Traits of a Leader

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The basic premise for leadership is the process of influencing other people to follow your lead in order to accomplish a goal. It is about the relationship between the leader and the followers. A good leader tries to motivate people to bring about positive changes revealing a common objective without using coercion or manipulation. Leadership is not about control, but permitting interaction and communication between the leader and the individual followers. With empowering others, leaders build a foundation of collaborative thinking and encourage an atmosphere of personal involvement; a leader can strengthen the respect and loyalty of his or her followers. Leaders can affect this process by applying their own personal characteristics, such as individual beliefs and values, natural abilities, knowledge, and skills.

The character traits of leadership begin with the authenticity of the leader who wants to inspire or motivate others to follow him or her. Without trust, a leader cannot be successful in influencing others to follow. Therefore, good leaders should know who they are and have a clear understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses. They must lead with honesty and purpose convincing others that they are worthy of being followed. Real leaders stand on principles and are unwilling to compromise those principles for power, money, or status.

Leaders are not just born although some people do have an innate gift for leadership. However, good leaders are willing to learn and discover new ideas recognizing their limitations and weaknesses. By recognizing the fact that leadership is not about knowing everything, it is about overcoming the obstacle and completing the task. Confident leaders can also be followers and take di...

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...nfronting inappropriate behavior or difficult situations. There is nothing wrong with leaving leadership to those who have the confidence to become leaders.

The challenge of leadership is being able to respond to the diversity of today’s society. It is important to be able to interact with followers and develop an alliance in order to achieve goals. A leader must be willing to take risks and explore opportunities for improvement and growth. By delegating and giving others responsibilities, it rewards their accomplishments or provides a learning experience for mistakes. People who recognize the value of individual freedom in addition to working hard using their own leadership skills and understanding to influence others will find a stronger character within themselves. A connection of trust and loyalty is formed as a bond between a leader and his or her followers.

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