What makes a good leader?
Leadership has been defined mostly as the ability to influence an individual, group of people into certain behavior, action and thoughts in order to follow a certain direction towards achieving a certain goal. When we are considering leadership, we have the tendency to think about it in terms of heading organizations. But leadership can happen without an office or holding of popular positions. Leadership can involve influencing members of your family or even a group of friends or hangouts. Leadership can happen consciously or unconsciously.
Elements of leadership
Leadership has happened without even us noticing we are being lead or we are leading. If you have ever happened to influence anyone to take certain direction in life, regardless of your position in life, you are a leader in your own right.
Leadership may involves the following terms
- Mentorship
- Motivating
- Guiding
- Educating
- Encouraging
- Supporting
- Directing
- Influencing
- Showing how to do something etc
We have both bad and good leaders but all of us desires good leaders.
What should we use to describe somebody as a good leader.
Qualities of a good leader
Inspirational
Good leaders usually stirs something inside us to want to do something worthwhile for others and for ourselves. They may do this because of their excellence that makes us want to be like them. Their character, way of doing things, their words and achievements makes us want to be like them.
Communication
Good leaders are able to communicate their thoughts and feelings effectively. Their speeches are usually convincing. Their words not only passes through ears but are conceived in our our hearts. Words of a good leader usually arouses the spirit within us to pursue something. For example, Barrack Obama when he was vying to be the president of the united states America moved the crowd because of his skills in speech and his inspiring words “yes we can”.
Builds confidence
A good leader makes people believe in themselves and that they can be able to overcome their challenges. Good leaders are like cheer leaders among the people who wants to give up. Good leaders remains optimistic when pessimism is hovering over everybody else. They see opportunities in hopeless situations. They acts as a beacon of hope when people are staring at hopelessness, for example Wilson Churchill.
Firm
Good leaders are not the type that is influenced by opinions. They make decisions based on strong facts and information and will not be prejudiced based on people’s opinion. If you have developed feelings based on what others has said without facts to support the feelings, you are far from being a good leader. Good leaders are not influenced in their decision.
Sees the bigger picture
Good leaders will see beyond current situations and see possibilities. They will not make decisions based on personal interests but for the benefit of every stake holder that will be affected by their decision. They will not focus on benefiting themselves through their position but will focus on building long lasting systems that will bring long term benefits to people. A good example of such leader was the third president of Kenya, Mwai Kibaki.
Source of security
Good leadership makes everybody feel secure around them. They will not be worried about unfair deals against them because they know the leader is a reliable person.
Think ahead
Good leaders are able to create visions and provide their followers with a course to follow. They provide dreams to be pursued and ways to pursue them.
Listening
Good leaders are not a know it all. You must recognize that your followers have something to contribute. Offcourse you may be surprised surprised that the people at the bottom pyramid in your company knows better what is good for the company compared to the top executives. After all, they could be closer to the consumer s than the top leadership
Ever learning
Good leaders are always finding new knowledge and better methods of accomplishing their goals. You learn from juniors, read books, learn from mistakes and from fellow leaders.
Compassionate
Good leaders will be kind to their subjects. Their aim is to offer leadership and sense of direction but not to boss around. Joy and happiness of the subjects matters to them. And compassion and kindness always work to the favor of such a leader.