What is true Leadership.
Is leadership something we are born with or is it learned.
My belief is that there are some natural leaders but many
leadership skills are learned by hands on experience.
Many great leaders show leadership skills while at school
or at a young age but few of these children will go straight
into a leadership role on leaving school.
Lets define traits and skills associated with great leaders.
( not necessarily in this order)
supportive
innovative
sensitive
decisive
tireless
honest
mentor
available
persistent
experience
considerate
ready to listen
lead by example
apologize for mistakes
good at delegating tasks
good time management skills.
keep level head under pressure.
look at and weigh up all options equally.
peace maker, looking at both sides of arguments.
God has blessed you with many of these traits,
continue to use them and to learn form your experiences and
here is the biggie, learn from others around you and read books
relating to leadership, mentoring, management, and other
relevant material.
Every day you and I play a leadership role as a parent, teacher,
boss, at the office, team leader, Sunday school teacher, sports captain,
or running your own small business. Every one of us play a leadership
role at some time.
As you build up your skill level and your planning ability other
people around you will notice. You will be a member in some
group or other either in your children's sports team or business
and others will notice if you take control, sometimes just by offering
to bake for a fundraiser and collecting cakes from the other mothers
is showing leadership.
You may love being a helper and because of your happy but
organized attitude others will look to for guidance. This is
displaying leadership, you may not want to be the chairperson
of the fundraising committee but you may be the leader by
default in that others look to you for guidance and accept
your suggestions.
On numerous occasions I have seen chairpersons on committees
and sports groups for one reason only. They want to be seen to
be the leader and want the publicity and lime light.
True leadership doesn't always get noticed or receive the recognition
or the appreciation it deserves.
Many a leader has appeared from the most unexpected quarters
and in times of the greatest need, the greatest leaders are born.
Many of the Great leaders of the past have become leaders in
times of the greatest need or times of upheaval. Leaders like
Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King,
These and many other leaders would probably not have the
same Hero status if it wasn't for the time of trial they lead
their companies, countries or people through.
But do not compare Abraham Lincoln with Elvis Presley.
Elvis was a leading figure in music even the King of Rock
n Roll but I would not class him as a great leader.
There is a difference between having a following and being
a leader. Abraham Lincoln said 'You can please some of the
people some of the time, but you will never please all the people
all the time.' That is the great difference between a Leader
and a Dictator.
In the Gettysburg Address Lincoln said,
Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth
on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and
dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
In theory what Lincoln said is correct but in practice some
people are more equal than others, we may all have the same
rights, but we may be disadvantaged by being born in the
wrong neighborhood or the wrong color.
Many disadvantaged people make a choice or decision that
they will succeed and usually they go on to leadership roles.
There are people a lot worse off than you or me but if they
apply their will to change and totally focus on bettering themselves
they may get that promotion before you or may even take over
your company and I'll bet they have many of the traits and skills
in the list above and they would most likely have to have learned
many of those skills.
If there is a will there is a way!
May you become a Successful Leader.
PETER GREEN.
Editor of ~ The INDEX ~ ezine.
Editor@Internet-income-index.com
http://www.Internet-Income-Index.com
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