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how to become a good leader
develop leadership qualities and skills The study of leadership and its characteristics is by no means an exact science. Today's leaders come in all sizes and reflect a variety of demographics and dispositions. Whether young or old, short or tall, male or female, rich or poor, leaders are not limited to a specific personality type. When discussing leadership and its many ingredients, it is essential to first understand that true leaders are not born, but made. Still, leaders find themselves being influenced and developed more by themselves and their character, than by outside influences and stimuli. While many of us attend workshops and seminars to help improve our quality of leadership, much of the time we receive only basic leadership skills and procedures, not character, vision, focus, passion and enthusiasm. Most successful leaders are made by sheer will, determination and development of character, not by seminars alone. Leadership ingredients To begin the process of understanding leadership, we must first identify the
basic ingredients of quality leadership. Upon close examination of
successful leaders, both past and present, we can identify similarities in
their character and being. The essential components of leadership include: |
Table of
contents. The ingredients of leadership. Leadership and integrity. Leadership and passion. Leadership and courage. Successful leadership skills. Leadership development. Developing true leaders.
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Integrity.
Integrity is defined
by a number of elements, including: honesty, trust, loyalty,
candor, decisiveness and maturity. Successful leaders never lie
to their associates or to themselves. Leaders must identify and
acknowledge their strengths, assets, weaknesses, flaws and
mistakes. By doing so, they may deal with them directly and
swiftly. By possessing and demonstrating integrity and its many
byproducts, leaders may find that integrity's many benefits are
contagious among their workforce. Passion. Truly great leaders love what they do and, even more, love doing it. By demonstrating a high degree of passion, leaders will motivate, inspire and propel not only themselves, but those around them to excel and strive for excellence. In addition, true passion for what they are doing will give them the strength and will to pursue their vision and goals even when faced with failures and setbacks. Courage. Great leaders are willing to take calculated risks. They look to experiment and try new ideas, methods, strategies and procedures. Daring leaders never rest on their laurels and are never satisfied with an average performance. True leaders are always looking to improve themselves and their organization. They strive to learn, train and educate themselves and their associates. |
By learning from their successes, failures and even their
competition, great leaders are constantly looking to the future.
Successful leadership skills
In addition to the internal characteristics that make up successful leaders,
there are a number of traits and skills that can be learned to become a more
efficient leader. These skills, when demonstrated every day, will assist
leaders in improving the level of communication, motivation and loyalty
within their workforce. The following is an example of just a few traits and
skills that successful leaders strive to develop and enhance:
1) Recognition of superior performance and staff. Take time out to routinely
recognize superior work and efforts by those employees who demonstrate it.
Drop them a note, buy them lunch or think of another creative reward to tell
your staff just how much they mean, and how much you appreciate their
efforts.
2) Delegation of authority. Show confidence in your staff and foster
creativity within your workplace by delegating responsibility and authority.
By giving your staff and customers a chance to contribute and the freedom to
cultivate their ideas, you, your staff and your organization will reap the
rewards.
3) The ability to work and make decisions under pressure.
Leaders must
demonstrate calm, focus and determination when under pressure. Employees and
staff look toward their leaders for guidance, assurance and direction when
times are difficult. By keeping a clear head, successful leaders will
demonstrate good judgment, while at the same time, reflect a feeling of
"everything will be fine" to their employees.
4) Practice open and honest communication. It is essential that leaders be
able to communicate their vision and direction to their employees. Leaders
must operate under an open, honest and encouraging communications
environment. It is vital to any organization that good communication flows
from all levels of management and staff.
5) Demonstrate the desire to listen. Successful leaders understand the value
of being good listeners. By possessing superior listening skills, leaders
not only open themselves up to an infinite resource of quality people and
ideas, they also can demonstrate their loyalty and level of concern for
staff and colleagues.
By developing and practicing these and many other essential leadership
skills, successful leaders can motivate staff, improve efficiency and
effectiveness, and propel their organization to new heights of excellence.
Managers vs. leaders
Many times, we confuse the term manager with leader. While leaders and
managers can sometimes be one in the same, managers often do not demonstrate
the leadership and vision employees are seeking. Simple job titles or
assignments do not guarantee superior leadership qualities and skills. There
are a number of philosophical and practical differences between the manager
and the leader. For example:
A manager develops and focuses on systems and procedures; the leader focuses
on people and staff.
A manager maintains and administrates; the leader innovates and develops.
A manager relies on control and possesses a short range of view; the leader
inspires trust and loyalty, and possesses a long-range vision.
A manager does things right; the leader does the right thing.
Manager and leader can, and should, be an interactive term. Today's managers
must possess a passion, commitment and long-term vision while operating in
an open, honest and trusting environment. True leaders/managers foster high
employee morale and use this team atmosphere to foster improved efficiency
and effectiveness.
Leadership development
As discussed earlier, truly successful leaders are made, not born. Leaders
are constantly evaluating and learning. While great leaders live and
practice leadership traits and skills every day, they also strive to better
know themselves and develop their character, will, vision and passion.
There are a number of steps you can take to develop and enhance your quality
of leadership. While some of these steps can be done quickly, some will take
serious reflection and time. One of the first and most important steps you
can take to improve your quality of leadership is to strive to know
yourself.
Successful leaders can identify their strengths, weaknesses and limitations.
They also possess the knowledge of what they want to accomplish, why they
want to accomplish it and how they intend to accomplish it. Leaders never
lie to themselves and deal directly and swiftly with problems, concerns or
mistakes they have made.
By truly and honestly evaluating and examining yourself, you will be able to
improve and enhance your overall performance, leadership skills and
character.
There are a number of additional steps you can take to develop and enhance
your quality of leadership:
* Attempt to know as much as possible about your business or organization
and its operations. By doing so, you will be able to contribute in more
aspects of your operations.
* Be vocal -- speak up and be heard. Help set the direction and tone of your
operations. Also, remember to always listen carefully.
* Become dedicated to your vision and be totally committed to carrying it
out.
* Master leadership traits and skills. By practicing these traits and skills
every day, you will not only enhance your quality of leadership, but improve
your business and employees' efficiency and effectiveness.
* Finally, become more aware of current events and the world around you.
There is a lot to learn from others. Look to other businesses, fields and
even cultures for new ideas and services.
In conclusion, the quality of leadership demonstrated by today's health and
fitness professionals can, and does, have a dramatic influence on the
success of health and fitness centers across the country.
By hiring, training and developing true leaders that not only have the
self-knowledge and inner strength to lead and motivate, but practice the
daily leadership traits and skills necessary for success, health and fitness
centers can dramatically enhance the possibilities of their success and
growth in the 1990s.
By Michael W. Haney
REFERENCE
Bennis, W. On Becoming a Leader. Addison-Wesley Press, 1989.
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