Ever wondered what it takes to be where your company CEO is?
One of the most important abilities to possess is leadership. Leaders make things happen. They are able to assess, strategize and execute in order to deliver results. If you think that you want to see yourself in the driving seat someday, start planning now. Here are 4 important traits that emerging leaders must have.
- Vision
A leader must have a sense of vision. It is easy to achieve something in an environment that is familiar, where the variables and obstacles are known to all. Having the ability to assess a situation, identify a need or opportunity and then plan accordingly is the core stuff leaders are made of. When you are in such a position, you will encounter many people who cannot see what you can, or cannot think as far as you. Let’s face it, if they did, they would be leaders too. All of this first comes from having a very clear understanding of your own self. Where are you in life at the moment? Where do you want to go and how are you going to get there? Building an attitude that is driven by such thinking is the first step.
- The ability to deal with people
A lot of young and new leaders spend too much time focusing on processes, policies and operations. Rather, there needs to be a much stronger focus on people. Always remember, that no matter what, it is the people who will make your vision a reality and your ability to connect with them will get the best out of you as a leader. Treat every individual differently. Learn to work with people on a one to one basis and also as a team. Understand what motivates the people who work with you and use that motivation to bring results. Be patient, calm and show respect to the people who look up to you and they will be loyal to you. An adept hand at resolving conflict and making fair decisions is another hallmark of a great people’s person.
- Do not be afraid to fail
When young professionals take up leadership positions, they often put themselves under a lot of pressure to perform and deliver quick results. At times they have unrealistic expectations from themselves. Do not be afraid to fail, but have the courage to try. When you are leading the time you may have to do things you have not done before and they will not always give you the outcome you want. Develop the attitude to learn from your failures by analyzing what went wrong and how you need to modify your action plans.
- Believe in yourself
You will be surprised at how many people take self belief for granted. Have a very real time assessment of your strengths and areas of improvement and always play to your strengths. When you work with a conviction that is based on how strongly you believe in your own ability you will be able to tackle every challenge, learn and develop into a strong leader for the future.