Leadership is a vital quality that can make organisations successful. With great leaders, there can be people in the organisation that become the best they can. Frequently, leadership is identified as management. Whilst this is sometimes true, there are differences that need to be recognised.
Management is the result you can get by using an effective set of processes, but leadership is more to do with the behaviour of an individual.
If certain characteristics are displayed by an individual, then they will tend to attract followers, and potentially even lead to leaders building a charisma that achieves a position where others are able to deliver positive results. Are you a leader? Does your organisation have leaders that possess the following qualities?
Personal Leadership
- Integrity. One of the most important traits. It over-arches a person’s attitude to the way things can be done. Everything else will be driven by this. – the most important requirement; without it everything else is for nothing.
- When people have successes, giving credit for what has been achieved, and recognise their part in it – however small and fleeting it might have been.
- Consistency. The likelihood of any person being correct one hundred percent of the time is small, but failures and mistakes will be understood when they happen if the attitude of a leader is consistent. If this is not the case, then people will be reluctant to come forward if they are unsure of the consequences of their actions.
Public Leadership
- Showing that there is an appreciation and resolute approach towards corporate responsibility, so that the need to achieve a profit or surplus is set against any wider social and environmental responsibilities in a balanced manner.
- Role Model Behaviour. They strive to always be seen as working to their optimum level, and as hard, or harder and more determinedly than anyone else.
- Fairness. Treating everyone equally and on merit, and judging the contributions of people in a measured and reasoned fashion.
Inclusive Leadership
- Seeking for people’s views. This can be done whilst remaining neutral and objective.
- Helping. Simply being there to assist your people when they need it.
- Involving people. Including in development projects, especially in managing change.
- Listening. Understanding people, and showing them that you understand. You don’t have to agree with everyone – understanding is different to agreeing.
Take a look at our Web of Excellence for Leading, and see how your organisation measures up. You can send it to us if you would like to learn more about how we can help.