8 Distinct Personal Attributes Of Truly Motivational Leaders
Originally published at lmt-lss.com on March 6, 2016.
We all have seen and met leaders. They are everywhere: in schools, offices, restaurants, and even on the streets. But how many the leaders that we see every day would we say are truly good leaders? Probably, very few. The fact is that being a good leader takes a great deal of understanding of our own selves as well as our surroundings. If you want to know what specifically makes a leader truly great, take note of these following attributes.
1. Curiosity
Truly good leaders are excellent students all their lives. They carry a childlike curiosity wherever they go. They ask a bunch of “whys” and “hows” to dig deep into the concepts they don’t understand and therefore learn everything inside-out.
2. Empathy
Empathy is a highly underrated leadership trait, but plays a very important role in leader’s life. Oprah Winfrey is known for being empathetic. Her millions of followers are able to connect with her because she has an insane ability of stepping into people’s shoes and look at life from their perspective.
3. Humility
The most disastrous side-effect of success is arrogance. It builds an illusion around you that you’re superior and always right. True leaders, however, never let success corrupt their values. They remain humble and down to earth no matter how successful they are in their lives. Sachin Tendulkar is a shining example of a person with incredible humility.
4. Honesty
It takes balls of steel to be honest. Speaking the truth is not everyone’s cup of tea. This is precisely why not everyone’s a good leader. But have you ever thought why honesty is so discomforting? Because it opens the gateways of equally honest remarks on us. True leaders don’t care about what people think or say about them when it comes to being honest.
5. Patience
Everyone wants to be successful. Everyone wants to hit the target, become popular, go home and sleep peacefully. But success isn’t for those who are restless. Success comes to those who are patient. Through ceaseless failures, life tests people who are patient and persevering, and makes them successful.
6. Assertiveness
Assertiveness is a hard leadership skill to learn. This is because before being assertive, one needs to be confident about their views. Also, one has to also be tuned in to the right intent. Assertiveness, in that sense, is being certain about what you want and not budging because of criticism, riskiness or fear. Steve Jobs’s assertiveness made him a true leader.
7. Fairness
Leaders have friends as well as enemies. But what differentiates a truly good leader from the rest is this: when it comes to taking a decision, true leaders are always unbiased. They evaluate their friends as well as their enemies with the same parameters. They are always play a fair game.
8. Integrity
It’s easy to lose our plot as leaders. Circumstances demand us to morph our core values and principles according to the situation at hand. But true leaders abstain from given in to such demands. Whether it’s money, fame or sex, they never compromise on their integrity. They always stand by their true values.
