Leader- this is a person who is moving towards his goal, and is able to lead other people along with him. A leader is not born, but made, and you can become one. To do this, you should know what qualities of a leader distinguish him from the rest.

Leader Qualities

1. Having a goal and a vision of the result

The goal is driving force leader, this is the meaning of his existence.

She is his God, a beacon in the impenetrable night, and nothing excites the leader more than achieving the goal.

What the leader does is also important. But the way to achieve the goal, the business that the leader is busy with, does not concern him as much as the vision of the final result.

There are two fundamental attitudes in the head of a leader: for what and with whom.

Leaders know where they are going and how they are going to get there.

2. Self-motivation

25. Maturity

Contrary to popular belief, age is not a measure of maturity.

Young leaders are able to act like seasoned professionals, and many older people can act like teenagers.

Maturity is based on actions that correspond to the behavior of a mature person, which is especially evident in difficult situations.

In addition, your self-confidence and your ability to move forward without excuses are among the most important indicators of maturity.

26. An example for others

Actions mean more than words. People will definitely notice if you are selfless and make every effort to grow your business.

But if you're lazy and don't care how things are, your team will follow suit.

Great leaders always lead by example.

27. Ability to build relationships

It's all about who you know. Leaders need not be reminded that there is much truth in this statement.

You need to understand the value of building long-term relationships in your industry with other people and bet on mutually beneficial partnerships.

Building a collaborative network of valuable people is critical to your long-term success.

28. Social skills

Most often, the leader is charismatic, sociable, friendly and open.

He speaks to people in a calm, respectful and attractive manner.

Just as employees want to work with people they like, so too do customers prefer to shop with people they like.

Therefore, you need to become one of those people if you want to.

29. Public communication skill

Leaders should not have any problem with public speaking.

Situations in which public communication occurs can range from simply speaking at a meeting to pitching a new idea to an audience full of people.

Communication skill not only allows you to effectively convey information to the audience, but also increases your authority as a leader.

30. Honesty and openness

Every year the world becomes more transparent, and there are fewer secrets in it, which is why honesty is the best policy.

People respect those who are able to honestly share information with others and respond calmly to good and bad news.

This is the only way to act according to the situation and timely adjust the plan for moving forward.

31. Ability to listen

To give your team members feedback, support, and attention, you need to make every effort to listen when they share information.

Leaders listen first and then speak.

Listening is more than silence, because you also need to ask the right questions.

32. Devotion

Leaders stay true to their values ​​and relentlessly move towards their goals, despite external pressures that try to change them or make them conform to the usual framework.

Every success story you've heard probably has a downside: long hours of hard work and many failed attempts.

But a leader cannot be stopped just like that, because he has the loyalty to his word, dedication to the cause and long-term focus on his goal.

33. Empathy and compassion

While focusing on your goals, you should also pay attention to the needs and feelings of others.

Goals are achieved not at the expense of other people, but with their help.

After all, the law of the market is: Identify a need and fill it. Everything you do, you do for the end user.

You need to know not only the degree of your influence on people, but also what you need to do to show understanding and empathy towards others.

34. Ability to stand up to others

Most people try to avoid confrontation for fear of controversial issues. But leaders know how to offer an honest and mutually beneficial way to solve a problem.

Problem solving on initial stage its occurrence will save a lot of time, not to mention a headache, compared to a situation where it remains unresolved.

35. Delegation of rights and obligations

As a leader, you should help other people by empowering them to make the right decisions.

Delegation is not just about giving your team the freedom to do own choice but also in providing all the necessary tools to decision was efficient and productive.

36. Negotiation skills

Leaders know how to get what they want and can be very persuasive about it.

To achieve the desired result, they satisfy the needs of others by building trusting relationships.

In settling disputes on major deals, leaders are practical, fair, and firm in the negotiation process.

37. Clarity

Leaders are able to communicate their thoughts clearly in a way that can be easily understood, after which they are convinced that there are no misunderstandings.

This ensures that projects and tasks that are delegated to other people will be completed without errors.

38. Ability to teach others

Leaders must share the methodology and processes that form the basis of their projects with their team members.

If your managers are not well trained, your employees will be just as low, which will negatively affect the bottom line.

The best way to understand something new is to teach it to others.

39. Interest in feedback

Leaders not only have the quality to impart knowledge, but they themselves value learning and have a willingness to ask for advice.

They are open to feedback and are able to take criticism positively so they can use it to make necessary adjustments that can benefit their path to success.

40. Trust in your team

This quality of leadership can be questioned, but the credibility of your team depends largely on the people you hire, their propensity to learn, and the work you delegate to them.

It's important for you to trust your team to get the results you want without having to manage every element of your projects.

41. Ability to inspire

It's hard to love all the parts of your job, no matter what you do.

But leaders inspire their team members by letting them know that their work has a huge impact on everything around them, because their work is a way to touch something great.

What do you even understand… Nike is not a sneaker, but a triumph of athletics. Apple does not create electronic devices, but changes the world.

The leader is able to direct others to do what he needs because other people want to do it.

42. Turning Goal into Reality

Not only do leaders have their own goals and their own vision. They have the ability to turn goals into a working strategy that will be adopted by others and eventually implemented.

43. Take the best from others

By understanding what people really want, you can help them perform better by giving them the proper incentives to do their job, and not just by providing material benefits.

To get the best from others, a leader must understand their own motives as well as that of their team, and be positive, generous, and open-minded.

It is important for you to find out what your environment wants for themselves: fame, money, recognition? Develop by developing your people.

As Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote: “If you want to build a ship, don’t encourage people to gather wood, divide labor and give orders, instead, first teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.”

44. Reward

A person tends to expect recognition from the people they stick to, so it's important to reward your team members for their contributions, especially when their results stand out from the rest.

Monetary rewards are always appropriate, but a well-thought-out system of various titles and qualifications, and the presentation of personal awards can be no less effective.

45. Ability to act according to circumstances

One of the qualities of a leader is the ability to carefully and quickly evaluate a situation or a person.

Being decisive does not mean making a quick decision, it means making the right decisions at the right time.

In doing so, don't let your determination alienate team members from the process.

46. ​​Conduct effective meetings

Unfortunately, most meetings are never as productive as they are supposed to be.

If you are an entrepreneur, you usually have to interact with people you like, which can be distracting from your workflow.

Effective leadership is the most efficient use of the time allotted for a meeting.

Start with an agenda, eliminate distractions, set start and end times for the meeting.

Encourage everyone to take an active part in the discussion, remind them of the importance of taking notes, and track the effectiveness of the meeting after it ends.

47. Respect for others

When you show respect for other people, it's much easier to build trusting, mutually beneficial relationships.

You must keep your promises, stop gossiping, believe in the ideas of your team members, stand up for them when necessary, and thus truly care for the general well-being.

48. Coaching key people

You should definitely build on the success of your key team members and help them grow within your organization.

In order for you to successfully lead all more people, promote the most significant employees, which will undoubtedly be facilitated by various seminars and trainings.

49. Justice

The ability to fairly assess people and events is important, since this quality allows you to adequately assess the situation and be attractive to the environment.

Without taking fairness into account, you will notice how the project will slow down, and the churn of your team members will exceed the number of new people.

Leaders who are honest and fair to their environment receive loyalty and respect in return.

50. Swiftness

Competitors do not rest on their laurels. There is always someone who will breathe down your back.

Leaders understand that in most cases it is about being the first in some area, so they value perseverance and speed of action.

51. Decisiveness

Decisiveness involves having a confident and effective mindset that promotes acceptance quick decisions and taking swift action.

To make the best decisions, evaluate each option carefully and carefully, and don't let indecision paralyze you.

52. Leaders are not afraid to make mistakes.

Often one of the greatest opportunities in life is hidden behind defeat.

In terms of learning, failure is far more rewarding than success. In fact, failure is another step towards success.

Leaders understand that they must operate in an environment of uncertainty and risk, which are an integral part of any business.

Michael Jordan said: “I missed over nine thousand shots in my career. Lost in 300 matches. Twenty-six times I've been trusted with the decisive shot and missed. I failed again and again. That is why I have been successful.”

53. Flexibility

The business world is rapidly changing, and pauses in change are not expected.

An important quality of a leader is the ability to recognize these changes and make appropriate adjustments in the direction of the business and the management of the organization.

It is surprising how many businessmen and managers refuse to make changes to their projects when there is an obvious need for it. The effect of “established mentality” is triggered.

Top managers who refuse to learn and adapt to new conditions will eventually be left behind.

To be an effective leader, your mind must be open to everything new.

54. Perseverance

Leaders know firsthand about the difficulties on the path to success, because they had to face adversity and problems face to face.

If the situation becomes difficult, leaders move towards their goal with special strength and determination.

When most people give up and get left behind, leaders step forward through adversity.

Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "A man's ultimate measure is not where he is in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he is in times of challenge and controversy."

55. Resourceful

Thanks to this quality, leaders can find a creative solution to a problem.

Being resourceful, you evaluate the resources at your disposal, adapt, take a new approach, sometimes break the rules, and are never afraid to ask if you are missing something.

56. Making good decisions

When you make the right decisions, you build trust on the part of your team, allowing you to make future choices faster.

Making the right decisions involves analyzing possible alternatives and carefully examining each option.

Once you've made a decision, make a plan and be sure to learn from your own and others' mistakes.

57. Strategic thinking

To think two steps ahead, you need to engage strategic thinking using analysis. options, your experience and previous decisions.

When you are looking to take long-term action, you need to plan ahead and then start the process while also assessing the situation as a whole.

The leader knows how to influence events, and also creates them himself, instead of waiting for some event to happen.

58. Managing Uncertainty

After making any mistake, you usually have two options: to refuse to proceed or to find a better way.

Leaders know when it's time to push and when to quit. They establish control over uncertainty by making thoughtful decisions.

59. Organization

You'd better not go out to sea with your ship unless you know where the sail is. Similarly, you will not be able to manage your business if you are not organized.

Leaders know how to keep their affairs in order, because this is the only way to be truly effective.

60. Creativity

Contrary to popular belief, creativity is not an innate quality of a leader. This skill can be developed.

Absorb new knowledge and acquire new abilities, be open and constantly ask new questions.

Often the basis for creativity is not the creation of something fundamentally new, but the combination of already known elements in a unique way.

61. Intuition

If a logical thinking akin to mathematics, then intuition is rather an art.

Leaders often listen to their intuition.

In some situations, it can be difficult not to use logic, but the risk and uncertainty in business sometimes make it mandatory to use intuition.

Stop blindly believing everyone around you and learn to trust yourself.

62. Gaining new experience

To be ready for the unexpected, leaders actively build experiences that enable them to learn and grow.

Set more ambitious goals, challenge yourself to become better, while enjoying new experiences.

63. Reading and education

Read everything related to your industry.

Leaders know that education does not end with graduation.

To stay on trend, you need to be aware of both time-tested and new information.

64. Interest

Leaders often have an insatiable desire to learn, to push themselves beyond their own limits, and to explore what other people have not touched.

Expanding your horizons can be as simple as reading a book. To do this, you just need to ask yourself the question “Why?” more often. and enjoy the journey into the unknown.

65. Professionalism

Professionalism implies the presence and continuous improvement of the skills necessary for the development of the project, as well as a serious attitude to one's work.

The professional does what he has to do, and the amateur waits for inspiration.

66. Focus

Life is full of distractions, but a leader knows how to stay on track and stay focused on his goal.

It is important to be able to purposefully allocate your time and eliminate non-essential work.

Max Lucado said: “A man who wants to lead an orchestra must turn his back on the crowd.”

67. Improve life around you

Leaders are focused on a brighter future, so they want to share their success with those around them: business partners and customers, family and friends, employees and their families, and so on.

Leaders show generosity and gratitude, making a positive impact on the lives of those around them.

Improving other people's lives also means helping them become better people.

Help others grow by helping them reach their potential, both professionally and personally.

Remember to be an example by letting people learn from your experience.

68. Helping others to succeed

You get more satisfaction from the ability to give than from the ability to receive.

Leaders take pride in helping other people succeed.

69.

Like a professional athlete, leaders strive to improve every day.

They know that there are always opportunities to develop themselves and their team.

Leaders are very interested in knowing what they are capable of and how far they can get.

70. Persistence

Perseverance means the ability to maintain enthusiasm and faith in what you love without giving in to failure for an indefinite amount of time.

Without perseverance, perseverance and discipline, it is unlikely that impressive results will be achieved.

Not giving up for an extended period of time is the quality of a winner.

71. Independence

Undoubtedly, the leader knows how to cooperate with other people.

But he is deeply convinced that with or without some person, the leader will still achieve his goal.

72. Patience

The desired results will not occur overnight.

Leaders don't give up when faced with obstacles, they work hard, but they also know how to enjoy their life's journey.

73. Energy

Leaders are not only highly energized, but they also know how to use their time effectively.

To energize, you need to stay healthy and active, as well as passionate and positive about your work.

Most people who hear the term "leader" associate it, of course, with a persistent and self-confident person. An excellent mentor can be not only the head of the company, a successful businessman, but also an ordinary person striving for a good life. In studying the nature of activists, it is also necessary to learn what qualities a leader possesses.

As a rule, such people go ahead not only in their business, but also in ordinary everyday life. All the "leaders" are trying to imagine what their life path will be like. And they develop plans for what they will become in the near future and in many years to come.

Leader character

What qualities of a political leader must be present in order to win the support of the people around? The character of such a person is clearly manifested in those moments when the leader finds himself in a difficult situation. life situation, and much depends on his actions at this moment. The main thing for him is stability and hardness.

As a rule, true leadership is inseparable from attracting other people. The trust of followers in leaders is lost if they notice some instability of character. Stable emotionality and fortitude is a success in relationships with people.

Qualities a leader should have

The quality of a leader is an integral factor that determines success and failure. The main condition for success in any human activity is the skill and ability to take on certain functions, as well as provide appropriate leadership.

Today, a wide selection of books is offered on how to develop the skills and qualities of a leader, not only in business, but also in everyday life.

Leaders cannot be born, leaders can be made!

When given a favorable opportunity, a person looks for ways to take a leadership position. Many live ordinary lives until some situation arises that requires them to take a decisive step, as a result of which they take on the responsibility of leadership with all its consequences.

One can become a leader only when, not only in business, but also in everyday life, a person shows certain qualities, as well as the norms of the behavior that is characteristic of a leader.

What is leadership?

Along with other skills, leadership is the improvement of behavior and attitude towards life through practice through repetition. Such a quality as the desire to lead people is usually rewarded in full. If you are a leader, you will certainly win the support and respect of those around you. Enjoying a sense of vast control and personal power in all aspects of life becomes an integral part of you. Goals that may have seemed sky-high in the past are now much easier to achieve.

Is it possible to become a leader?

The more you can apply the qualities of a leader to yourself, the more positively you will feel about yourself. There will be a feeling of pleasure high level self-esteem and self-respect. Feeling like a smart, strong person with the ability to achieve the best results, you will be able to make a change in better side not only at work, but also at home.

To give rise to the thoughts and actions that are inherent in leaders, and by putting all these qualities into practice in your business and personal life, you will be able to attract more and more opportunities to yourself, to use all your talents at an even higher level.

It is worth listing the main qualities of a leader, without which it is difficult to stay on top of the pedestal.

Qualities required of a leader

• Courage- these are bold decisions and actions on the way out of failures and difficulties. Controlling yourself in fear, making tough decisions, and taking action when there is no guarantee that success will be on your side are the qualities of a good leader.
• Sincerity. To earn trust, you must first be honest with yourself. Only then can we say that we are open to other people around us.
• Realism. Accept the world as it really is, not as you would like to see it yourself. This is the golden rule of realism. You must not allow yourself to be upset because of troubles, and you should not trust that someone else will solve a painful problem for you. Being an example in everything is an essential quality of a true leader. It is customary to look up to such people, they are very reliable. If the leader has made a promise, though perhaps very tentatively, it is worth relying on it being kept.
• Analytic mind- this is exactly what will make it possible to take valuable experience out of failure. In the future, such “stuffed cones” will definitely come in handy and help to avoid possible failures.
• Ability and willingness to learn. Personal growth, self-development - all this requires conscious preparation, effort and work on oneself. A leader is one who is always ready for the new and unknown, one who wants to deeply study those nuances that will later make him an even more determined person.

All these qualities that a leader needs in order to achieve success must be improved daily.

Psychological qualities

We all know that every person is an individual. But not everyone knows that it is the personality in the process of formation and formation that is characterized by psychological qualities that, as a rule, remain with us throughout life.

The psychological qualities of a leader are positive and negative. Upbringing, society and other factors can influence this. For example, people who play sports are more likely to have stamina, the will to win, and endurance. We can develop a sense of taste in ourselves if we read a lot, are interested in art and are engaged in creativity. And there can be many such examples.

Cons of a leader

Alas, not all qualities we can regard as positive. For example, the very activities mentioned earlier may have the other side of the coin: sport implies serious competition, and hence it follows that cruelty will be the main quality of a person. This can apply to absolutely any occupation that we are ready to devote our lives to, plunging into them with our heads.

Throughout life, a "skeleton" of personality is formed in people. It is sometimes impossible to predict everything, many events happen against our will, but one way or another they leave an indelible mark, which subsequently forms the psychological qualities of a leader.

Behavior of a True Leader

A person leading others must have the following skills and abilities:

Political leadership

A political leader is a person who, having certain qualities, is able to lead people and the entire system as a whole.

There are three aspects that define the components of personality:

• the instruments by which power is exercised;
• immediate situation.

What character traits help political mentors gain trust from others? And what personal qualities of a leader are inherent in a politician?

Distinctive features of a political leader

Conventionally, all of them can be divided into three groups:

• natural qualities;
• moral qualities;
• professional quality.

The first, perhaps, include the willpower of character, the presence of subtle intuition, determination, magnetism. The second group should include such qualities of a political leader as honesty, nobility, morality, concern for people around and justice.

The following qualities of a leader can be attributed to the third group:

Taken together, these characteristics pave the way for the possibility of implementing public and social activities. All these qualities necessary for a leader, as a rule, are directly related to his political activities and the ability to stay on top.

Functions of a political leader

The goals that a leader sets for himself are usually directly related to the functions that he performs. Situations are critical and extraordinary, but it is important to create such a program of action that under any circumstances could be implemented.

List of the main functions of a political leader:

• Analytical. It involves a deep analysis of the current situation.
• Development of a program of action. The performance of this function depends on such a quality of the leader's personality as the ability to take on great responsibility. It also requires determination and courage.
• Mobilization of citizens of the country. The ability to convince, negotiate, lead the masses and inspire are the main qualities of a leader required to implement this function.
• innovative: development of improved programs, new ideas, formation of goals and objectives.
• Organizational is a combination of communicative and innovative functions. The ability to organize communities, win the trust of the human masses, regulate reforms and transformations.
• Communicative: serving people, expressing the interests of society, taking into account the change in public mood, opinion, which reflects the dynamics of life.
• Coordinating. Coordination of transformations, coordination of all branches of government, including the court and executive bodies.

Once you have mastered the basic personality skills listed above, each future step will get easier every day. All these recommendations will certainly help in getting a little closer to your cherished dream or simply becoming more self-confident.

You need to understand that in order to become a leader, you need to go a long and hard way, which requires constant work on yourself. It is a process of reincarnation that never ends. On the path to success, you need to enjoy your own self-improvement.

Finding new options to motivate others is the task of a true leader! Everyone can cope with it, it is enough to make an effort. Such work on oneself must be carried out every minute. But having learned to enjoy such changes, a person will no longer want to stop and will go to new heights.

Being able to be a leader is important for anyone who decides to start their own business or lead a company. For some, this ability is given by nature, and this manifests itself even in childhood - at school, on sports grounds, among peers. It is undoubtedly easier for such children to grow into real leaders in life. However, if nature has not fully endowed you with the qualities of a leader, this can always be corrected by hard work on yourself.

He adheres to the opinion that everything can always be developed in oneself, the main thing is to have a great desire and perseverance. To know what to strive for, consider the qualities of a leader that were formulated by John Maxwell (personal development coach, and in particular, leadership). In his opinion, every true leader must harmoniously combine 21 qualities, which will be discussed later.

Hardness

On the life path Each person sometimes encounters difficult situations, and in order to make a decision, it is necessary to show your character. It is in such situations that the degree of firmness of character and perseverance is revealed. A person who does not know how to be firm in solving important issues and demonstrates inconstancy will never be followed by other people.

Charisma

Hundreds of books have been written on how to become a charismatic leader. This is a separate part general theory about leadership. And it is not for nothing that psychologists pay such attention to this - it is not so easy to develop charismatic qualities in yourself if they are not given to you by nature. Difficult, but quite possible! The opinion that charisma is either there or not, and nothing can be done about it, is wrong. Such people block their own achievements. Charisma is a personal attraction, and in order to develop it in yourself, you must learn to love your life and people.

Devotion

To captivate people, you must be committed to what you do. Adequate love and commitment to one's work are essential qualities of a leader. Your goal is to make people believe in your common cause, but how will you do this if you yourself do not believe? Loyalty can also be expressed in other, more “down to earth” things: in how much time you spend at work, what you sacrifice for it, and in the amount of effort you put in to achieve the goal.

Sociability

Surely you have noticed that the leader in every team is a sociable, talkative and easy-going person. This is not excessive talkativeness, namely sociability. If you want to become a leader, it is essential to develop the skills to communicate with the most different people. If you have an idea or a thought, but you can't communicate it effectively to others, how will they know about it? And then the fact that you have some unique idea will absolutely not matter to them.

In general, in order to develop communication skills in yourself, it is important to adhere to the following principles - do not complicate your speech, notice individuality in people, speak only sincerely and insist on a response.

Awareness

A knowledgeable or competent leader is not just a person who can convey his message to others, but can also develop a plan of action to solve problems; plan what needs to be done for himself and others. A competent leader does not need to persuade people to follow him. When he becomes competent, people themselves want to follow him. Moreover, awareness is one of those qualities that must be constantly proven. Every day you should show this quality in communication with your followers, and you should never stop at the level once reached.

Courage

The courage that lives inside the leader is able to engender this quality in his followers. When you face a difficult situation that requires courage, courage and courage, you must first overcome the struggle with yourself. A courageous leader is one who makes not only quick and resourceful decisions, but also the right ones.

foresight

With this quality, you will be able to find a solution to the current problem and know without negative consequences in future. In order to choose the right way to solve a problem, it is necessary to find out the origins of its occurrence. After all, there is never a single solution, it is important to consider all alternatives.

concentration

The effectiveness of a leader is determined by his ability to concentrate on the task at hand. This is where proper prioritization is needed. In order to most effectively achieve the goal, you need to know what things require more concentration and less. John Maxwell advises to focus on strengths by 70%, for weak ones - by 5%, and for new ones, not yet worked out - by 25%.

Generosity

Generosity is a powerful factor in persuasion and leadership. However, here it is important to constantly adhere to one line and be generous always, and not just “on holidays”. Generosity, shown only once, is unlikely to give reason to consider you a truly generous and generous person. A true leader, who is able to captivate people, must act in the interests of his group and each individual member, and not just in his own.

Cultivating true generosity in yourself is not a quick process, but when you succeed, you will notice how people will begin to reach out to you. Of course, this is only possible in combination with other leadership qualities that we are talking about in this article. Start with sincere gratitude for what you have, and perceive money not as an end, but as a means.

Initiative

To be successful, you must take action. Moreover, to show not some abstract actions, but quite specific ones. Even if you stop for a while, you are already at risk of losing much of what you could have. Moving along a given path, of course, sometimes you will make mistakes, but the main thing is never to stop acting. Be proactive in motivating yourself: do not wait for external incentives, motivate yourself from within. It is also worth looking inside yourself for the reason for the lack of initiative. In everything that is not in you the way you would like, only you yourself are to blame, but not those around you.

The art of listening and hearing

John Maxwell called this quality art, since such a skill requires a lot of work on oneself. The leader must always build his communication strategy so that the followers do not talk to him about what the leader wants to hear. More importantly, what he really needs to know in a particular situation. If they talk to you only about pleasant things, praising your knowledge and skills, but they are afraid (or do not want to) report troubles or admit their mistakes, then only the illusion of leadership is created.

To hear what the interlocutor (subordinate, partner, client, competitor) wanted to convey to you, during the conversation open not only your ears, but also your heart. Perception of only the bare facts will not give you a chance to penetrate the very essence of the problem. Learn to read between the lines and understand not only the words of the interlocutor, but also his feelings and emotions.

Passion

What can give a leader the presence of passion? First, it fully develops the willpower of the individual. If you have a strong desire to achieve something, you will find the strength to do it, even if you have to sacrifice something. Secondly, passion enhances the ability to achieve the intended goal. Thirdly, passion can change the world around you. If you are guided by the passion you have developed for it, and not by any other intentions or feelings, in achieving your goal, you will become a more effective leader.

Passion can erase the word “impossible” from your vocabulary - because if you passionately desire something, then nothing can stop you from achieving your goal.

positive attitude

A person needs to periodically recharge with positive. Good thoughts and attitudes are an important moment in your development as a successful person. This affects not only your own perception of the world and those around you, but also how people treat you.

On the way of each person, there will be people who give him flowers, as well as people who throw stones at him. It is important not to allow these stones to spoil your positive life attitude. And the most experienced and effective leaders can even turn all the negativity directed in their direction from ill-wishers into positive. Your life attitude determines many things that happen to you - from small things to great events.

Ability to overcome current difficulties

In whatever field you work, sometimes you will be overtaken by difficulties that need to be overcome. It is impossible to get away from problems, they have always been, are and will be in our lives. We are in constant development.

To develop the ability to solve problems, rely on the following: analyze the current situation and predict possible difficulties; accept reality as it is; always consider the whole picture, not its individual fragments; act in order without missing a single step; Don't give up, even when things go wrong.

Ability to get along with people

Each of us interacts with different people. And the one who aspires to become a leader must have a special attitude towards relationships with surrounding personalities. People will be drawn to you if they enjoy working with you; if you can get along with them in any situation, even the most uncomfortable ones. The ability to build favorable relationships with people is based on three factors: understanding, sympathy and a desire to help.

A responsibility

It is necessary to remember once and for all: for who you are, what you have and what you do, only you are responsible. Real leaders never shift responsibility to relatives, friends, colleagues, bosses, subordinates. Great success is possible only if you have the ability to take responsibility and be responsible for your actions with dignity in any outcome of the situation.

Self confidence

If you have somehow taken a leading position, but there are still traces of uncertainty inside you. As a leader, you will only cause harm to your team, but above all to yourself. In this scenario, your internal personality shortcomings (uncertainty in your actions) will only intensify, since much is expected of you as a leader, and you will not be able to give it. A leader is a person who is able to instill confidence in other people; a leader who gives people more than he receives from them; a leader who expands his capabilities without forgetting about others.

self control

Self-control is one of the foundations of success in achieving your goals. Without self-discipline, you will not be able to get the most out of your abilities and reveal all your skills and talents. To develop the self-control of a leader, it is necessary to begin to lead a disciplined lifestyle, and it should concern not only work, but also all other areas. Forget about any excuses for your wrong actions, prioritize and clearly follow the planned plan.

Ability to work for others

It is worth making a reservation right away: this is not about your position or work responsibilities, but about the psychological side of this skill. Paradoxically, learning to truly serve others requires strong self-confidence. Only she is able to allow you to do this without prejudice to adequate pride (which is in every person). A leader who serves others does so of his own free will and puts the interests of the people somewhat higher than his own.

Self improvement

A true leader will never be satisfied with what he has already achieved. Even when you have already earned respect from others, your opinion is valued and you can influence people, never stop improving yourself.

If you stop there, you can lose a lot of what you have already achieved. Why? The logical chain is simple: 1) the ability to improve yourself defines who you are; 2) who you are determines who and how you can lead; 3) and who you lead is of no small importance in the overall success of your team. To start effective self-study, you need to get rid of excessive pride and narcissism, and admit that you still don’t know and don’t know how to do a lot.

Work for the future

Without this quality, no one can become a leader. Those who want to get everything at once, as a rule, do not gain anything and never. Look to the future, concentrate your efforts on the goal and you will definitely succeed!

Leadership Theory(“great people”, “charisma”) comes from the possibility of defining a universal set of leadership qualities (physiological, psychological, intellectual and personal), which allow forming groups of followers to solve problematic problems. This theory is based on the deification of leaders, but it does not explain the success of leaders with a different set of qualities.

Leadership Theory

Leadership theory reflects the earliest approach to the study and explanation of leadership. The first studies attempted to identify the qualities that distinguish the great men of history from the masses. The researchers believed that leaders had some unique set of qualities that did not change over time. Based on this, scientists tried to determine leadership qualities, learn how to measure them and use them to identify leaders. This approach was based on the belief that leaders are born, not made.

Subsequent study led to the identification of the following four groups of leadership qualities: physiological, psychological, intellectual and personal (Table 1).

Table 1. Qualities most often found in leaders

Quality group	Characteristics of qualities
Physiological qualities	Pleasant appearance (face, height, figure, weight), voice, good health, high efficiency, energy, representativeness
Psychological qualities	Personality type: extrovert, introvert. Temperament: phlegmatic, sanguine, choleric. Power, ambition, aggressiveness, superiority, balance, independence, courage, creativity, creativity, self-affirmation, perseverance, courage
Intellectual qualities	High level of intelligence: mind, logic, memory, intuitiveness, encyclopedic knowledge, breadth of outlook, insight, originality, quick thinking, education, prudence, conceptuality, sense of humor
Business and personal qualities	Business qualities: organization, discipline, reliability, diplomacy, economy, flexibility, commitment, initiative, independence, responsibility, riskiness. Personal qualities: benevolence, tact, sympathy, honesty, decency, vigilance, conviction, attentiveness, sociability, adaptability

Personal characteristics of leaders

The theory of great people

The theory of great people states that a person who possesses a certain set of personality traits, will be a good leader regardless of the nature of the situation in which he finds himself. The absolute embodiment of the theory of great people is the concept of a charismatic leader, before whom others bow down.

If this theory is correct, then there must be some key personality traits that make a person a great leader and an outstanding leader.

Psychologists, attending to this issue, have conducted many special studies. Surprisingly, very few personality traits appear to be directly related to leadership performance, and the relationship found is usually quite weak.

Here are some ratios discovered between separate personal characteristics and leadership.

1. Leaders usually have a little higher intelligence than their "flock". But not much. In no case should a candidate for leadership be separated from the average intellectual level of his followers.

2. Power Motivation. Many leaders are driven strong desire. They have a strong concentration on their own person, concern for prestige, ambition, excess energy. Such leaders tend to be better socially prepared, more flexible and adaptable. The love of power and the ability to intrigue help them to stay afloat for a long time. But for them there is an efficiency problem. For example, Boris Yeltsin is usually viewed as a leader with an extremely strong desire for power. He managed to rule Russia for almost 10 years. However, the question of whether he was an effective leader for the country remains open.

3. A study of historical records showed that among the 600 known monarchs, the most famous were either very highly moral or extremely immoral personalities.

4. American psychologist Simonton collected information on 100 personality traits all US presidents. These included characteristics of the families in which they grew up, education, previous occupations, and personality traits themselves. Only three of these variables are: height, family size, and number of books published by the president before he took office, — correlate with the effectiveness of the president's performance in his post (determined by historians' estimates). Simonton found that US presidents who grew up in small families are more likely to go down in history as greats politicians . For example, Franklin Roosevelt, who is considered one of the most prominent American presidents, was an only child. The remaining 97 characteristics, including personality traits, according to the results of this study, have nothing to do with a person's effectiveness as a leader.

5. There is a small positive relationship between a person's height and the likelihood that he will become a group leader. Thus, almost every election in the United States was won by a higher candidate, with only two exceptions. In 1992, Bill Clinton was 4 inches (10 cm) taller than George W. Bush. In 1996, he was only half an inch taller than Robert Dole. Once in the White House, high presidents are more likely to become prominent historical figures. It can be argued that at tall man slightly more likely to become a leader. However, do not forget that the greatest leaders were Napoleon, Hitler, Lenin, Stalin and many others who could not boast of high growth.

6. Surprisingly, there is very little evidence that traits such as charisma, courage, dominance, or self-confidence are indicators of a person's performance as a leader.

So, some modest relationship between personal characteristics and leadership abilities can be found. But in general it is very difficult to predict how good a leader a person will be based on personality traits alone. Therefore, over time, researchers began to incline to the opinion that it is not enough to consider only the features. It is necessary to take into account the situation in which these traits are manifested. This does not mean that personality traits do not affect the chances of becoming a leader at all. One simply has to consider both the personality of the person and the nature of the situation in which he or she has to play a leadership role. According to this view, one does not have to be a "great person" to become an effective leader. Quicker, you need to be the right person in the right place at the right time.

Steve Jobs - founder of Apple

A leader can show his leadership qualities only in the right situation. For example, a business leader may be very successful in some situations and fail in others. Consider the example of Steve Jobs, who at the age of 21 co-founded the legendary Apple company with Stefan Wozniak. The eccentric Jobs looked the least like a traditional corporate executive. He was brought up by the counterculture of the 60s, and turned to computers, already having behind him the experience of using LSD, traveling to India and living in a commune. In the days when there were no personal computers yet, Jobs's unusual style was just what was needed to create a new industry. Within five years, he had become the leader of a multi-billion dollar corporation. It turned out, however, that Jobs's unorthodox manner was ill-suited to the delicate and complex business of managing a large corporation in a competitive marketplace. The company began to suffer losses, losing in competition with competitors. Jobs was forced to retire in 1985. He returned when the company was faced with the need to make a technological breakthrough: to qualitatively improve the operating system of its Macs, restore customer confidence and its former position in the market.

Thus, a corporate leader who wants to remain effective for the long term must be able to quickly adapt to changing circumstances and flexibly vary his behavior. It happens to very few people. Much more often, a manager gets hung up on one style of behavior, which, for example, turned out to be effective in the days of the company's formation, but is completely unsuitable for a period of intensive growth and holding the won positions. As a result, the firm eventually loses its ability to compete in the market. Another characteristic example is the sad fate of the legendary John Akers, the chief executive of IBM, who was ingloriously fired from the corporation in 1993 after many years of a bright and successful career. After making IBM the flagship of the computer industry in the 1980s, Akers found himself unable to keep up with the rapid technological changes that swept the computer industry in the early 1990s. It is no coincidence that in today's Western high-tech business it rarely happens that top management can safely rest in their chairs for more than five years. Periodic "changing of the guard" allows corporations to remain dynamic, adequately navigate in a rapidly changing world.

Everyone who claims to take the place of a leader in the team must have a number of leadership qualities. Exactly leadership skills and define the role of a leader, explain why some become such and are ready to captivate and lead, while others are not accepted in this capacity and do not enjoy authority.

is a set of psychological qualities, skills and abilities to interact with a group that are able to ensure the successful implementation of leadership tasks and functions. It is impossible to single out one or two qualities that characterize a leader. There are many more. On the other hand, one can list qualities for quite a long time and interpret them as leadership qualities. And the more the list becomes, the less practical use it has, it's easier to get confused.

This article will present the main leadership qualities, the development of which can make a real leader out of any person.

Personal qualities of a leader

• KNOWING YOURSELF, YOUR FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS

To know yourself, to feel what is happening inside yourself, to be able to listen to your emotions and feelings, to your intuition, to clearly and clearly imagine what you want is an integral quality of a leader. It helps to navigate life and understand other people, it helps not to miss your chance by recognizing the right opportunity. A real leader cannot be knocked off the intended path; it is difficult to manipulate him, because he knows exactly what he wants.

• RISK READINESS

This is one of the leadership qualities that is inherent in many modern leaders. For example, Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Corporation, which today manages more than 300 different companies around the world, is the image of a leader who is always ready to take risks. Often he risked everything, both in business and in ordinary life (take at least trip around the world on the air balloon).

The reason why true leaders are not afraid to take risks and change your life, is the understanding that sometimes you have to pay a considerable price for not showing initiative. Therefore, people who seek to anticipate events are always ready to take risks.

Today there are many business owners, managers who strive to build a meaningful "business" without taking risks, but working in the style of "quietly you go - you will continue." As John Kennedy said: There are costs and risks to any action plan, but they are far less than the long-term costs and risks of comfortable inaction.».

• SELF CONFIDENCE

High and adequate level of self-esteem A leader, together with self-confidence, helps him take risks when necessary, increase courage and determination in critical situations. Confidence in own forces allows the leader to expand the limits of their capabilities and gain new life experience. This theory was substantiated in 1981 by B. Bass, who analyzed the leading research in the field of leadership qualities and confirmed that the feeling self-confidence, the leader is an order of magnitude higher than that of those who follow him.

• RELIABILITY, REGULATION AND CONSISTENCY

The leader is the bearer of the norms and values ​​of the association of people, therefore his worldview, his actions must be consistent with the universal norms of morality - honesty, justice, reliability, responsibility and consistency in actions and deeds.

• ACTIVE LIFE POSITION

For adequate orientation in the situation, the leader must have an active life position. It's necessary leadership quality, which allows the leader to always be in the thick of things, learn about everything firsthand and be more informed.

• INITIATIVE AND ABILITY TO MOTIVATE YOURSELF

Proactive and active people do not wait for someone else to make them want to work. They know that only they have the responsibility to convince themselves to leave the familiar comfort zone. And they make self-motivation a regular practice. Here is what Theodore Roosevelt, one of the enterprising and the greatest people 20th century, endowed with a mass of leadership qualities: " There is nothing outstanding and brilliant in the biography, except that I really did what, in my opinion, needed to be done ... And when I had an unequivocal opinion about the need to do something, I acted».

Managerial and organizational leadership qualities

• ABILITY TO BUILD A TEAM

The ability to attract people ideas and thoughts, ideals, skill convince a person) and create a team of followers and like-minded people - a quality that determines the success of an individual in the role of a leader. Setting common goals and values ​​and controlling the adherence of followers to these goals are among the main leadership qualities.

• ABILITY TO ORGANIZE A TEAM FOR SOLVING THE TASKS

This is one of the fundamental organizational qualities of a leader. It consists of the ability to distribute responsibilities between team members, the ability to inspire and motivate a group to perform tasks and functions, coordinate work, etc.

• VISION PERSPECTIVE

The person who leads the group is simply obliged to know where to go. Observation, vision of the perspective of the activities of your group, the perspective of the team that follows it is one of the most important organizational qualities of a leader.

Leaders have no right to get so caught up in the minutiae and details that they lose sight of something that is truly important. The writer Alfred Montaper wrote: Most people see obstacles in front of them, only a few see goals, history marks the successes of the latter, while for the former the reward is oblivion.».

• FLEXIBILITY OF BEHAVIOR AND SENSITIVITY TO THE SITUATION

Leaders are often participants in complex processes, they are in the "arena", where a large number of all kinds of forces operate, which are sometimes beyond the boundaries of his knowledge and control. Therefore, the organizational leader must feel the situation, be able to quickly navigate it and make the only right decision.

• READINESS TO SUPPORT IN DIFFICULT MINUTES

The unwillingness of the leader to provide support to his like-minded and follower in the case when it is very necessary and he is able to provide it, in most cases, deprives him of his followers and the status of a leader.

People respect such a leader who never forgets their interests. If you focus on what you can give to your followers, rather than what you can get from them, they will respect and love you, and this will make your relationship lasting and stronger.

As one of the leaders of General Motors said: “ The fields of various industries are littered with the bones of enterprises whose leadership qualities were thoroughly saturated with rot and moral decay, where they firmly believed that one should only take instead of giving ... where they did not understand that the only asset of the company that cannot be quickly replacement, it's her people».

Remember! The ability to thank and encourage the quality that helps the leader to successfully perform organizational and managerial functions.

Psychological and socialleadership skills

• COMMUNICABILITY

important leader quality is sociability The ability to quickly establish contacts with people and feel confident in a team. It is difficult to imagine a leader of a person who experiences shyness when communicating.

The leader coordinates relationships in the team, therefore, in assessing the actions and actions of other people, he must be fair, objective and unbiased.

• ABILITY TO REPRESENT AND DEFEND THE INTERESTS OF THE TEAM

The leader represents common interests, therefore the ability to defend them in external instances and take full responsibility for corporate activities is an important quality of a leader.

• ABILITY TO CREATE CONDITIONS FOR SELF-REALIZATION OF YOUR FOLLOWERS

This leadership quality is the basis for the formation of followers' trust in the leader and readiness to follow him.

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