“The most dangerous leadership myth is
that leaders are born – that there is a
genetic factor to leadership. That’s
nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true.
Leaders are made rather than born.” –
Warren Bennis
Great leaders share many common traits with you and
I. For one thing they are human! They have made
mistakes, failed, they have overcome disappointment,
heartache, tragedy and grief. No great leader has ever
been able to escape the roller coaster ride of life.
Becoming a great leader is
a work in progress. There
are a number of events
that occur in the life of a
leader where they were
required to act on specific
personal qualities or traits
that enabled them to lead
people to achieve
successful outcomes. I
believe that everybody has
within them the potential
to be a great leader.
Nelson Mandela is an
example of a person who
had a personal philosophy and mindset that enabled
him to become a great leader. He didn’t think he was
any one special however when placed in a situation
where he would be tested and isolated from life, his
personal philosophy became the mantra from which
he became a great leader.
You may not know it but you hold within you the
beliefs, attitudes and traits that are of leadership
quality. Here are 13 signs that you have within you the
mindset of a leader. If you “unleashed” your
leadership mindset, there is no doubt that you would
become the “great leader” you were born to be.
1. You Are A Realist and An Optimist
You accept that life is unique and it is what it is. You
like to deal with the reality of life however because you
are an optimist you have hope for the future and a
positive outlook on life.
You believe that there will always be a way to sort out
any situation you may face in life. Your optimistic view
of life is contagious and a source of positive energy for
those around you.
These are great qualities to have as a leader, as
leaders need to be positive and hopeful and at the
same time accepting what will be, will be.
2. You Love To Learn
You are always open to learning new things, in fact you
actively search for new knowledge and information
that can enhance your abilities to be a better person.
You also love to learn from others and you will actively
search out and connect with people who you can
watch and learn from.
Your love of learning is definitely a leadership quality.
A good leader never stops learning. They never turn
down the opportunity to learn new things. Like you,
leaders are open to the fact that the opportunity to
learn can come at any time. It could come from a
university lecturer, the person who makes their coffee
or sells them a newspaper. Your love of learning sets
you on the pathway to being a great leader.
3. You Are A Good Listener
You know when you are a good listener because
people come to you to ask your advice or to share
their problems. They know that when they talk to you,
you make them feel that they have been heard and
valued.
You don’t like to do a lot of talking when you are
listening to a person because that distracts you from
getting to the core of the issue or problem that is
being discussed.
The conversations you have with these people are not
about you and you understand that. You may know
the answer about how this person could solve the
problem, however your focus is guiding and advising
the person as to how they can come to their own
solution or plan of action.
Richard Branson believes that a person who is a great
listener has the ability to be a great leader. It is a key
requirement according to Branson and you have it.
4. You Always See Potential In Others
You love people and you connect easily with all types
of people. You also operate intuitively and will
recognise very quickly the potential abilities of people
you meet.
You see the potential for personal leadership in others
and will encourage and support those people to take
up any opportunity to unleash their potential.
5. You Are A Kind Person
You have empathy for people and you can very quickly
tune in to how they are feeling. You do not believe that
by showing kindness that you are being weak. In fact
you see it as a strength because by being empathetic
and kind to others means that you are living your
values and that to you is very important.
Being kind to others is an integral part of your life
philosophy and this is what makes you a great leader.
6. You Are Resourceful
You have this amazing ability to use what ever you are
given to make the best of a situation.People look to
you as the person who can take them out of a crises
because you always seem to find a way.
You are prepared to ask for favours, work hard, stay
focused, be honest and ask for help. You have an
ability to see and prepare for the future because you
embrace the concept of change.
To you change is a constant part of life and you just go
with it. This is a key quality for a leader to have,
because to be resourceful, you have to be motivated
to act quickly – procrastination is like a swear word to
you.
7. You Are A Good Communicator
You know who you are and what you stand for. You
can clearly articulate to others your thoughts and
opinions. Speaking your truth is important to you
however you are also very aware of how others
receive your message.
You are quite strategic in how you deliver what can be
received as “unwelcome news”. Your intention is
always to communicate even if it is a difficult message
with heart felt intent and you strive to ensure that
those receiving the message feel and clearly
understand your intent and what you are saying to
them.
There is no confusion, misunderstanding or unclear
expectations when you are communicating with
others because you work hard to ensure that all
parties are on the same page.
8. You Create And Maintain Great Relationships
You enjoy being around people and you surround
yourself with people who challenge, inspire, teach,
support and encourage you. You are a great
networker because you love connecting to people.
Family and friends are very important to you and you
work hard to have flourishing relationships with all
your family and friends.
People see you as someone who is reliable, honest
and trustworthy – you keep your word and you are not
into the drama of life. That’s just not your style. You
avoid relationships with people who lead lives that are
full of drama and negativity – their energy drags you
down.
You love the positive energy that your relationships
give you as it is this energy that fires you up, inspires
and motivates you. This is such an important quality
for a leader to have and you have it! Congratulations.
9. You Like To Have Fun And Celebrate
This is how Richard Branson lives his life and you
follow a similar life philosophy. Enjoying what you do
in your life both professionally and personally is
important to you and you just love to have fun. You
also love to celebrate your successes and other
people’s successes.
Your optimism and outlook on life is a source of
positive energy and its contagious. People really enjoy
being around you because you inspire and motivate
them with your energy, enthusiasm and love of life.
People always feel good when they engage and
connect with you. A wonderful quality that sets you up
to be an incredible leader.
10. You Are Self Aware And Confident
You know who you are, what you are good at and what
you are not so good at. You accept that you are
accountable for your own actions and behaviours.
You are not into the blame game and will admit you
are wrong or have made a mistake with no hesitation.
You spend a lot of time getting to know you so that
you can be a better person.
You are really comfortable working with others who
are more skilled than you because it means the job will
get done – probably to a better standard than if you
had tried to complete the task alone.
You know your strengths and your weakness and
you’re not afraid to share with people these aspects
about you. You know when you can help and when
you need help and as a result you appear to others as
a confident, articulate and empathetic person.
11. You Are Prepared To Take A Stand For What
You Believe
You know who you are and what you believe in and
you make sure that those around you know also. You
are not afraid to speak your mind. You also believe it is
important to do what you believe is right.
You are committed to your values and you live your life
according to those values. You respect diversity and
difference however you do not tolerate injustice,
intolerance and the abuse of others.
People feel inspired by your commitment and passion
and will seek you out to connect and engage with you.
This is a key quality of a great and courageous leader.
It takes courage to stand up and speak out for those
who are too afraid to.
12. You Tend Not To Panic In Difficult Situations
This quotes illustrates when good leaders shine –
which is effectively leading in challenging and tough
times. By staying calm in times of crises you
demonstrate a key leadership quality. When you are
able to stay calm in a crises situation you maintain the
ability to reason, to be effective, to have empathy and
to connect to how you feel.
An individual who panics can not act or respond with
consideration. They can only react and respond in the
heat of the moment. You do not operate this way
because you know that irrational and reactive
behaviour does not produce effective and reasonable
solutions.
13. You Are A Solution Based Thinker Who Likes
To Think Outside of the Square
You are future orientated in your thinking and that
means that you like to look outside of the square to
search for solutions. Forget the problem you say, lets
look at what solutions are out there for us to consider
on how we can solve the problem.
You have an ability to see and prepare for the future
because you embrace the concept of change. To you
change is a constant part of life and you prepare for it
and you just go with it.
You enjoy the challenge of thinking outside of the
square because it requires you to be creative and
innovative and thats when you feel the most energised
and inspired.
People feel your passion and energy – it is contagious
and people love you for it! When you are in this space
you are operating as the great leader you were born to
be.
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