Leadership

A lot has been written about Leadership - There is this wonderful book on The Leader who had no title as well. But thought of putting something together learned since then.

Of all the qualities needed for leadership, only one is indispensable - courage. Without it, all the others are more or less useless. Courage has been shown by all who we recognise as true leaders, from Alexander to Thatcher. A leader must have the ability to take hard decisions and calculated risks. This rule applies at all levels and in all situations - in school, factory, boardroom or sporting arena, no less than on the battlefield or in the council chamber. Leaders have to give courage to others, while creating the illusion that they know exactly what they are doing.


Leadership is partly a confidence trick, and those who practice it cannot afford to be too predictable. Good leaders must be able to tolerate frustration and stress. Some traits a leader must have in abundance are.....

Willingness to Learn
Leaders don’t begin life knowing everything there is to know about the business world. If pride gets in the way of your ability to learn, you’ll be selling yourself, and your business venture, short in the long run.

Incredible Work Ethic
A leader shows up first for work and leaves after everyone else has gone home for the day. The leader uses his or her work ethic to communicate what is expected of employees.

Brilliant Communication Skills
Leaders must be effective communicators. Poor communication will cause a breakdown in the function of your business. Whether you are communicating praise to employees or managing a conflict, effective communication will make your business more successful.

Enduring Patience
Business leaders must also have an abundance of patience. Business success takes a long time to earn, and individuals who cannot patiently wait for goals to be achieved may end up putting too much pressure on employees.

Ability to Dream Big
While patience is necessary, it’s also important for a leader to dream big. You must create the vision for your business’s future. Once the vision has been dreamed up, it’s time to start implementing strategies to achieve your dream.

Courage to Take Chances
An effective leader has the courage necessary to take risks and pursue new opportunities. According to Dr. David Javitch, a writer for Entrepreneur.com, a leader’s ambition and willingness to take risks is the greatest source of inspiration for his or her employees.

Ability to Trust Others
One of the most important characteristics of a good leader is simply an ability to trust others. This may be evident in a leader’s willingness to take a chance on an employee and give him or her an important business task. It may be a leader’s ability to take a chance by outsourcing some business tasks so that the leader has more time to devote to growing and developing the business. Trying to do everything on your own because you cannot let go of the “reins” will only get you and your business into trouble.

These character traits may help you run a more successful business if you can work on cultivating and developing them in your own life.

Shakespeare was good about leadership, as about most other things – he wrote in Twelfth Night – Mistress writes to Malvolio "Some men are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them". Greatness and leadership are so closely akin that the words give us a useful point of departure.

"Born great" has two possible meanings: either being born to a great position, such as that of an hereditary monarch, or possessing natural talents and/or virtues of an exceptional kind. Clearly not everyone born to a great position is worthy of it, and relatively few have the qualities of a great leader. But the greatness of certain offices can rub off on their occupants, who may not otherwise have qualities out of the ordinary. Some appear to have the gift of leadership, but are found to lack it when tested. Others are recognised as "born leaders" and exercise effective leadership up to a certain level, but prove disastrous failures beyond that level. It is very hard to judge the point beyond which a person will be over promoted.

Like those born to great offices who prove, against the odds, worthy to hold them, such people have "greatness thrust upon them".

"Some achieve greatness" denotes, above all, those whose greatness is self-made. But all of the really great leaders must be regarded as achievers, whatever their advantages of birth and training. Most of those who achieve anything in the world are ambitious, and some have very exalted ambitions which they have never the chance to realise. A few rise higher than they or anyone else could have imagined, and then prove equal to the challenge.


Democratic leaders have the difficult task of both guiding the people and seeming to respond to the popular will. Autocrats are obviously freer to exercise leadership, but among them the most successful have been aware of the need to be loved and admired as well as feared, just as many of the best democratic leaders have been natural autocrats, restrained only by conscience and realism. The essential qualities of a good leader are much the same, whatever the environment.

Here are 7 secrets to leadership success:

1. Leadership is about making things happen

If you want to make something happen with your life - in school, in your profession or in your community, do it. Perceived obstacles crumble against persistent desire. At the same time, one need to have compassion for others. Therefore, persistence for your cause should not be gained at the expense of others. Another bit of leadership wisdom!

2. Listen and understand the issue, then lead

Time and time again we have all been told, "God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason"...or as Stephen Covey said..."Seek to understand, rather than be understood." As a leader, listening first to the issue, then trying to coach, has been the most valuable advice.

3. Answer the three questions everyone within your organization wants answers to

What the people of an organization want from their leader are answers to the following: Where are we going? How are we going to get there? What is my role? Kevin Nolan, President & Chief Executive Officer of Affinity Health Systems, Inc. believes the more clarity that can be added to each of the three questions, the better the result.

4. Master the goals that will allow you to work anywhere in today's dynamic business world

* The ability to develop an idea
* Effectively plan for its implementation
* Execute second-to-none
* Achieve superior results time after time.

Forget what others do. Work to be known for delivering excellence. It speaks for itself and it opens doors.

5. Be curious

Curiosity is a prerequisite to continuous improvement and even excellence. Study people, processes, and structures. Making progress, in part, is based upon thinking. Learn to apply this notion of intellectual curiosity by thinking about organization's future, understanding the present, and know and challeng to creatively move the people and the organization closer to its vision.

6. Listen to both sides of the argument

Listen to all different kinds of people and ideas. Listening only to those who share your background and opinions can be imprudent. It is important to respect your neighbors' rights to their own views. Listening to and talking with a variety of people, from professors to police officers, from senior citizens to schoolchildren, is essential not only to be a good leader in business, but to also be a valuable member within your community.

7. Prepare, prepare, prepare

If you fail to prepare, you are preparing to fail. If one has truly prepared and something goes wrong the strength of the rest of what you've prepared for usually makes this something easier to handle without crisis and panic. "Preparation is the science of winning."

Great advice comes from many sources - parents, other relatives, consultants, bosses, co-workers, mentors, teachers, coaches, and friends. The important point to remember is to stay open, listen to everyone, but also develop your own leadership style.