What qualities should a leader have? Basic leadership qualities: what a true leader should be

Developing leadership qualities contributes to the development of a person’s strong inner core. The term “leadership” is found in various sciences that study man and society. For any group consisting of more than two people, this problem is relevant. Some of its members begin to behave more actively, people begin to listen to him, his opinion is put above others. In the process of forming a team, group members are conditionally divided into two camps: leaders and followers.

The study of this phenomenon has continued for many years. The concept of “leadership” is dedicated to great amount scientific works.

Why is this so important? Defining the concept and criteria of leadership helps to improve the methodology of effective management, which is important in modern society.

The debate about whether leaders are made or born continues to this day. Some psychologists adhere to the first version, others are inclined to the theory of the presence of inclinations by nature. But both of them agree that with due persistence and desire, any person can, which will lead him to success in his career and personal life.

• Such a person is distinguished from the crowd by his special charisma.

• Energy and determination are always characteristic of a leader.

• These people are not afraid to take responsibility and initiative.

• Control over your own emotions allows you to remain calm and cool in any situation, and look for the optimal way out of the current circumstances.

• The ability to “ignite” those around you, captivate them with ideas, and make them your comrades-in-arms.

Leader and manager: differences and similarities

The success of any business depends on who manages it. The first person of any company is its leader, who is responsible for the results and is responsible for everything that happens. At the same time, the director or boss is not always a leader.

The USSR had very good leaders. But not all of them were able to rebuild and become leaders in modern conditions. Effective management depends on whether the person can combine both roles. What are the differences between a manager and a leader?

Supervisor

The leader does not strive to achieve any goals. For him, tasks are usually set by someone higher up, so there is no personal interest. As a result, the manager has a passive position in relation to the result of work and low efficiency of employees.

The manager controls employees, and punishments for misconduct are much more common than rewards for success. Shortcomings in work are brought up for discussion, in contrast to achievements, which are practically not noted.

A leader demands respect for himself.

Leader

The leader clearly sees the final goal and plans the stages to achieve it. He strives to captivate his subordinates, to interest them in the result, in the activity.

The leader motivates and inspires the group. Errors are worked on together, and the team looks for ways to solve them. Rewards take precedence over punishments.

The leader treats employees as colleagues and welcomes initiative from subordinates.

Combination

In order to effectively manage a company and build a career, it is not enough to be a good leader. Modern reality is such that a boss must have the makings of a leader; this is the only way to talk about achieving any results and developing the organization.

List of personal qualities of a leader

There are several main qualities that a leader needs:

1. Responsibility.
2. Adequate self-esteem.
3. Emotional intellect.
4. High concentration.
5. Empathy.
6. Perseverance and patience.
7. Charm and charisma.
8. Self-development planning.

Developing leadership qualities requires constant work on yourself. Planning at this stage is great importance. To do this, you should follow several important recommendations:

• Not everyone can set the right goal. Final result to many it seems weak and very blurry. This is one of the main obstacles to success. The clearer the goal is, the greater the chances of achieving it.

• Don't miss the opportunity! The ability to recognize and use them is distinctive feature any leader. Passively waiting for the right opportunity is not for those who truly strive for success.

• Don't be afraid to take risks! We should not forget about such a concept in psychology as the “comfort zone”. In it a person feels familiar and comfortable, he feels good in everything. But often it is the “comfort zone” that is an obstacle to development, since you can easily get “stuck” in it. There is no need to be afraid of new situations, unexpected turns and events. Without them, personal growth and development of leadership qualities is impossible.

• You must always be open to learning. Do not think that after receiving a diploma higher education, you no longer have to open textbooks. You should never neglect the theoretical part of any question. The fact that knowledge lies in power was said long ago by one of the classics.

• Observe others and learn from their positive experiences. From childhood, before a person’s eyes there are people more successful and successful than him in business. One should not envy them, since much more benefits will bring adoption of their experience and professional qualities.

Each of us is a leader in a certain area: at work, among friends, in the family. For many, being a leader means controlling others. Those who hold this viewpoint one day discover that the more they try to control others, the less influence they have over them. Paradox!
For some, leadership is directly related to power, but they forget that you can be a leader even if you occupy a completely ordinary position. When a man sees that something needs to be done, his ordinary position will not deter him from taking the initiative; he will simply take responsibility and do what he has to do. True leadership has nothing to do with superiority over others, high position or prestige. It is associated with the disclosure and realization of the potential of the people around us. Leadership is not the power of one, but the fruit of the joint work of many people.

Unfortunately, today many men do not want to be leaders because of their own apathy and laziness. They would be more than happy to live their lives quietly and simply, while others are responsible for them. However, society needs leaders. If you have to be a leader, will you be up to the challenge?

Every man who has five qualities, which we will tell you about in our column today, can be a leader.

1. Ability to make decisions

A good leader can think through every task from start to finish. The decision must be made during the calm before the storm, and the coming stress, fear and chaos will confirm your decision. In any situation, there is an opportunity to retreat, a kind of emergency exit, a chance to escape responsibility and choose safety and tranquility. But isn’t victory, a worthy way out of a difficult situation, the best reward? A true leader makes a decision and, having made it once, does not doubt the correctness of his choice. He knows what is right and does not suffer in the grip of indecision, but accepts the challenge with equanimity. A good leader does not panic, does not yell, and does not try to hide his helplessness by feigning frantic activity. Next to such a leader, everyone feels extremely confident; he is like a strong anchor in a storm.

How to learn to make decisions
Don't wait for a crisis situation to force you to act. Think about your goals and develop a plan for how you will respond to a crisis situation, what you are going to do in case of each specific difficulty. Don't wait until the problem grows to enormous proportions and you panic and begin to lose ground. Practice on some everyday tasks and you will see: no panic, no hesitation - you will just remember your plan and follow it.

2. Willingness to take risks

He who doesn't take risks doesn't drink champagne. High achievements come only to those who are willing to take risks. A leader who chooses only the beaten path will never achieve success. The prospect of living without risk is, of course, attractive; this safe haven of security and comfort has often lured many into the trap of apathy and routine. A weak person will always hesitate to take a risk: he is attracted by what he can get as a result, but at the same time paralyzed by the fear of defeat. Remember that you can also learn a lesson from failure: without ever failing, a person will not know the limits of his capabilities, his potential, his abilities. Anyone who never has enough courage does not notice that he is taking the biggest risk possible: he risks stopping his development, becoming lazy in his soul and not noticing anything around him that would be worth his efforts.

How to learn to take risks
Fear of risky ventures is common. You can't take big risks if you haven't taken small risks. So find one for yourself in Everyday life the ability to take risks for minor reasons. It could be as simple as a conversation with a stranger. Think about what scares you: for example, having to speak in public - and do it. If you overcome yourself every day, you will develop the ability to overcome your own fear and understand that it is still worth taking risks. Eventually you will learn to take big risks when your position as a leader requires it.

3. Willingness to share rewards with subordinates

A good leader, highly confident in his own abilities, humbly admits that no success is his own achievement, no matter how great his role. He is deeply grateful to all those whose efforts achieved this great result. A leader understands human nature: all people want recognition, they want to be appreciated. When an organization or just a group of people achieves success, a true leader shows his gratitude to his subordinates. When people see a leader being humble and sharing success with them, they are even more willing to follow him.

How to learn to share success with subordinates
Sharing success is easy. Often, a public thank you or a simple “Thank you” card is enough for a person to understand that he is appreciated. When you thank or praise someone, try to be as specific as possible. This way the person will understand that you are well aware of what exactly he is doing; will feel that they are interested in him.

4. Willingness to take the blame

This is exactly the parameter by which you can distinguish a good leader from a bad one. A true leader is ready for two opposing scenarios at the same time. He is ready to share success with his subordinates and at the same time knows how to behave if things end in failure. If a leader starts looking for someone to blame for a general failure and abdicates all responsibility for it, people will lose trust in him. A true leader takes responsibility for all the consequences of decisions made, including bad ones. Even if the failure is the subordinate's fault, a true leader will think that he did something wrong. He may have given unclear instructions or placed the person in the wrong position. Once the leader has taken responsibility, he begins to take steps to correct the situation.

How to learn to take blame
When you take responsibility for failure, you must be sincere. Admitting your own failure should grow from your confidence that it is you who are primarily responsible for the matter. If you admitted guilt just for show, it will be like a boy, not like a man. Don't pretend to be a martyr or seek approval for taking responsibility. In addition, there is no need to publicly flaunt this responsibility and then in an informal setting tell your subordinates that you took the blame on yourself to save their skins. It will look fake and undermine your credibility.

5. A true leader has strong nerves that help him survive storms and disappointments and start every day with a clean slate, without focusing on his successes and without being depressed by defeats.

Even the strongest leaders in history have had moments of stunning success and brutal defeat. A true leader focuses on what he can change and what he can influence, and the past is not one of those things. If you fail, you will learn from it and then immediately stop worrying - and failure will benefit you. Constantly tormenting over what has already passed will not help you. Moreover, the people who follow you will lose faith in you.

Celebrate victories with your employees and move on. If a leader is fixated on past achievements, this indicates that he is not setting new goals for himself. As we are taught, it is often the arrogance of leaders that causes their decline.

How to stop focusing on the past
Read biographies of great people. As you learn more about the lives of great leaders, you will realize that even they experienced moments of profound failure. You will understand that just one failure does not mean that you are incapable of leading. And the example of famous rulers will show you that good leader can achieve a lot.

Henry Ford said that the question "Who should be the boss?" is similar to the question “Who should be the tenor in a quartet?” Obviously a man who can sing tenor. A true leader is not afraid of responsibility and is ready to answer for the people who trust him.

Not every person is given the opportunity to be a leader in the most in the best sense this word. Many are sure that being ahead of everyone is very prestigious, but in fact they are poorly aware of what a true leader should be, what qualities he should have so that people would strive to follow him and would like to be equal to him.

After all, in essence, this person is like a beacon that indicates where people who trust him need to move.

A leader can become a person whose interests are much broader than just his own, because he thinks extremely broadly - and, first of all, he is most interested in the personal growth, development and self-realization of other people.

Qualities that are essential to a true leader

1. A clear awareness of your own goal

A true leader knows absolutely exactly and really understands where and why he is going - because this gives him the opportunity to lead other people - his followers. Otherwise he will be just a small unit of a large crowd.

2. Self-control, the ability to listen to your intuition

Knowing yourself well, the ability to understand what is happening inside yourself, the ability to understand and at the right moment listen to your own emotions, feelings, intuition is a really important quality of a real leader.

Are you surprised that so much attention is paid to ordinary feelings? In vain. It is they who help at the right moment to correctly navigate what is happening and to “notice” in time the chance that life carefully provides. A true leader cannot be manipulated, he cannot be led astray from his intended path - after all, he clearly understands what he wants.

3. Adequate self-esteem

A leader must be calm, sober-minded, and in his own strength. All these important qualities help him behave correctly in certain critical cases, and thanks to them, sometimes he can even take risks in some way, because in certain critical situations his determination and courage are really increased.

Adequate self-confidence significantly expands the limits of a leader’s capabilities, as a result of which he can gain new positive life experiences. Usually such a person has a much higher sense of self-confidence than his followers.

4. Moral readiness to take reasonable risks

A true leader is ready to take risks not only in business, in his own business, in his own work, but also in his normal everyday life.

Moreover, he is absolutely not afraid to do this, and all because he is quite clearly aware that he will have to pay a serious price for initiative not shown in time. That is why he is ready, in some cases, to literally get ahead of possible events and consciously take a certain risk.

5. Honesty and reliability

Any leader is, in a sense, the bearer of certain general moral norms of a certain association of people, therefore his own worldview and actions must correspond to the universal human and moral norms that are familiar to us - justice, honesty, reliability, a certain responsibility and a clear consistency in his own actions and actions.

6. Motivational activity and adequate initiative

A true leader never waits for someone else to make him want to be productive. He understands and is clearly aware that the entire responsibility for convincing himself to do something lies solely with him. Therefore, first he tries to learn how to properly motivate himself, and later makes self-motivation a necessary and absolutely regular practice.

7. Active life position

It is she who helps the leader correctly and adequately navigate in any current situation. Thanks to her, he is always practically in the thick of any events, knows how to find out everything directly from first-hand, and as a result of this, he is well informed about everything that is happening and has an absolutely clear opinion on every matter.

8. Ability to gather people into a team

As a rule, he constantly attracts people to himself with his thoughts or ideas, certain ideals, as well as the power of his ability to persuade, so a certain group of like-minded people gathers, which becomes a cohesive team.

This is the skill common man is the most important ability that subsequently determines his successful development as a leader. And competent setting of the right values ​​and rational control over the adherence of the followers themselves to these goals is an important quality of the leader himself.

9. Definition and clear vision of the future

Agree that a person leading a team must know the direction where he is going. Therefore, the most important organizational qualities of a true leader, among others, also include observation, determination and a clear awareness of the prospects for the specific activities of his team - the people who follow him. A true leader does not notice the obstacles that arise in his way, but he absolutely clearly and clearly sees the specific goal to which he strives.

10. Ability to organize and motivate a team to quickly solve assigned tasks

This is a fundamental organizational quality of a true leader. It lies in the ability to competently and adequately distribute responsibilities between team members, as well as the ability to properly motivate and at the right time inspire people to complete specific tasks and coordinate work if really necessary.

11. The ability to quickly navigate in any current situation

In fact, the leader is the main participant in a complex process; he is literally in the center of events, where various forces interact and confront, which very often objective reasons cannot control it independently. Therefore, a true leader must feel the potential development of events, literally “feel the situation” and at the same time be able to instantly navigate it so that the decision he makes is exclusively correct.

12. Willingness to help and support your followers in difficult times

These qualities characterize a true leader as a Person. People begin to respect him even more because he always keeps their interests in mind, and if he is also puzzled by what he can give them, and not by what he, as a leader, can get from them, then respect and love for him is simply will know no boundaries. A bad leader is one who does not notice the problems of his followers and does not consider it possible to support them in difficult situation, especially when he can and is capable of doing it.

Besides extensive list leadership qualities, a true leader must be able to thank and promptly encourage his followers. This will help him perform specific functions in organizing the management process much more successfully.

How often have you met people like this in your life? Most likely, it is really rare. Sometimes life tests the strength of such comrades. They start out as true leaders, but, alas, they never pass the tests because they are weak in character or they are not leaders at all, but just ordinary upstarts.

If you suddenly notice that you have certain leadership inclinations, then know that positive traits need development, which means that you are able to overcome all obstacles that arise, avoid possible temptations of exceeding your authority and become a real leader, but this is not achieved immediately. Don't be afraid to work on improving your own personality!

Being able to be a leader is important for everyone who decides to engage in own business or head a division of the organization. For some, this skill is given by nature, and it manifests itself in childhood - at school, on sports fields, among peers. It is undoubtedly easier for such children to grow into real leaders in life. However, if nature has not fully endowed you with leadership qualities, this can always be corrected by hard work on yourself.

He is of the opinion that everything can always be developed in oneself, the main thing is to have great desire and perseverance. To know what to strive for, consider personal qualities leader who formulated John Maxwell(trainer for personal development, and in particular, leadership). In his opinion, every true leader must harmoniously combine 21 qualities, which we'll talk Further.

Hardness

On life path every person meets from time to time difficult situations, and to make the right decision, you need to show your character. As a rule, it is in such situations that the degree of strength of character and perseverance is revealed. A person who does not know how to show firmness in solving important issues and demonstrates inconstancy will never be followed by other people.

Charisma

Hundreds of books have been written on the topic of becoming a charismatic leader. This is a separate part of the general theory of leadership. And it’s not for nothing that psychologists pay such attention to this - developing charismatic qualities in yourself is not so easy if they are not given to you by nature. Not easy, but quite possible! The idea that you either have charisma or you don’t, and nothing can be done about it, is wrong. Such people themselves block their personal achievements. Charisma is a personal attraction, and in order to develop it in yourself, first of all, you need to learn to love your life and the people who surround you.

Devotion

To get people to follow you, you must be dedicated to what you do. Adequate love and commitment to one’s work are essential qualities of a leader. Your goal is to make people believe in your common cause, but how will you do this if you don’t believe yourself? Loyalty can also be expressed in other, more mundane things: how much time you spend at work, what you sacrifice for it, and how much personal effort you put into achieving a goal.

Communication skills

You've probably noticed that the leader in every team is a sociable, talkative and easy-to-get-together person. We do not mean excessive talkativeness, but communication skills. If you want to become a leader, it is essential to develop the skills to communicate with the most different people. If you have a great idea or thought, but you cannot effectively communicate it to others, how will they know about it? And then the fact that you have some unique idea will not matter to them at all.

In general, in order to develop your communication skills, it is important to adhere to the following principles - do not complicate your speech, notice individuality in each person, speak only sincerely and insist on a response.

Awareness

A knowledgeable or competent leader is not just a person who can convey his thoughts to others, but can also develop a plan of action to solve a given problem; plan what he needs to do himself and what others need to do. A competent leader does not need to convince people to follow him. When he becomes competent, people themselves want to follow him. Moreover, awareness is one of those qualities that needs to be proven constantly. Every day you must demonstrate this quality in communicating with your followers, and you should never stop at the level once achieved.

Courage

The courage that lives within a leader can engender this quality in his followers. It is important to remember that when faced with a difficult life situation, which requires the manifestation of courage, boldness and bravery, it is necessary to first overcome the struggle with oneself. A courageous leader is one who makes not just quick and resourceful decisions, but also the right decisions.

Foresight

With this quality you will be able to find a solution current problem and know that in the future it will not entail negative consequences. In order to choose the right path to solve a problem, it is necessary to find out the origins of this difficulty. Since there is never only one right solution, it is important to consider all alternatives and choose the most optimal one.

Concentration

A leader's effectiveness is determined by his ability to focus on the task at hand. This is also where the need for proper prioritization arises. To achieve your goal most effectively, you need to know which things require more concentration and which require less. John Maxwell advises focusing on strengths by 70%, on weaknesses by 5%, and on new, not yet developed aspects by 25%.

Generosity

Generosity is a powerful factor in persuasion and leadership. However, even here it is important to constantly stick to the same line and be generous always, and not just “on holidays.” Generosity shown only once is unlikely to give reason to consider you a truly magnanimous and generous person. A true leader who is able to captivate people must act in the interests of his group and each individual member, and not just his own.

Cultivating true generosity in yourself is not a quick process, however, when you succeed, you will notice how people themselves will begin to reach out to you. Of course, this is only possible in combination with the other leadership qualities we talk about in this article. Start with sincere gratitude for what you have, and perceive money not as an end, but as a means.

Initiative

To become successful, you need to take action. Moreover, to show not some abstract actions, but quite concrete ones. If you stop even for a little bit, you already risk losing a lot of what you could have. Moving along a given path, of course, sometimes you will make mistakes, but the main thing is to never stop acting. Show initiative in motivating yourself: don’t wait for external incentives, motivate yourself from within. It is also worth looking within yourself for the reason for the lack of initiative. For everything that is not as you would like, only you are to blame, and not the people around you.

The art of listening and hearing

John Maxwell called this quality art, since such a skill requires a lot of work on oneself. A leader should always build his communication strategy with his followers in such a way that they talk to him not about what the leader wants to hear, but about what he really needs to know in a given situation. If they only talk to you about pleasant things, praising your knowledge and skills, but are afraid (or do not want) to report troubles or admit their mistakes, then only the illusion of leadership is created.

To hear what your interlocutor (subordinate, partner, client, competitor) really wanted to convey to you, during a conversation, open not only your ears, but also your heart. Perceiving only bare facts will not give you a chance to penetrate to the very essence of the problem. Learn to read between the lines and understand not only the words of your interlocutor, but also his feelings and emotions.

Passion

What can having passion do for a leader? Firstly, it fully develops the willpower of the individual. If you have a strong desire to achieve something, you will always find the strength to do it, even if you have to sacrifice something. Secondly, passion enhances your ability to achieve your goal. Third, passion has the power to change the world around you. If you are guided by the passion you have developed for your goal, and not by any other intentions or feelings, you will become a more effective leader.

Passion can erase the word “impossible” from your vocabulary - because if you passionately desire something, then nothing can stop you from achieving your goal.

Positive attitude

To each successful person you just need to constantly charge positive energy. Positive thoughts and attitudes - important point in your development as a successful person. This affects not only your own perception of the world and the people around you, but also how the people around you perceive you.

It is worth understanding that on the path of every person there will be both people giving you flowers and people throwing stones at you. It is important not to let these stones spoil your positive attitude in life. And the most experienced and effective leaders can even turn all the negativity directed towards them from ill-wishers into positivity. It is important to always remember that your attitude in life determines much that happens to you - from small things to great events.

Ability to overcome current difficulties

No matter what field you work in, from time to time you will encounter difficulties and problems that need to be solved. It is impossible to escape from problems; they have always been, are and will be in our lives. Modern world is in constant development and it is characterized by an ever-increasing complexity of diversity.

To develop problem-solving skills, rely on the following: analyze the current situation and make predictions possible difficulties; accept reality as it is; always consider the whole picture, and not its individual fragments; act in order, without skipping a single step; don't give up, even when something goes wrong.

Ability to get along with people

One way or another, each of us interacts with different people. And those who strive to become a leader must have a special attitude towards relationships with surrounding individuals. People will be drawn to you if they enjoy working with you; if you can always get along with them in any situation, even the most uncomfortable ones. The ability to build favorable relationships with people is based on three factors: understanding, sympathy and desire to help.

Responsibility

It is important to remember once and for all: you alone are responsible for who you are, what you have and what you do. True leaders never shift responsibility to relatives, friends, colleagues, bosses, or subordinates. Big success is possible only if you have the ability to take responsibility and answer with dignity for yourself and your actions in any outcome of the situation.

Self confidence

If you have somehow gained a leadership position, but there are still traces of self-doubt inside you, you as a leader will only harm your team, but most of all, harm yourself. In this situation, your internal personal shortcomings (uncertainty in your actions) will only intensify, since much will be expected from you as a leader, but you will not be able to demonstrate this much. A confident leader is a leader who is able to instill confidence in other people; a leader who gives people more than he receives from them; a leader who empowers himself and his followers.

Self-control

Self-control is one of the foundations of success in achieving your goals. Without self-discipline, you will not be able to get the most out of your capabilities and reveal all your skills and talents. To develop the self-control of a leader, you need to begin to lead a disciplined lifestyle, and it should concern not only work, but also all other areas of your life. Forget about any excuses for your wrong actions, set priorities and strictly follow the plan.

Ability to work for others

It’s worth making a reservation right away: what is meant here is not your position or work responsibilities, but the psychological side of this skill. Paradoxically, to learn to truly serve people, you need to have strong self-confidence. Only she can allow you to do this without compromising adequate self-esteem (which exists in every person). A leader who serves others does so at will, and puts the interests of other people somewhat higher than his own.

Self improvement

A true leader will never be satisfied with what he has already achieved. Even when you have already gained respect from others, your opinion is valued and you can influence people, never stop improving yourself.

If you stop there, you risk losing a lot of what you have already achieved. Why? Logical chain is simple: 1) the ability to improve yourself determines who you are; 2) who you are determines who and how you can lead; 3) and who you lead has a significant impact on the overall success of your team. To begin effective self-training, you need to get rid of excessive pride and narcissism, and admit that there is still a lot you don’t know and can’t do.

Work for the future

Without this quality, no person can become a leader. Those who want to get everything at once, as a rule, never receive anything. Look into the future, concentrate your efforts on what you want and you will definitely succeed!

Depending on the mentality, field of activity and characteristics of the community of people, the leadership traits in demand may differ. What qualities does a true leader have in the universal sense, regardless of whether he is endowed with formal authority as a leader or has informal authority in a group or team?

Leader and leadership

What is leadership? A leader is a person who, thanks to his authority, the community gives the right to decide basic issues for everyone. Leadership is a set of qualities that allow one to gain this authority, a way of organizing influence.

From the time of Plato to the 19th century. it was believed that only individual and innate personality traits allow one to become a real leader. For example, Charles Darwin's cousin, Francis Galton, believed that leadership is an inherited talent.

Later, theories were put forward that it is quite possible to educate a leader, but only if one has the ability. Modern approach takes into account individual properties to a lesser extent, shifting the main emphasis to behavioral strategy. Now he is a person with the ability to inspire action.

How to identify leadership potential? The potential of a true leader is determined by:

1. Innate individual traits.
2. Purchased. Thanks to upbringing, training, self-education, experience.
3. Psychological attitude (vocation). Feelings, beliefs, ideas, self-images.

Being a leader is not a position, but a character.

Traits of a True Leader

The innate qualities of the owner themselves do not automatically make them a leader, but they help them become. The acquired qualities can turn you into an effective leader. But, without some individual qualities, it is difficult to become a real leader that people will voluntarily follow.

1. Character. Determined in relation to oneself and people, to things and activities. The character trait that immediately reveals a leader is will. The ability to consciously form a goal and concentrate on it. Self-regulate your own activity to achieve results. Basic volitional qualities:

• Determination. A leader sees the main thing and does not lose it in many problems and trifles. The ability to concentrate on the expected result is also the ability to plan the path to achievement, as if watching a movie from the end. John Maxwell, who has written dozens of books on motivation, calls this property long-term vision.
• Self-control and courage. A leader's behavior depends on his decisions, not his circumstances.
• Independence, determination, perseverance. Ability to make decisions. Take full responsibility and complete what you start, regardless of failures.
• Proactivity, initiative, curiosity. Be in the center of things and one step ahead of everyone else.
• Performance. Oddly enough, diligence is also a trait of a true leader. After all, in order decisions made led to the achievement of the goal, it is necessary to work on them diligently and systematically.

1. Charisma. Exclusivity and personal appeal, inspiring unconditional faith in others in the capabilities of the owner.

1. The desire to manage people, expressed in organizational skills:

• Ability in short time find a solution to the problem.
• . The ability to express oneself correctly and accurately.
• A true leader will easily create a team. Can select the necessary personnel, find application for their abilities in the context of the assigned tasks, understands the psychology of people. Reveals their talents.
• Ability to organize. Give instructions and commands or otherwise influence others. Including manipulating them.
• Able to bear responsibility for the actions of subordinates.

1. Emotional competence. The ability to create an emotional microclimate in a community or team that is most suitable for quickly achieving your goals. Atmosphere is achieved through persuasion, suggestion or contagion. This is helped by:

• Faith and passion.
• Positive attitudes.
• Energy.
• Listening skills.
• Fairness and rigor.
• Ability to punish and reward.
• Flexibility of behavior.
• Generosity.
• Sense of humor.
• Eloquence. The gift of persuasion.
• The ability to appreciate people.

1. Competence. It is not necessary to have the highest IQ, but to be effective and successful, you need to have some experience in troubleshooting problems and finding solutions.
2. Willingness to take risks. Inextricably, the ability to think analytically.
3. Reliability and consistency.
4. Knowing yourself, your strengths and weaknesses. And the ability to work on shortcomings and organically replace them with advantages.
5. Ability for self-learning and self-education. The desire to develop, not to stop developing. Striving for ideal.

A leader and a manager are not the same thing. A leader is endowed with formal, official power, and a leader is endowed with the ability psychological influence. Ideally, these two roles coincide.

You can try to cultivate real leadership traits in yourself, because it is not for nothing that the view is widespread that leaders are made, not born.

How to awaken the leader within you?

There are situations in life when an ordinary person in a dangerous or tense situation activates latent (hidden) leadership skills. He takes responsibility and decides some vital important question. Such cases suggest that anyone can become a leader under certain conditions.

How to create the necessary atmosphere for awakening your leadership potential?

1. Develop abilities to.

• In order to evaluate yourself, keep a notebook in which you write down your own positive and negative qualities, in your opinion and the words of your loved ones. Learn not to react painfully to criticism. Each critical remark learn to logically refute. Develop self-confidence. But don't confuse it with selfishness.
• Make it a habit to make a plan for the next day. Every evening, describe what you managed to do. Celebrate your successes. Such a “diary” will allow you to identify your weaknesses and outline the path to eradicate them.

1. Develop leadership behavior in the team and family.

• Start small: organize interesting and active leisure time. Offer the best, in your opinion, solutions to problems at work. The main thing for a leader is to organize people.
• Communicate more. Develop your communication skills at every opportunity. Know how to listen and hear others, and then draw your own conclusions.
• Accept people for who they are. This will help you find best use their qualities. A true leader is not one who asks the question: “How can the team help me achieve my goal?” He asks himself, “How can I help them achieve our goal?”
• Mentally play out dialogues to motivate fictitious interlocutors.
• Practice self-control.

1. Learn to take initiative and responsibility.

• Fear of criticism and failure is natural. But developing the ability to deal constructively with mistakes helps you grow. Be optimistic about failure. Fight the fear of failure.
• Without patience and perseverance, success is impossible. Learn to concentrate.
• A true leader chooses his own job: one that he likes or develops.
• not only to others, but also to yourself. Train your will by giving up.
• Show concern for others, but do not live with other people's problems.
• Try not to accept imposed roles. Be yourself.

1. Set goals, make plans. Go towards achieving results. From less to more.

• Set goals that are beyond your capabilities. They should not be vague, but only crisp and clear. Don't set unrealistic deadlines for implementation. Learn patience and perseverance.
• Learn to plan. First write down the day, then the week.
• “Laziness” and “leadership” are incompatible concepts. Be active. Make every effort to achieve the desired result.
• Read more, find out. After all, to own the World is to own information.
• Perform your duties as responsibly as possible.
• Record your achievements.

Malcolm Gladwell, in his book Geniuses and Outsiders, notes that passivity is often a quality of people from poorer classes who are reluctant to take the initiative for fear of vulnerability and self-doubt. How to awaken the leader within you? Squeeze “a slave out of yourself drop by drop,” as Chekhov said.

External manifestations of leadership qualities

A dominant person in a community is not always active. But it is quite easy to identify it by external manifestations leadership qualities:

• They dress well. They're watching appearance, but without extravagance in the image. They have their own style.
• They surround themselves with people.
• They look straight into the eyes and shake hands confidently.
• Direct the conversation when communicating.
• They always listen to the speaker to the end and do not rush to answer.
• Quite polite and tactful.
• In the classroom they are placed at some distance from everyone in order to have an overview and not allow strangers into their personal space. But they don’t hide behind their backs.
• Characterized by a confident gait with swinging arms.
• They themselves volunteer to perform duties from which the majority remain silent.
• They immediately grasp the essence of the problem.

It is very important to consider the implicit leader in the team in order to direct his activities for the benefit of the entire organization.

Woman leader

It is difficult for the weaker sex to dominate, especially in a male team. What special qualities of a real leader, besides the basic ones, should women cultivate in themselves in order to achieve success?

• Control your emotionality. Social intelligence helps a woman feel relationships in a team, but emotions should not control reason.
• Learn to build long-term perspectives.
• Formulate thoughts clearly and specifically.
• For a woman leader, an authoritarian management style is not always effective. It is best to use democratic.
• Be prepared to take risks. Women's intuition is great for this.
• Take criticism adequately.
• Don't be afraid to use charm to win yourself over. But always separate work and relationships.

Leadership allows you to develop personally and experience the fullness of life. But only if you realize the uniqueness of your qualities. Simply adopting behavior and imitating qualities in order to feel elevated above others is unlikely to help you become a real leader.

You need to be yourself, find your talent, abilities, energy and devote all your time and energy to it. After all, being a leader is not only a reward, but also a heavy burden.