There are many articles, books and forum topics out there about what skills and characteristics ensure leadership success. It’s a topic in which everyone seems to have contrasting views and opinions on. However, through my years of experience there are 10 characteristics I have seen to continually stand out among the leaders who achieve leadership success.
Below you will find the 10 secrets to leadership success which I have come across in various leaders I have worked with over the years.
10 Secrets to Leadership Success
Choose to lead
The old saying goes ‘some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon ‘em’, which can be easily applied to leadership. However, this saying means nothing unless the person chooses to be a leader. Leadership is a great thing, however if you wish to achieve success, you must choose to lead.
Be a leader you would want to follow
To be a successful leader, you must be a leader that others choose to follow. People are inspired by a leader who is confident, trustworthy, enables and empowered. Leaders who embody this will be more likely to choose to follow that leader than one who has no direction, is unsure of themselves and timid.
Have a vision
It is important that every leader has a clear vision of where they wish to take the organisation and team in the future. By communicating this clear vision to their team, they enable an all round understanding of what is expected of the team and what they must do to achieve success. Leaders who are able to identify a clear vision will achieve leadership success.
Be inspirational
Team members are more likely to choose to follow a leader if the leader is inspirational. A leader who inspires is one who is passionate about what they do, they are passionate about their work reflecting the views and mission of the organisation, they are trustworthy, listen to their team members, have integrity and make their team members feel included. To be a successful leader, you have to have a supportive team. By being an inspirational leader you increase the effort the team will put into your work, therefore achieving success.
Make others feel valued
A leader’s team is their most important asset, so they must take the time to make them feel that their work and input is valued and appreciated. By showing the team that you appreciate the work they are doing, you reinforce their actions. This positive reinforcement will increase their working motivation and productivity.
Lead by example
It is important that as a leader you live your views and values. By doing this, you reinforce your integrity and will increase the respect you have as a leader from your team members.
Set a pace
It is important that you clearly identify the work quality and pace at which work is completed expectations to your team. This must reflect your vision for the future and as a leader it is important that you also follow this pace, leading by example.
Foster continuous improvement
As a leader it is important that you always present projects that challenge and push your team to achieve more and better their skills. Foster an environment for continuous improvement, this sets you up for success as you become a stronger team together.
Provide opportunities
A leader that continuously provides opportunities for team members to grow professionally and personally is one that will achieve success. By presenting these opportunities you not only strengthen the skills of your team but you also show that you care. By doing this you foster a deeper relationship of respect and motivation with your team, therefore working harder to achieve success.
Be compassionate
Most importantly, a successful leader is one who shows compassion to their team members. By being compassionate you reinforce the fact that you care about the team. This will increase team member’s sense of value within the team and increase their work motivation, increasing the potential of success within the organisation.
As I mentioned earlier, there are many articles out there about what makes a successful leader, however from my experience these are the qualities and characteristics that I have continuously seen in leaders who achieve success. If you’re a leader, work towards including these characteristics into your leadership style – you will increase your success.
