In our world today we come across bad leaders, mediocre leaders, good leaders, and great leaders. The challenge with that is we get a lot of conflicting messages about what a leader should be like. We get individuals who go into leadership roles for the sake of leading and are oblivious to the fact that great leadership doesn’t happen by chance, but on purpose.
There are many attributes to leadership that we should all aim to have, but I would love to encourage you with three. Three attribute that you should be mindful of, and I would go as far to say that many other attributes would stem out of these. Stop and assess. Take a personal inventory and choose to be better so you can get better and make others better.
I was studying a great historical leader that got me thinking of the importance of these attributes, I hope you take these to heart and apply them.
- A great leader strives to be an all-in leader. What I mean by that is that the leader gives his or her all. I’m not talking about just effort, but all he or she is. Be the leader that gives their heart, mind, body, and soul. There is something about following a leader who has complete buy in. That leader strives to give everything to their people, but also knows they need to give it all to learn and grow. Great leadership will take all of you, but it’s the greatest way to give your best.
- A great leader is a servant. It’s odd we need to point that out, but unfortunately there are many missing the mark. How do you start being a servant you ask? Be humble! Humility is more than an attitude, but a posture of the heart. A servant leader doesn’t determine their level of serving according to their position, but by the principle to add value to all. Great leaders take care of their people by serving them. Take care of the people and the people will take care of the mission.
- A great leader has integrity. Integrity is who you are when no one is looking. It’s when your private life and your public life have congruency. Another way to look at it is being honest to the core. Honesty is aways the best policy. Who you are matters. Choose to have a philosophy of integrity, work at it from the inside out. Practice it and see your present and future leadership create huge impact not only for you, but those around you.
Leaders are not born they are developed. Want to be a great leader? Choose to be on purpose with developing great attributes. Leadership is about people not projects. We need great leaders, so let’s start with our inner qualities which will lead to great outward qualities.
Grow as you go!
Walter Perez – Founder/CEO – The Leader Co. Inc.