Skills of a leader - Essential Attributes of a Leader
Skills of a leader
The qualities of leadership are varied but ultimately it comes down to a few basic things.
Is there a quiet confidence that causes one to observe and emulate the behavior or is it simply a matter of cheer leading and fiery speeches?
Does the leader inspire confidence through motivational techniques and goal setting or do they simply tell their staff what to do and guide them through instruction?
In my experience there needs to be a component of instruction that enables the student how to do it on their own and such independence is the mark of a good leader. On the other hand, some leaders insist on breathing down the necks of their underlings and subsequently, the students can only perform in the presence of such surveillance.
In college I had many instructors that taught in such a method…they places undo importance on the participation in class…everything they did was based on questions and answers the professor brought up in class and he or she loved the interaction. They would correct the student on the spot and rarely, if ever get into the underlying conditions or the “why”This approach seemed to be empty and not substantial because inevitably, this style created a dependency on the professor’s presence.
The other professors that demanded accountability can be a gem!They stretch you until you can’t take it anymore and they are almost going to break you in half with their workload…but they are always there to help you put back the pieces and they rebuild you better than before. They give homework and assignments and they work with you to reach higher and achieve more.
A professor that is there with you in the trenches as you are learning is there to assist you in someday becoming independent.In the workforce leadership is slightly different because there is always the temptation to rush you through any given process just to get the project done. It is far easier for some to just get it over with and it is less complicated to do it rather than explain it.
The revenue produced by an employee is both quantifiable and subjective and it is not like getting a final grade to test you on knowledge retention and because of this we make a clear distinction between teachers and leaders.
My point is the best leaders are indeed teachers!
How can a leader operate behind the scenes and fixing mistakes in order to meet a deadline?
I never understood that!
I used to develop scopes of work and proposals…all done to specifications and approved by the various people involved. One boss I had was so deathly afraid he wasn’t sure if he ever truly wanted to propose anything.
His anxiety was rooted in two things:
1) What if I am too high!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They will hate us!
They will never use us and we will be doomed!
2) What if we are too low!
They will take advantage of us!
Everyone in the industry will know we are fools and are giving everything away!
I worked for that company for many years and though his leadership was questionable I learned from our mistakes and successes and he taught me to put a human face on every project..they we were in the people business..and to never forget it. "Skills of a leader" written by Ken Bownes
