a great leader says to themselves
everyday. There is no challenge, no situation, no problem, no hurdle that is
too great or no problem that cannot be solved. The effective and efficient
leader will always be willing to accept a new challenges, new shifts in the
market, new training techniques for the sales people, etc.
Nothing will take an effective and efficient leader down, nothing. There are 5
parts to this quote:
(#1) I (#2) CAN (#3) DO (#4) ALL (#5) THINGS
"I" is you. Only you can do all things. "CAN" is the positive mental attitude
required to be a great leader. "DO" is to actually get thing done. Make it
happen. "ALL" is everything that your are faced with on a day to day basis
gets acomplished. "Things" are anything that comes across your desk is
welcomed with open arms. Good, challenging, or indiferrent.

Leaders play a critical role during change implementation, the period from the announcement of
change through the installation of the change. During this middle period the organization is the
most unstable, characterized by confusion, fear, loss of direction, reduced productivity, and lack
of clarity about direction and mandate. It can be a period of emotionalism, with employees
grieving for what is lost, and initially unable to look to the future.

In addition to forecast and amiability, the characteristics that leader must have are ability to
recognize employees' talents, the know-how to make teams work and an open mind.

Leadership does vary to some extent as per the positions i.e. it may be slight different for
manager and different for a union leader but the basic qualities of leadership does not change.

1. Good communication skill


Communication is the key to be a great leader. The reason for this is simple: if he possesses the
other nine leadership qualities but if he fails to communicate well, he will never be great leader.

What he can do is communicate with others in the organization about what IT can do to move the
company forward. In other words, good communication is the key for developing good business
relationships. If he can’t establish a good business working relationship, he is not going to be that
leader, that team player. He will not be able to communicate how IT can add long-term value to
the company. The modern leaders must therefore be equipped with good communication skill and
use new ways to do effective communication.

2. Honesty
The most valuable asset of a leader is honesty. He must be honest with both his employees and
the management committee. Another part of his features is integrity. Once a leader compromises
his or her integrity, it is lost. That is perhaps the reason integrity is considered the most admirable
trait. The leaders therefore must keep it "above all else."

3. Visionary outlook
Leadership qualities are different for different position. For a CIO he must be thinking for
stabilizing the current business and always looking for future scope of expansion. He has to be
able to look beyond where we are today, know where the business is going, and be able to use
that vision to move the company forward. Being able to do this is a rare skill indeed.

4. Selecting a good team


A good CIO although he possesses sound technical skills he assures that the team he selects is
efficient enough to back up any skill he lacks. Choosing the best people for such team is a skill. A
CIO after all is a human being and does not have answer for everything. But by working together
he creates an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect; the team then always find the best
solution.

5.Action speaks louder than words


Managers must be able to put aside their concerns to listen to (and appear to listen to) those
around them. As a result, they come know what is going on, and know what is both said, and said
between the lines. They have the knack of appearing to know what people need even if those
needs are not expressed directly. However, knowing what is going on, and identifying the needs
of those around them is not sufficient. The responsive manager also acts upon that knowledge,
attempting to help fulfill the needs of employees, superiors, etc. Responsive managers wield
influence to solve problems for those around them, often before even being asked.

6. Ability to motivate people around


A good leader must always keep motivating his team mates for good work and should maintain
healthy environment. He must give first priority to safety of workers and see that they are not
exploited by superiors.

7. Consistency
Leadership effectiveness is impossible without consistency. Every leader has an approach that is
unique to them. Don't change your personal style radically after all; it got you in a leadership
position. Modify the rough spots but take care not to confound your staff by displaying
inconsistency. Your expectations, though subject to modification based on ever-changing
business needs, should remain as constant as possible. The business world is confusing enough
without you adding unwelcome surprises into the mix. Keep things simple and consistent.

8. Ability to stand against critics


As the success rate increases your critics multiply and become louder. Come to peace with the
fact that you will always have a camp of people who critique every decision you make. They are
generally the ones who are excellent problem-identifiers rather than problem-solvers. Develop
your skills of repelling such critics so that they do not diminish your confidence or enthusiasm.

It takes focus and confidence not to be adversely affected by criticism. Strong leaders learn the
art of listening to critics, but ultimately making decisions for the good of the department, not to
simply please the critics. The following quote sums it up nicely: "Some of the most talented
people are terrible leaders because they have a crippling need to be loved by everyone." As
rightly stated by James Schorr.
It is said, great leaders are not born, but are made. With enough willpower and desire, as well as
a ceaseless process of self-study, experience, training, and education, good leadership qualities
can be developed. As Warren G. Bennis says: "The most dangerous leadership myth is that
leaders are born - that there is a genetic factor to leadership. This myth asserts that people
simply either have certain charismatic qualities or not. That's nonsense; in fact, the opposite is
true. Leaders are made rather than born."

Leadership quotes are words spoken by men and women who have been there, seen what it is all
about, and thus they can be a great source of inspiration to us. Given below are some of the most
profound leadership quotes that portray the wisdom of some of the greatest minds in the world.

"The very essence of leadership is that you have to have a vision." - Theodore Hesburgh

"If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." - The Bible

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a
leader." - John Quincy Adams

"A leader is a dealer in hope." - Napoleon Bonaparte

"Pity the leader caught between unloving critics and uncritical lovers." - John Gardner

"The very essence of leadership is that you have to have vision. You can't blow an uncertain
trumpet." - Theodore M. Hesburgh

"The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants
done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it." - Theodore Roosevelt

"The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why." - Warren Bennis

"A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't
necessarily want to go but ought to be." - Rosalynn Carter

"The only safe ship in a storm is leadership." - Faye Wattleton

"Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants
to do it." - Dwight Eisenhower

"The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him in other men the conviction and the will to
carry on." - Walter Lippman

"Leaders are more powerful role models when they learn than when they teach." - Rosabeth
Moss Kantor

"The art of leadership is saying no, not yes. It is very easy to say yes." - Tony Blair

"Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things." - Peter F. Drucker

"What you cannot enforce, do not command." - Sophocles

"If you're not confused, you're not paying attention." - Tom Peters

"Keep your fears to yourself, but share your inspiration with others." - Robert Louis Stevenson
"A leader must have the courage to act against an expert's advice." - James Callaghan

"The price of greatness is responsibility." - Winston Churchill

"I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more
followers." - Ralph Nader

"Delegating work works, provided the one delegating works, too." - Robert Half

"Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out."
- Stephen Covey

"I must follow the people. Am I not their leader?" - Benjamin Disraeli

"The question, 'Who ought to be boss?', is like asking, 'Who ought to be the tenor in the quartet?'
Obviously, the man who can sing tenor." - Henry Ford

"Leadership can be thought of as a capacity to define oneself to others in a way that clarifies and
expands a vision of the future." - Edwin H. Friedman:

"Leaders aren't born they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard
work. And that's the price we'll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal." - Vince Lombardi:

"Only one man in a thousand is a leader of men - the other 999 follow women." - Groucho Marx

Five Most Important Leadership Traits


by Mark Shead

Some sit and pontificate about whether leaders are made or born. The true leader ignores
such arguments and instead concentrates on developing the leadership qualities necessary
for success. In this article, we are going to discuss five leadership traits or leadership
qualities that people look for in a leader. If you are able to increase your skill in
displaying these five quality characteristics, you will make it easier for people to want to
follow you. The less time you have to spend on getting others to follow you, the more
time you have to spend refining exactly where you want to go and how to get there.

The five leadership traits/leadership qualities are:

1. Honest
2. Forward-Looking
3. Competent
4. Inspiring
5. Intelligent
These five qualities come from Kouzes and Posner’s research into leadership that was done for the book
The Leadership Challenge.

Your skill at exhibiting these five leadership qualities is strongly correlated with people’s
desire to follow your lead. Exhibiting these traits will inspire confidence in your
leadership. Not exhibiting these traits or exhibiting the opposite of these traits will
decrease your leadership influence with those around you.

It is important to exhibit, model and display these traits. Simply possessing each trait is
not enough; you have to display it in a way that people notice. People want to see that
you actively demonstrate these leadership qualities and will not just assume that you have
them. It isn’t enough to just be neutral. For example, just because you are not dishonest
will not cause people to recognize that you are honest. Just avoiding displays of
incompetence won’t inspire the same confidence as truly displaying competence.

The focus of each of these five traits needs to be on what people see you do–not just the
things they don’t see you do. Being honest isn’t a matter of not lying–it is taking the extra
effort to display honesty.

Honesty as a Leadership Quality

People want to follow an honest leader. Years ago, many employees started out by
assuming that their leadership was honest simply because the authority of their position.
With modern scandals, this is no longer true.

When you start a leadership position, you need to assume that people will think you are a
little dishonest. In order to be seen as an honest individual, you will have to go out of
your way to display honesty. People will not assume you are honest simply because you
have never been caught lying.

One of the most frequent places where leaders miss an opportunity to display honesty is
in handling mistakes. Much of a leader’s job is to try new things and refine the ideas that
don’t work. However, many leaders want to avoid failure to the extent that they don’t
admit when something did not work.

There was a medium size organization that was attempting to move to a less centralized
structure. Instead of one location serving an entire city, they wanted to put smaller offices
throughout the entire metro area. At the same time, they were planning an expansion for
headquarters to accommodate more customers at the main site. The smaller remote
offices was heralded as a way to reach more customers at a lower cost and cover more
demographic areas.

After spending a considerable amount of money on a satellite location, it became clear


that the cost structure would not support a separate smaller office. As the construction
completed on the expanded headquarters building, the smaller office was closed. This
was good decision making. The smaller offices seemed like a good idea, but when the
advantages didn’t materialize (due to poor management or incorrect assumptions) it made
sense to abandon the model. This was a chance for the leadership to display honesty with
the employees, be candid about why things didn’t work out as expected, learn from the
mistakes an move on.

Unfortunately in this situation the leadership told employees that they had planned on
closing the satellite location all along and it was just a temporary measure until
construction was completed on the larger headquarters building. While this wasn’t
necessarily true, it didn’t quite cross over into the area of lying. Within a few months the
situation was mostly forgotten and everyone moved on. Few of the employees felt that
leadership was being dishonest. However, they had passed up a marvelous opportunity to
display the trait of honesty in admitting a mistake.

Opportunities to display honesty on a large scale may not happen every day. As a leader,
showing people that you are honest even when it means admitting to a mistake, displays a
key trait that people are looking for in their leaders. By demonstrating honesty with
yourself, with your organization and with outside organizations, you will increase your
leadership influence. People will trust someone who actively displays honesty–not just as
an honest individual, but as someone who is worth following.

Forward-Looking as a Leadership Trait

The whole point of leadership is figuring out where to go from where you are now. While
you may know where you want to go, people won’t see that unless you actively
communicate it with them. Remember, these traits aren’t just things you need to have,
they are things you need to actively display to those around you.

When people do not consider their leader forward-looking, that leader is usually suffering
from one of two possible problems:

1. The leader doesn’t have a forward-looking vision.


2. The leader is unwilling or scared to share the vision with others.

When a leader doesn’t have a vision for the future, it usually because they are spending
so much time on today, that they haven’t really thought about tomorrow. On a very
simplistic level this can be solved simply by setting aside some time for planning,
strategizing and thinking about the future.

Many times when a leader has no time to think and plan for the future, it is because they
are doing a poor job of leading in the present. They have created an organization and
systems that rely too much on the leader for input at every stage.

Some leaders have a clear vision, but don’t wish to share it with others. Most of the time
they are concerned that they will lose credibility if they share a vision of the future that
doesn’t come about. This is a legitimate concern. However, people need to know that a
leader has a strong vision for the future and a strong plan for going forward. Leaders run
into trouble sharing their vision of the future when they start making promises to
individuals. This goes back to the trait of honesty. If a leader tells someone that “next
year I’m going to make you manager of your own division”, that may be a promise they
can’t keep. The leader is probably basing this promotion on the organization meeting
financial goals, but the individual will only hear the personal promise.

An organization I was working with was floundering. It seemed like everyone had a
different idea about what they were trying to achieve. Each department head was headed
in a different direction and there was very little synergy as small fiefdoms and internal
politics took their toll.

Eventually a consulting firm was called in to help fix the problem. They analyzed the
situation, talked to customers, talked to employees and set up a meeting with the CEO.
They were going to ask him about his vision for the future. The employees were excited
that finally there would be a report stating the direction for the organization.

After the meeting, the consultants came out shaking their heads. The employees asked
how the important question had gone to which the consultants replied, “we asked him,
but you aren’t going to like the answer”. The CEO had told the consultant that, while he
had a vision and plan for the future, he wasn’t going to share it with anyone because he
didn’t want there to be any disappointment if the goals were not reached.

Leaders can communicate their goals and vision for the future without making promises
that they may not be able to keep. If a leader needs to make a promise to an individual, it
should be tied to certain measurable objectives being met. The CEO in the example
didn’t realize how much damage he was doing by not demonstrating the trait of being
forward-looking by communicating his vision with the organization.

The CEO was forward-looking. He had a plan and a vision and he spent a lot of time
thinking about where the organization was headed. However, his fear of communicating
these things to the rest of the organization hampered his leadership potential.

Competency as a Leadership Quality

People want to follow someone who is competent. This doesn’t mean a leader needs to be
the foremost expert on every area of the entire organization, but they need to be able to
demonstrate competency.

For a leader to demonstrate that they are competent, it isn’t enough to just avoid
displaying incompetency. Some people will assume you are competent because of your
leadership position, but most will have to see demonstrations before deciding that you are
competent.

When people under your leadership look at some action you have taken and think, “that
just goes to show why he is the one in charge”, you are demonstrating competency. If
these moments are infrequent, it is likely that some demonstrations of competency will
help boost your leadership influence.

Like the other traits, it isn’t enough for a leader to be competent. They must demonstrate
competency in a way that people notice. This can be a delicate balance. There is a danger
of drawing too much attention to yourself in a way that makes the leader seem arrogant.
Another potential danger is that of minimizing others contributions and appearing to take
credit for the work of others.

As a leader, one of the safest ways to “toot you own horn without blowing it”, is to
celebrate and bring attention to team achievements. In this way you indirectly point out
your competency as a leader. For example: “Last year I set a goal of reaching $12 million
in sales and, thanks to everyone’s hard word, as of today, we have reached $13.5
million.”

Inspiration as a Leadership Trait

People want to be inspired. In fact, there is a whole class of people who will follow an
inspiring leader–even when the leader has no other qualities. If you have developed the
other traits in this article, being inspiring is usually just a matter of communicating
clearly and with passion. Being inspiring means telling people how your organization is
going to change the world.

A great example of inspiration is when Steve Jobs stole the CEO from Pepsi by asking
him, “Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to change
the world?” Being inspiring means showing people the big picture and helping them see
beyond a narrow focus and understand how their part fits into the big picture.

One technique to develop your ability to inspire is telling stories. Stories can be examples
from your customers, fictitious examples from your customers, or even historical fables
and myths. Stories can help you vividly illustrate what you are trying to communicate.
Stories that communicate on an emotional level help communicate deeper than words and
leave an imprint much stronger than anything you can achieve through a simple stating of
the facts.

Learning to be inspiring is not easy–particularly for individuals lacking in charisma. It


can be learned. Take note of people who inspire you and analyze the way they
communicate. Look for ways to passionately express your vision. While there will always
be room for improvement, a small investment in effort and awareness will give you a
significant improvement in this leadership trait.

Intelligence as a Leadership Trait

Intelligence is something that can be difficult to develop. The road toward becoming
more intelligent is difficult, long and can’t be completed without investing considerable
time. Developing intelligence is a lifestyle choice. Your college graduation was the
beginning of your education, not the end. In fact, much of what is taught in college
functions merely as a foundational language for lifelong educational experiences.

To develop intelligence you need to commit to continual learning–both formally and


informally. With modern advances in distance, education it is easy to take a class or two
each year from well respected professors in the evening at your computer.

Informally, you can develop a great deal of intelligence in any field simply by investing a
reasonable amount of time to reading on a daily basis. The fact is that most people won’t
make a regular investment in their education. Spending 30 minutes of focused reading
every day will give you 182 hours of study time each year.

For the most part, people will notice if you are intelligent by observing your behavior and
attitude. Trying to display your intelligence is likely to be counterproductive. One of the
greatest signs of someone who is truly intelligent is humility. The greater your education,
the greater your understanding of how little we really understand.

You can demonstrate your intelligence by gently leading people toward understanding–
even when you know the answer. Your focus needs to be on helping others learn–not
demonstrating how smart you are. Arrogance will put you in a position where people are
secretly hopeful that you’ll make a mistake and appear foolish.

As unintuitive as it may seem, one of the best ways to exhibit intelligence is by asking
questions. Learning from the people you lead by asking intelligent thoughtful questions
will do more to enhance your intelligence credibility than just about anything. Of course
this means you need to be capable of asking intelligent questions.

Everyone considers themselves intelligent. If you ask them to explain parts of their area
of expertise and spend the time to really understand (as demonstrated by asking
questions), their opinion of your intelligence will go up. After all, you now know more
about what makes them so intelligent, so you must be smart as well. Your ability to
demonstrate respect for the intellect of others will probably do more to influence the
perception of your intellect than your actual intelligence.

There are three main things that make a good leader. The first is that a leader must
practice what he preaches. The second is that he has to look after and protect those
around him. The third is that he must be able to develop other good leaders. I will go into
more detail about how to implement all three of these characteristics, so that you too can
become a good leader.
A good leader is excellent at practicing what he preaches. I love the quote that states,
"Your actions speak so loud that I can't hear what you are saying." The greatest leader of
all time was Jesus Christ and he was the best at practicing what he preached. This goes
back to the old proverb that says, "Live by the sword, die by the sword." This is the same
with leadership and how much a leader abides by what he says. As a good leader, how
can you expect people do what you say, when you don't even do what you say?

A good leader looks after those he wants to lead. He does this by always doing what he
can to protect them from harm, criticism, or blame from other people. People want
security, that's why they buy SUVs, put money in their 401k, and stay at the same dead
end job for years. It's integrated into our nervous system that we want to feel secure.
When you have a team of people that you are leading, it can be very powerful when they
know that you are on their side, and that you will do whatever you can to make sure that
you protect them from harm of other outside forces. A big part of being a good leader is
knowing how to take the blame when things go wrong, and how to give away credit when
things go well. A good leader knows that when things go bad or wrong, it's his
responsibility to take the blame, even if it was not his fault. And when things go well, a
good leader knows that it's his responsibility to make sure that he gives the credit to the
deserving person who did the great work. Hence, making that person look very good.

A good leader develops other good leaders. This can only be attained once a person has
first become a good leader. How can you expect to develop other good leaders, if you are
not one first? Most of this just boils down to taking the time to spend time with the
leaders that you want to develop and cultivate. By being a good mentor, you can teach
and coach them through their trials and tribulations as a young and developing leader.
Sometimes just being there to help them get back up after they have fallen is all you have
to do. One of the best ways that you can invest time, is by investing it in the relationships
of others around you.
The making of a good leader is extremely broad, so I hope that I've narrowed it down into
three simple strategies for you. If you practice what you preach, look after the others
around you, and invest time to develop other good leaders, I believe that you will be well
on your way to making yourself a good leader.

Leadership Quotations
"Great minds have purposes;
others have wishes."
- Washington Irving

Leadership Quotes:
Leadership Quotes - Quotes on Leadership - Leadership Quotations

Following are leadership quotes that will give you greater insight into
qualities that leaders have. Leaders can be counted on to keep their
commitment . . .to do their job in a dependable way. They treat their job
as a sacred trust and they know how to motivate others to greater and greater
accomplishment.

Sign up now for our Free Quarterly Quote E-zine

A good manager is a man who isn't worried about his own


career but rather the careers of those who work for him.
- Henry S. Burns
___________________________________________________________________________

Celebrate the success of others. Bring people up - not down!

___________________________________________________________________________

Accept the challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory.
- George S. Patton
___________________________________________________________________________

The difference between the impossible and possible lies in a


person's determination.

___________________________________________________________________________

The brave person confronts fear and moves toward it.


It then gets smaller.

___________________________________________________________________________

Leaders instill in their people a hope for success and a belief in


themselves. Positive leaders empower people to accomplish
their goals.

___________________________________________________________________________
If you do not look at things on a large scale, it will be difficult to
master strategy.
- Miyamoto Mursashi
___________________________________________________________________________

Nothing limits achievement like small thinking. Nothing equals


possibilities like unleashed thinking.
- William Arthur Ward
___________________________________________________________________________

What if you have failed in the past? So, at one time did every man
we recognize as a towering success. They called it "temporary
defeat."
- Napoleon Hill
___________________________________________________________________________

It's hard to beat a person who never gives up.


- Babe Ruth
___________________________________________________________________________

Strong-minded, resolutely-willed, you can create out of nothing a


great business, a huge empire, a New World! Others have - and
they have no monopoly.
- Charles Bristol
___________________________________________________________________________

To be able to lead others, a man must be willing to go forward alone.


- Harry Truman
___________________________________________________________________________

Every person who wins in any undertaking must be willing to cut all
sources of retreat. Only by doing so can one be sure of maintaining
that state of mind known as a burning desire to win which is one
of the essentials to success.
- Napoleon Hill
___________________________________________________________________________

Leaders don't wait. They shape their own frontiers. The bigger the
challenge, the greater the opportunity.

___________________________________________________________________________

What makes leadership is the ability to get people to do what they


don't want to do and like it.
- Harry Truman
___________________________________________________________________________
If I have the belief that I can do it, I will surely acquire the capacity
to do it, even if I may not have it at the beginning
- Mahatma Gandhi
__________________________________________________________________________

Fear stops you in your tracks. Self confidence propels you forward.

__________________________________________________________________________

All who have accomplished great things have had a great aim,
have fixed their gaze on a goal which was high, one which
sometimes seemed impossible.
- Orison Swett Marden
__________________________________________________________________________

The ability to summon positive emotions during periods of intense


stress lies at the heart of effective leadership.
- Jim Loehr
__________________________________________________________________________

Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts
of men.
- Goethe
__________________________________________________________________________

You can't win any game unless you're committed to winning.

__________________________________________________________________________

The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their


commitment to excellence regardless of their chosen endeavor.
- Vince Lombardi
_________________________________________________________________________

With the power of conviction, there is no sacrifice.


- Jim Rohn
_________________________________________________________________________

The word impossible is not in my dictionary.


- Napoleon Bonaparte
_________________________________________________________________________

The goal of an effective leader is to recondition your team to be


solution focused rather than problem focused.
- Jim Rohn
_________________________________________________________________________

Big thinkers are specialists in creating positive, forward-looking,


optimistic pictures in their own minds and in the minds of others.
- David J. Schwartz
_________________________________________________________________________

Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they
will surprise you with their ingenuity.
- General George S. Patton
_________________________________________________________________________

Life's biggest challenge is deciding what's important - then


disregarding the rest.

_________________________________________________________________________

Leadership Quotes:
We should seize every opportunity to give encouragement.
Encouragement is oxygen to the soul.

_________________________________________________________________________

The will to win is worthless if you do not have the will to prepare.
- Thane Yost
________________________________________________________________________

Believe in yourself and act on your convictions.


________________________________________________________________________

Success is to be measured not so much by the position that


one has reached in life as by the obstacles which have been
overcome while trying to succeed.
- Booker T. Washington
________________________________________________________________________

Everyone faces challenges and problems. Success lies in dealing


with them promptly and thoroughly.

________________________________________________________________________

We will either find a way or make one.


- Hannibal
________________________________________________________________________

Earn your success based on service to others, not at the expense


of others.
- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
________________________________________________________________________
Knowing that we can make a difference in this world is a great
motivator. How can we know this and not be involved?
- Susan Jeffers
________________________________________________________________________

Leadership is not a one-day thing. It is a constant commitment


to excellence, a habit . . . a daily practice.

________________________________________________________________________

Leaders make decisions that create the future they desire.


- Mike Murdock
________________________________________________________________________

Challenge yourself all the days of your life.

________________________________________________________________________

Plunge boldly into the thicket of life!

________________________________________________________________________

Half-heartedness never won a battle.


- William McKinley
________________________________________________________________________

Quotes on Leadership:
We are not interested in the possibilities of defeat.
- Queen Victoria
_______________________________________________________________________

Never . . . Never . . . Never . . . Never Give up!


- Winston Churchill
________________________________________________________________________

Motivation that will inspire you to become better, do better and


achieve more than you ever thought possible. Sign up today for
our free quotation e-zine.

________________________________________________________________________

If you want to get the best out of someone - you must look for the
best that is in them.

________________________________________________________________________
I dream of men who take the next step instead of worrying about
the next thousand steps.
- Theodore Roosevelt
________________________________________________________________________

The guy who takes a chance . . . who walks the line between the
known and unknown . . . who is unafraid of failure, will succeed.
- Gordon Parks
________________________________________________________________________

Leadership is the ability to get extraordinary achievement from


ordinary people.
- Brian Tracy
________________________________________________________________________

Nothing would be done at all if we waited until we could do it so


well that no one could find fault with it.
- John Henry
________________________________________________________________________

Move. Go forward or backward, whatever it takes. Just move!

________________________________________________________________________

You will always miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take.

________________________________________________________________________

Exceed expectations!

________________________________________________________________________

The amount of people that fails is directly proportionate to the


amount of people that give up.
- Joseph McClendon III
________________________________________________________________________

Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must


first be overcome.
- Samuel Johnson
________________________________________________________________________

Leadership Quotations:
I glory in conflict that I may hereafter exult in victory.
- Frederick Douglas
_________________________________________________________________________
Difficulties mastered are opportunities won.
- Winston Churchill
_________________________________________________________________________

A ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.
- William Shedo
_________________________________________________________________________

Leaders are not born. They are made. They are made just like
anything else. . . through hard work. That's the price we
have to pay to achieve that goal or any goal.
- Vince Lombardi
_________________________________________________________________________

People who let events and circumstances dictate their lives


are living reactively. That means that they don't act on life,
they only react to it.
- Stedman Graham
_________________________________________________________________________

As a leader you should always start with where people are


before you try to take them to where you want them to go.
- Jim Rohn
_________________________________________________________________________

Boldness, more boldness, and always boldness!


- George Jacques Danton
_________________________________________________________________________

The challenge may not be easy, but it is possible.

_________________________________________________________________________

Leadership: The art of getting someone else to do something you


want done because he wants to do it.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
_________________________________________________________________________

We only learn our limits by going beyond them. I propose that we all
commit ourselves to the process of Constant and Never-ending
Improvement - or CANI.

In order to be happy, human beings must feel they are continuing to


grow. Clearly, we must adopt the concept of continuous improve-
ment as a daily principle.
- Tony Robbins
_________________________________________________________________________
Don't let anything stop you. There will be times when you'll be
disappointed, but you can't stop. Make yourself the very best
that you can make of what you are. The very best.
- Sadie T. Alexander
_________________________________________________________________________

Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision,


passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.
- John Welch

Leaders accomplish great things and inspire others to grow in responsibility


and skills. The above quotes emphasize the importance of perseverance, service,
and reliability. Leaders give their best in whatever job they're doing. Any of us
can take on leadership roles and qualities just by doing our jobs in a dependable
way and encouraging others to share in and help us in attaining a worthwhile vision.
We hope these leadership quotes have given you some important insights.

One person with a belief is equal to 99 who have only interests.

Action without planning is the cause of all failure. Action with planning is
the cause of all success.

U.S. Army 23 Traits of Character


o Bearing

o Confidence

o Courage

o Integrity

o Decisiveness

o Justice

o Endurance

o Tact

o Initiative
o Coolness

o Maturity

o Improvement

o Will

o Assertiveness

o Candor

o Sense of humor

o Competence

o Commitment

o Creativity

o Self-discipline

o Humility

o Flexibility

o Empathy/Compassion

Success Quotations

"You can do anything if you have


enthusiasm."
- Henry Ford

Success Quotes:
Success Quotes - Quotes on Success - Success Quotations

The great secret of success is self-discipline - getting yourself to do what


you really need to do - choosing to do what you feel is right and will bring the
results you want into your life - long term. It is bringing order and efficiency
into your life-. . . creating structure in your life and doing this enthusiastically!
Success comes from taking charge of yourself and feeling proud of yourself
when you do. The following success quotes will help expand your idea of success.

Sign up now for our Free Quarterly Quote E-zine!

It's easy to have faith in yourself when you're a winner, when


you're number one. What you've got to have is faith in
yourself when you're not a winner.
- Vince Lombardi
________________________________________________________________________

Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out
they've got a second. Give your dreams all you've got and
you'll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you.
- William James
________________________________________________________________________

The height of your accomplishments will equal the depth of your


convictions.
- William F. Scholavino
________________________________________________________________________

We are continually faced by great opportunities brilliantly disguised


as insoluble problems.
________________________________________________________________________

We cannot discover new oceans unless we have the courage to


lose sight of the shore.
________________________________________________________________________

Success is always to be found on the other side of fear.


________________________________________________________________________

The secret to productive goal setting is establishing clearly defined


goals, writing them down and then focusing on them several
times a day with words and emotions as if we've already
achieved them.
- Denis Waitley
________________________________________________________________________
LIfe's greatest accomplishments are those that at first seem
impossible.
________________________________________________________________________

I never worked a day in my life. It was all fun!


- Thomas Edison
________________________________________________________________________

You must have long term goals to keep you from being frustrated
short term failures.
- Charles C. Noble
________________________________________________________________________

One step at a time is enough for me. Impatience is simply a way


of beating yourself up.
- Susan Jeffers
________________________________________________________________________

Never be afraid to try something new!

________________________________________________________________________

One person with a belief is equal to 99 who have only interests.


- John Stuart Mill
________________________________________________________________________

Begin difficult things while they are easy. Do great things while
they are small. The difficult things of the world must once have
been easy. The great things must once have been small.

A thousand mile journey begins with one step. Start today.


________________________________________________________________________

Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground.
- Theodore Roosevelt
________________________________________________________________________

The worst bankrupt in the world is the man who has lost his
enthusiasm. Let a man lose everything else in the world but
his enthusiasm and he will come through again to success.
- H. W. Arnold
________________________________________________________________________

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

________________________________________________________________________
Constant effort and frequent mistakes are the stepping stones
to genius.
- Elbert Hubbard
________________________________________________________________________

Without goals and plans to reach them, you are like a ship
that has set sail with no destination.
- F. Dodson
________________________________________________________________________

Action without planning is the cause of all failure. Action with


planning is the cause of all success.
- Brian Tracy

________________________________________________________________________

Success Secrets

Brian Tracy's audio series on success is incredible. He presents a


master plan to follow to help you realize your full potential. Click
on the link below to find out more information.
The Psychology of Success

________________________________________________________________________

Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange
for it. Establish your priorities and go to work.
- H. L. Hunt
________________________________________________________________________

The secret of success is constancy to purpose.


- Benjamin Disraeli
________________________________________________________________________

It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by


helping others to succeed.
- Napoleon Hill
________________________________________________________________________

A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at


night and in between does what he wants to do.
- Bob Dylan
________________________________________________________________________

It is more important to know where you are going than to get there
quickly.
- Mabel Newcomber
________________________________________________________________________
I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty
to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.
- Helen Keller
________________________________________________________________________

Your incredible brain can take you from rags to riches, from
loneliness to popularity, and from depression to happiness
and joy - if you use it properly.
- Brian Tracy
________________________________________________________________________

How to Write Profit-Pulling E-Books


in 14 Days - Steve Manning!

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________________________________________________________________________

Climb the stairway to the stars one step at a time.

________________________________________________________________________

When we set a goal, let's try to enjoy every moment of the trip
along the way.

________________________________________________________________________

I couldn't wait for success, so I went ahead without it.


- Jonathon Winters

________________________________________________________________________

The ability to discipline yourself to delay gratification in the


short term in order to enjoy greater rewards in the long
term is the indispensable pre-requisite for success.
- Brian Tracy
________________________________________________________________________

You may be whatever you resolve to be - determine to be


something in the world and you will be something.
" I cannot," never accomplished anything. "I will try"
has worked wonders.
- J. Hawes
________________________________________________________________________
The winners in life think constantly in terms of "I can, I will,
I am". Losers, on the other hand, concentrate their waking
thoughts on what they should have done or on what they
don't do.
- Denis Waitley
________________________________________________________________________

We must stop assuming that a thing which has never been


done before probably cannot be done at all.
- Donald M. Nelson
________________________________________________________________________

You're not a failure if you don't make it. You're a success


because you tried.
- Susan Jeffers
________________________________________________________________________

Self discipline is the key to everything. I believe it down to my core.

________________________________________________________________________

Keep true to the dreams of your youth.

________________________________________________________________________

There is only one success - to be able to live your life in your


own way and not to give others absurd, maddening claims
upon it.
- Christopher Morley
________________________________________________________________________

There are acres of diamonds in the problem you have before


you right now.
- Brian Tracy
________________________________________________________________________

Break down an impossible task to manageable size.

________________________________________________________________________

Be grateful for your problems, for they stimulate an "I-can-solve-it"


attitude.
- Mark Victor Hansen
________________________________________________________________________

Find a job you love and you'll add 5 days to every week.
- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
________________________________________________________________________

Welcome the challenges. Look for the opportunities in every


situation to learn and grow in wisdom.
-Brian Tracy
________________________________________________________________________

Success in any endeavor depends on the depths to which it is


it is an expression of your true self.

________________________________________________________________________

There are no such things as problems - only temporary situations


without a solution.

________________________________________________________________________

We are not going to succeed in everything we attempt in life.


That's a guarantee. In fact, the more we do in life, the more
chance there is not to succeed in some things. But what
a rich life we are having! Win or lose, we just keep winning.
- Susan Jeffers
________________________________________________________________________

Almost all really new ideas have a certain aspect of foolishness


when they are first produced.
- Alfred N. Whitehead
_________________________________________________________________________

Our most profitable lessons are learned from failure, not success.
- Frank Davidson

_________________________________________________________________________

Each person's work is always a portrait of himself.


- Samuel Johnson
_________________________________________________________________________

Believe that problems do have answers, that they can be overcome,


and that you can solve them.
- Norman Vincent Peale
_________________________________________________________________________

Act the way you'd like to be and soon you'll be the way you act.
- Dr. George Crane
_________________________________________________________________________

Man's quest is always for sufficient self-confidence to be himself.


_________________________________________________________________________

Getting things accomplished isn't nearly as important as taking


time for love.
- Janette Oke
_________________________________________________________________________

Quotes on Success:
Shift your problems to challenges. When you have problems, you
worry about them. When you have challenges - you are working,
applying, and attacking your plan to get results. This shift in
thinking from problems to challenges is important in making
tension an asset.

_________________________________________________________________________

All progress is made by people dissatisfied with the way things are.

_________________________________________________________________________

The site "Tips on Goal Setting" presents a collection of very helpful


articles on choosing the right goals to focus on, setting realistic goals and
achieving those goals effectively and pleasurably.

http://www.tipsongoalsetting.com

_________________________________________________________________________

Everything big starts little.

_________________________________________________________________________

The tendency to follow the path of least resistance guarantees


failure in life.
- Brian Tracy
_________________________________________________________________________

If you really want to do something, you'll find a way. If you don't,


you'll find an excuse.
- Jim Rohn
_________________________________________________________________________

Motivation that will inspire you to become better, do better


and achieve more than you ever thought possible.
Sign up today for our free weekly quotation e-zine.

__________________________________________________________________________
The most important single ingredient in the formula of success
is knowing how to get along with people.
- Theodore Roosevelt
__________________________________________________________________________

The person who says "It can't be done" is liable to be interrupted


by someone doing it.

__________________________________________________________________________

Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, which


we must fervently believe in, and upon which we must vigorously
act. There is no other route to success.
- Stephen A. Brennan
__________________________________________________________________________

Success Quotations:
No one can knows what he can do until he tries.

__________________________________________________________________________

There are times when we have to work quickly - but never in a


hurry - hurry indicates fear.

__________________________________________________________________________

Instead of fighting your problems, picture your way out of them.


- Vernon Howard
__________________________________________________________________________

I am happiest when I am accomplishing something - something


worthwhile.

__________________________________________________________________________

There is no such thing as failure - there is only success or


quitting. I'm not a quitter.

__________________________________________________________________________

Fear is an illusion. If you use that energy for self confidence -


you will be amazed at the results.

__________________________________________________________________________
The truly creative individual stands ready to abandon old habits
and to acknowledge that life, particularly his own unique life,
is rich with possibilities.
- Frank Baron
__________________________________________________________________________

Patience and fortitude conquer all things.


- Emerson
__________________________________________________________________________

No one has success, until he has the abounding life. This is


made up of the many-fold qualities of energy, enthusiasm,
and gladness.
- L. Whitney
__________________________________________________________________________

Order is heaven's first law - the 1st step toward efficiency and
peace of mind.

__________________________________________________________________________

Make your best guess. Take the step beyond. Stand an idea
on its head. Work on one problem, but expect to discover
something else. This sums up my strategy as a scientist.
- Melvin Clan
__________________________________________________________________________

Success in life consists of going from one mistake to the next


without losing your enthusiasm.
- Winston Churchill
__________________________________________________________________________

If you really want something, you can figure out how to make it
happen.

__________________________________________________________________________

Assume that whatever situation you are facing at the moment is


exactly the right situation you need to ultimately be successful.
This situation has been sent to help you become better, to
help you expand and grow.
- Brian Tracy
__________________________________________________________________________

Success is getting things done efficiently - getting the results you want and
being at peace with yourself and others at the same time. Using your time well
and getting things done with a clear plan is crucial to a sense of well being as
well as being successful in your life and work. Enthusiasm for your work and
discipline to do it is inseparable for great success in your life. We hope you
enjoyed the success quotes.

Success Quotes - Quotes on Success - Success Quotations

________________________________________________________________________

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"Above all Life should be fun!"


"Take time for some Fun in Your Life Today!"

Goodness is the only investment that never fails.


- Henry David Thoreau

Leaders are the ones who keep faith with the


past, keep step with the present, and keep the
promise to posterity.

The difference between a boss and a leader: a boss


says, 'Go!' -a leader says, 'Let's go!'.

Traits of a Good Leader

Compiled by the Santa Clara University and the Tom Peters Group:

o Honest — Display sincerity, integrity, and candor in all your actions. Deceptive behavior

will not inspire trust.


o Competent — Base your actions on reason and moral principles. Do not make decisions

based on childlike emotional desires or feelings.


o Forward-looking — Set goals and have a vision of the future. The vision must be

owned throughout the organization. Effective leaders envision what they want and how to
get it. They habitually pick priorities stemming from their basic values.
o Inspiring — Display confidence in all that you do. By showing endurance in mental,

physical, and spiritual stamina, you will inspire others to reach for new heights. Take charge
when necessary.
o Intelligent — Read, study, and seek challenging assignments.

o Fair-minded — Show fair treatment to all people. Prejudice is the enemy of justice.

Display empathy by being sensitive to the feelings, values, interests, and well-being of
others.
o Broad-minded — Seek out diversity.

o Courageous — Have the perseverance to accomplish a goal, regardless of the

seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Display a confident calmness when under stress.


o Straightforward — Use sound judgment to make a good decisions at the right time.

o Imaginative — Make timely and appropriate changes in your thinking, plans, and

methods. Show creativity by thinking of new and better goals, ideas, and solutions to
problems. Be innovative!

There is a saying that great leaders are made not born. This should give you hope that once you
understand the characteristics of a great leader you can become one yourself. Here are a few things
that every great leader does or possesses within themselves to inspire people around them.

1. Leaders are always improving. They understand that things are changing around them and for
them to be great leader they must be changing too!

2. Great leaders inspire people around them to become better. People want to do their best because
of their leadership.

3. Leaders know how to concentrate on people's strengths and not their weaknesses. Everyone has
things that they are good at and leaders know how to bring this out in a person.

4. Leaders are pro active and not reactive. They understand the importance of leading their people
and not waiting for somebody else to get started.

5. Leaders treat people with respect and importance. They know that to get a person to do
something they need to want to do it. Treating people with respect and importance is a technique
that works for this.

6. Great leaders are self-motivated. They understand there will be ups and downs in their life and in
their business, but they stay positive and do not let outside influences affect their attitudes.

7. Leaders are well spoken. They know how to say the right thing at the right time.

8. Leaders are always prepared. They don't leave things to chance but rather they control situations
through preparation.

9. Great leaders do not have big egos. They care about others as opposed to being a self centered
individual.
10. Great leaders are great mentors. They know how to pass on the knowledge that they
themselves have personally already attained.

11. Leaders are people who write down goals and strive to achieve them. They understand the
importance of goal setting and the example that they are teaching by doing this.

12. Great leaders are ambitious hard workers. They never expect more out of the people around
them then they are willing to give themselves. This type of attitude is contagious and leads to
everybody working harder.

In summary this is 12 characteristics of a great leader. If you strive hard to do these 12 things you
yourself can become a great leader as well. By constantly working harder to do a better job of
leading those around you will become more successful in your own life and business.

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/self-improvement-articles/12-characteristics-of-a-great-


leader-1015286.html#ixzz0vAQWXvQ9
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

1. A leader should be Commendable and Exemplary. A good leader should be


trustworthy so that people can follow him. He/she should live his life with honesty
and integrity. He/she should live a life such that nobody can question his
character.

2. A good leader is always enthusiastic about the cause of the people. He/she
must have the capability to see what is good or bad for the people in the long
run. He/she approaches a problem in a holistic manner and never believes
himself/herself different from his people and subject.

3. A leader believes in discipline. He/she follows an orderly manner and routine


but still he/she is tolerant. He/she takes decision keeping emotions and personal
matters aside.

4. A leader has excellent logical and analytical skills. He/she looks each and
every aspects of the situation before arriving to any decision and never loses
his/her temper in difficult situations. He/she should think positively in each and
every situation.

5. A leader should always focus towards his goals, what he/she has envisioned
for and promised to his people. He/she should take each and every decision
keeping in mind the people and his subject.

6. A great leader is proactive and committed to excellence. He always maintains


high standard and acts as an idol for his/her followers. His/her personal and
public life both are remarkable and stain free.

7. A leader inspires his team to achieve target and lead them to success. He/she
brings best out of them in the time of crisis also.

8. A good leader is the one who can give people voice and direction.

9. A leader should be tolerant of uncertainty and should always remain tranquil,


composed and persistent to his/her goals.

10. A good leader always keeps a cool head in times of crises and finds solutions
to get everybody out of any difficult situation.

One person with a belief is equal to 99 who have only interests.


- John Stuart Mill

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