Most psychologist have come to this conclusion that what distinguishes leaders from each other depends on their “logic of actions” which means that how they see the external world and what is their reaction when the enemy endangers their safety, property or power and has nothing to do with their traits of character or the way they lead or manage.
They have also found out that when leaders get to comprehend their own logic of actions not only they can get to find out their own competence and potentials and abilities but also those of their subordinates which results to the improvement of their leadership.
Outstanding attributes, we expect from our leader to have:
- The leader needs to have mental power to understand and solve obscure and complex problems.
- The leader needs to have a general vision of the future that generates everyone’s satisfaction and happiness.
- The leader needs to know how to turn strategy which is in his mind into real plans.
But the truth we have to confront is:
The truth is that no one is that flawless to live up to those standards and the complete person at the top who knows and is capable of everything by the name of the complete and flawless leader is a total myth. In fact, the sooner leaders stop daydreaming about being the flawless person who is everything people ever wanted, the better off their organizations will be.
The 5 Traits that Predict Leadership Success
1. Motivation
Though the “right” motivation for the leader of a major social-justice nonprofit will be very different from what motivates the head of an industrial distributor, the common thread is that both leaders have a deep desire to excel in their chosen field.
The nonprofit leader wants to lead an organization that makes a difference. The distributor CEO wants his or her company to deliver the best service in the industry and work with the best partners.
Understand what motivates you. What is it about your job that sparks your passion? Maybe it’s the product or service you deliver. Maybe it’s your team. How can you be the best at what you do? If you pursue what matters, the rest tends to fall into place.
2. Curiosity
People who go on to become great leaders are intensely curious about everything. They want to know how stuff works, why things are the way they are, and what changes are on the horizon. They solicit feedback and get excited by learning new things.
Cultivate your curiosity by asking questions. Even if you think you know the answer. Ask “Why?” Or “Tell me more” Or “What do you think?”
3. Insight
Here’s a pragmatic definition of insight: the ability to gather and make sense of a vast range of information; to change one’s views; and to set new directions. It is the opposite of a “because we’ve always done it that way” mentality.
Consider whether your thinking has gotten stale. Are you seeking out new sources of information? Talking to people outside your immediate circle of friends and colleagues? Are you aware of your own assumptions and constantly testing them? Are you looking at the big picture, or just what’s right in front of you? Are you redirecting your team’s efforts to reflect changing conditions and new information?
4. Engagement
Engagement is about how you connect to others, and how they connect with you. As you rise in the ranks, it’s easy to end up feeling disconnected, but you can’t inspire people to do their best unless they feel that you truly understand and care about them.
Get out from behind your desk. Practice management-by-walking-around. No matter how busy you are, make time for the people you lead. Ask their opinions about the business, whether they’re in the executive suite or working on the loading dock. Ask what they like about their jobs and what could be better. Ask about their families, where they went on vacation, what they do when they’re not working. Know their kids’ names.
5. Determination
Determination is what is commonly called “grit” these days – the ability to stick with something and see it through. In numerous studies, grit has been associated with long-term success. And it’s a quality that can be developed.
Leadership nowadays:
Nowadays the leader’s duty isn’t commanding their underlings or controlling their actions anymore but it rather is to coordinate their actions.
So we could conclude that good leaders, try to understand and accept their flaws and weaknesses and then they compensate their lacks of skills and strength by relying on others.
In the past corporations was more about hierarchies and less about collaboration but since the globalization of trade happened and people understood the importance of knowledge and intelligence everything changed and for a decade now hierarchy is no longer required in collaboration but rather appreciates knowledge, responsibility and creativity.
In global marketing decisions rapidly are made and financial, political, social and technological forces get changed really fast. stakeholders and collaborator and employees all have claims on organizations and no one can possibly stay on top of everything anymore.
Complete leader or incomplete leader?
Leaders who believe that they should be flawless and complete in order to lead the organization always are afraid of appearing weak and incompetent which leads them to exhausting themselves and their subordinates and bringing ruin and damages upon their organization in the process.
On the other hand, the incomplete leaders pretty much know when to let go of their flaws and weakness and instead of dwelling on them, they let other people who have enough expertise, vision and the means to do the job, be in charge also they always welcome new ideas, loyalty and commitment.
Then what is leadership based on?
The research among thousands of leaders who suffered under the heavy weight of being complete and flawless had paid off and finally researchers has found out that leadership is based on 4 capabilities:
- to understand the groundwork which the organization and its personnel are meant to work on
- making relations based on trust within and outside of the company.
- having a convincing and applying picture of the future plans.
- developing and finding new ways to reach the goal and finding competent people for the task
