If you want to be great leader then there are many skills and attributes which you are going to need in order to successfully put yourself in a position of leadership and you should work on these personal characteristics as early as you are able to.
There is a huge difference between a good leader and a great leader and recently I have been speaking to Haris Ahmed Chicago-based businessman and leadership expert about what qualities the very best leader sin the world possess. So, if you wish to become a great leader one day then these are the attributes which you must have.
Focus
As a leader you must always have your head in the game and be focussed on the right things. Any issues away from your leadership role should disappear the moment that you step through the door and all of your efforts should be directed towards your focus.
Transparency
Good leaders like to hide behind jargon and private chats whereas the very best leaders are those who offer absolute transparency in what they do. Leading is about making sure that everyone around you understands exactly what it is that you are trying to do and through transparency in your actions you will be able to achieve this.
Confidence
A leader must trust in their own instincts and garner the trust and loyalty of others, in order to be this type of leader you need to have a deep rooted confidence in what you are doing and saying. There is a different between confidence and arrogance and it is vital that you stay on the side of confidence, there are no great leaders who have arrogance in their personality.
Integrity
You must be able to live up to the example which you are telling those below you to follow and in order to do this you must have very high levels of integrity. If you adopt the attitude of one rule for us and one rule for them then you will never be able to become a great leader as those below you will lose trust and respect for you.
Ability to Inspire
As the leader, your team will be looking to you to inspire them and give them the energy and the drive that they need. In order to do this you will need to be able to understand how each member of your team is inspired and tap into this. Not everyone will be inspired in the same way and it is your job as leader to work out the best way to inspire all of your team.
Passion
Without the passion for what you are doing, becoming a successful leader will be almost impossible. The passion which you have for what you are doing is infectious and it will be followed by those around you. Whatever you are doing in your leadership role, you should do so with love, commitment, dedication and most importantly, passion.