Ten Traits of a Leader

There are followers and there are leaders. We need some of both in this world. We need followers to help leaders achieve their visions and we need leaders to see those visions clearly. We need followers to provide muscle in tough spots and we need leaders to help us over the tough spots.

We are all leaders and followers at one time or another. We can be proud of both positions. For those who want to improve their leadership abilities, I offer these ten traits of a leader. You’ll notice that all of these traits concern helping followers reach their full potential. I believe that this is the role of a leader.

1. Leaders guide and instruct others: They point the way to new directions and ideas. They help others along and get pleasure and deep satisfaction from helping others achieve success. Guiding and coaching others to help them succeed is a source of great satisfaction because you’re giving someone a lifetime gift.
2. Leaders think about others first: They are servants to others. They put themselves as number two so that others can be number one. They are sensitive to the feelings of, and genuinely care for others. They have empathy. They can put themselves in another person’s shoes. They do not need to take credit from someone else; rather they like to give credit to others.
3. Leaders know their people: There are no strangers when you are with a leader. Leaders know team members individually and know what motivates them. They take time to get acquainted with those who work with them. Here’s the vital point from our chapter on Working with People.

KYP, “know your people” individually, and what does, or does not, affect their motivation. Does a person like to speak in front of a group, or not? The person who practices KYP knows, and you should be a practitioner too.

4. Leaders are clear communicators: They don’t try to impress others with big words or try to make others believe they know what they are talking about when they really do not. They speak plainly and are easy to understand.

A famous person once apologized for writing a very long letter. He said he didn’t have time to write a shorter version. Speaking simply and plainly is a developed skill and successful supervisors know the value of doing this. This point is a strong key to employee productivity.

5. Leaders are listeners: They listen to others. They hear concerns and are always willing to be told of tragedies, as well as triumphs. They enjoy hearing the voices and insights of others. To be successful, dedicate yourself to becoming a better listener. The amount you learn will amaze you.

6. Leaders promote stability: They know that peace, growth and prosperity come from a stable environment. They accept change as a way to achieve stability. If chaos exists, employees become nervous. Nervous people suffer a loss of productivity. And of course, it affects those around them. A stable environment works in a positive direction.

7. Leaders think before acting: They know they are responsible for the welfare of others. They care about how a situation will affect all those concerned. They learn the real facts before taking any drastic action. Digging out the facts is always a challenge. Sometimes they are exaggerated. Other times they are hidden. But to strive for the facts enables us to act more responsibly, for the benefit of all our employees.

8. Leaders are readers and learners: They devour information and enjoy the role of education and learning in their life. Books are friends to leaders. Reading is fun and never a chore. Learning is a lifetime proposition. There are many sources of learning, ranging from printed to electronic material. Leaders demonstrate their commitment to continuous learning through their actions, using whatever form of learning works best for them.

9. Leaders are honest: They tell the truth to those who follow them. They ask others to do the same. They don’t mislead or hide the facts. The most visible way to demonstrate this is by readily admitting their mistakes. A secondary benefit is that if the supervisor can admit a mistake, then an employee can certainly admit a mistake. The result is a significant amount of time saved in trying to track down what has gone wrong, and/or who made the mistake.

10. Leaders seek challenges: They look for bigger and better mountains to climb and raise their followers to new heights. Life is exciting for leaders and they thrive during tough times. One of the many factors that motivates people is challenge. When a supervisor seeks challenge, he will set an example for others in the department. And when people meet, or in some cases exceed their challenge, a high level of motivation results.

I’ll see you in the front row of success.