Leadership Traits and Principles

" A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way." John C. Maxwell

Who qualifies to be a leader? Who can be called a leader? Is anyone and everyone capable of becoming a leader? What is leadership, anyway? Well, leadership is a skill to influence a group of individuals to willfully follow a direction, in order to achieve the ultimate goal of the organization. Is it a difficult job? It sure is! It involves dealing with a complex set of people, complex because every individual is different with different attitudes, temperaments, needs, and competence, and convincing them all to follow a particular path is no doubt a very daunting task. If you are an aspiring leader, then it is imperative for you to know and understand the different leadership traits and principles that need to be acquired and followed for being a successful leader. I have particularly used the word 'acquired' because none of us are perfect and certainly, not all of us are born leaders. Of course, these personality traits also play a very crucial and significant role in being a successful leader. However, these principles and traits are something that can be worked upon and will improve with time and experience.

Leadership in the 21st Century

If we study the trend, we can notice that there is tremendous difference between leadership styles followed in the 19th and 20th century and ones followed in the 21st century. There is a huge difference and this is due to the expansion of business and trade in the global economy. With the rise in number of various sectors and avenues in the economy, there is a huge demand for good leaders. That is not the concern though, as nowadays many students are pursuing management courses because of the popularity and heavy pay-packages available in the industry, this is indeed meeting the demand. However, for the industry, quality is as much, or rather more important, than the quantity, and management is in any case different than leadership. That, I realize, could be another bone of contention but we'll keep this argument for later and only concentrate on the traits and principles, required to become a leader, for now. Employees are the whole and sole of an organization, and the most important asset. It is not artificial intelligence that we are talking about, it is human intelligence which can be influenced by infinite factors. To manage people is a very challenging job and only a person with the right approach and the appropriate traits and principles would be able to survive in the long-run.

Principles and Traits of a Good Leader

The qualities that identify a true leader are as follows:

Vision
This is one of the most definite leadership quality that you'll find in an absolute leader. A leader has this extraordinary ability to foresee the future. It is not simply a dream, but a realistic dream as they can foresee the change in time, the challenges that they might have to face, and the way to survive and evolve in future.

Goal Oriented
Another must-have quality of a leader includes setting goals for the organization. Other than setting goals for themselves as individuals, it is imperative for a leader to set goals for the organization and the employees of the organization respectively.

Great and Quick Thinkers
The ability to think quick and smart is another important attribute of a leader that distinguishes a true leader from others. It's a tough market out there, that means tough competition and the leader who can think smartly and quickly can sustain this huge challenge and continue to thrive. Otherwise, he'll be crushed as the world does not match your pace, you need to match the world's pace.

Setting an Example
Being a leader is not easy, it means that you are a role model to many in your organization. A leader is an inspiration to everyone and besides wanting your employees to work, you want them to perform. Employees have a tendency to closely watch their leaders, the kind of demeanor they carry, the way they speak to them, and the general behavior at work. Hence, it is essential to keep a positive attitude in even in tough situations.

Motivation
For a leader, it is important to understand the level of motivation of the employees in the organization. According to the Maslow's Hierarchy Theory, a human being has different needs at different levels. Understanding those needs and providing the employees with what they need so that they can give their hundred percent at work is an essential quality that a leader must work upon if it is not inherent in him. A little motivation could work wonders for your employees and the organization, both.

Recognition
Rewarding and recognizing the employees for the work done is another important trait that many of the leaders tend to miss out on and that is the reason for many unsatisfied employees. Remember, your employees are the most valuable asset of your organization and they also have many options available in this fast-moving world. So, if you don't appreciate and acknowledge the valuable contribution they make in your success then they would have no qualms in leaving you because they have other places to go.

Now, if you are wondering how to apply these principles, then do not worry, once you acquire the above mentioned qualities, then you'd naturally be able to apply the principles in your day-to-day actions at work. The ones mentioned above are the most important leadership traits and principles that a leader requires to be a successful leader and not having and pursuing these principles would mean that you are merely managing people and not leading them.