How often have you heard about someone:"He (or she) is a natural leader"? There are probably not so many people who have special qualities that quite naturally bring them to leading positions. But what exactly makes these people so? What are the personal qualities of a leader, and is it really natural for someone to have these qualities? And if so, does this mean that an ordinary, average person can never become a leader? It is unlikely that this is so. Take, for example, any leadership position - do you agree that a good leader must necessarily have the makings of a leader, because he "leads" the team? This means that his basic professional skills are not as important as the qualities of group leaders. So, only someone who was born a "ready" leader can become a team leader? Of course, this is not true. And if you are striving for career growth and want to become a good leader, or just want to succeed in life, then you should think about developing the qualities inherent in a leader.

Who is the leader?

A leader is someone who helps others to domuch more than they ever thought possible. Leadership is the act of unlocking the potential of others, whether it is an individual or a group, company or organization. It does not tell others what to do, but inspires people and allows them to see what they are capable of and then helps them “get there”. Leadership can be defined as the ability of one person to motivate others to follow him or her voluntarily. It is a psychological quality that is a combination of knowledge, values, skills and behavior. Leadership is a process that helps a group of people achieve their goals. A leader always has a clear picture of the end goal, so he or she always knows where to go. He or she has a firm understanding of what success looks like and how it can be achieved. Not only that, a person with leadership qualities is able to maintain his or her vision even in adverse conditions and at the same time continue to act with purpose, maintaining a passionate belief in success and infecting his or her followers with this passion. A good leader is disciplined enough to work on his or her vision of the end result and to direct his or her actions and those of the team towards achieving the goal. A leader does not suffer from “analysis paralysis,” but is able to become a source of inspiration and knows how to make others believe in success. What other personality traits of a leader are worth noting?

The qualities inherent in this leader

Is it true that people are born with leadership qualities?inclinations, or any person can develop such skills and abilities - a question that remains open for discussion. But the fact that a true leader is distinguished from others by the main psychological and personal qualities that make them such is an indisputable fact. Let's study these qualities in more detail.

• Honesty. A leader must enjoy the confidence of his followers, and honesty is his main assistant. A man who claims to believe other people's faith in his words and deeds will never start to curse his heart and give out his wish for reality.
• Openness, which means an opportunity to hearnew ideas, even if they do not correspond to generally accepted ways of thinking. Good leaders are able to listen and accept someone else's idea, and they can come up with and introduce new ways of doing things themselves, which no one has tried to introduce before. Openness leads to mutual respect and trust between the leader and his followers, and allows one to freely express new personal ideas, and others - to hear them. The open leader will not stand up for the advantage of his vision of ways to achieve the goal; on the contrary, he considers the thoughts of others as potentially much better than his own proposals. The ability to openly consider alternatives to one's own decision is an important skill for a true leader.
• A creative approach to any problem thatbusiness is the result of the ability to think differently than it is accepted. Very often it happens that the "zamylennoe" view of things restrains the search for solutions. The leader usually does not experience such a problem. The creative nature of such people gives them the opportunity to see what others can not see, and he leads his followers in a new direction. Most often the leader says: "What if ...?", And you are unlikely to hear from him: "I know this is a stupid question ...".
• Confidence, which is by no means impossibleconfused with aggressiveness. Rather, it is an opportunity to clearly indicate how to act and what to expect from these actions. The leader must be assertive in order to get the desired result. Along with the confidence comes the responsibility for a clear understanding of what the followers expect from their leaders. Such a person inspires confidence in others and unites all the efforts of the team to solve the task.
• One can not help but mention a sense of humor, noting personalquality of any leader. This is a vital feeling (in this case), because it helps relieve tension and boredom, as well as defuse the hostility that can arise between team members. Humor is a kind of power that provides control over the working environment. And if to say it is simpler, then humor helps to establish the spirit of camaraderie in the group.
• Enthusiasm. People will be more willing to believe a man who is passionate and devoted to his work. The leader should be a source of inspiration and motivation for the rest. Despite the fact that the personal duties of the manager may differ from those of the other team members, the true leader is perceived as part of the team working to achieve the goal. Such a person is not afraid to roll up his sleeves and get down to "dirty" work.
• The leader must act in an organized and purposeful manner in conditions of uncertainty. People in difficult moments always look at their leader in search of confidence and security.
• Ability to think analytically. Not only does a good leader see the situation as a whole, he can break it into parts for the nearest consideration. That is, keeping the goal in the field of his vision, a good leader can break it into intermediate goals in order to develop controlled steps and make progress in this direction.
• Readiness for change. Change is one of the most obvious factors of life, but they always meet the greatest resistance. Effective leaders, on the contrary, understand the importance of change, although ignoring the inevitability of change and keeping things as they always were, others seem easier. In addition, the leader not only accepts, but also anticipates innovations.

These are just a few, the most important ones, in our opinion.view, personal qualities of a modern leader. They may be naturally present in the personality of a leader, but, nevertheless, each of these characteristics can be developed and strengthened. Just as we develop our professional skills. This is probably worth talking about in more detail.

How to develop leadership skills

You have to understand that leaders are not madeovernight. Even those born with leadership qualities must work on themselves to increase their chances of achieving high results as a person leading a team. One could list many character traits that are undoubtedly important. But psychologists, having studied the stories of the most famous people, have compiled a list of ten qualities that you need to develop in yourself first of all if you want to achieve success in this field. To reach a new level, you need to develop the following qualities inherent in a leader:

Vision Goals Leaders have a clear understanding of thewhere they want to go and what they intend to achieve. They see a clear picture and create a strategic plan to achieve their goals. How to develop your vision of the goal: study the biographies of great leaders and successful people, read new and classic motivational books on doing business, communicate with people who have developed leadership skills. Formulate a goal for each day, and watch how it was accurate and effective whether the measures taken to achieve it. Gradually set for yourself more and more distant personal goals.

Ability to make decisions Leaders are not afraidtake a difficult and unpopular decision, because they are confident in themselves and in their abilities. They know that indecision kills resources and opportunities. How to hone your decision-making skills: start making decisions in areas where failure or failure is not critical to your self-confidence. If the solution turns out to be wrong, take out a lesson for yourself and move on.

Acceptance of risk Leaders must have courageact in situations where a positive result is not guaranteed. They are ready to risk failure. How to learn to take risks: Analyze the situation by listing the advantages and disadvantages of each option, and then assign each rating a rating of risk factors from one to five. Next, determine the likelihood that each option will occur exactly as you intended. All this will help you decide on the risk you are willing to take and what option you want to prefer. Advice: do not expect perfection. Nobody can always win. Making mistakes, leaders grow.

Motivation of others Leaders can state their ownThe vision of the goal and the means of achieving it, convincing others of the value of their ideas. They are able to inspire people to work towards common goals and aspirations to such heights that these people did not even think they could achieve. Under the influence of the leader, the team members strive to improve their professional and personal qualities. How to motivate people: study needs that can motivate people to act. Just pay attention to the fact that the same result does not motivate every person. Listen carefully to others to find out what motivates them. Advice: motivate employees, only making sure that each of them understands how his work contributes to the achievement of a common goal.

Ability to create a team Leaders create productiveThe acting groups, which consist of the best people. The team is successfully developing the spirit of cooperation, the members of the group easily come to a consensus and resolve conflicts. How to improve your team building skills: Avoid biased answers to every question. Concentrate on evaluating the different points of view in the discussions, rather than trying to prove your point of view. Learn to see and use the best qualities of the rest of the team.

Striving for self-knowledge Leaders know their ownstrengths and weaknesses and objectively assess their behavior. They recognize their shortcomings, are open to feedback and are ready to make changes in their personal qualities, if necessary. A good leader seeks perfection. He not only adheres to high standards, but also actively raises the bar to achieve excellence in different areas of his activity. How to expand your self-knowledge: analyze your actions and their consequences. Ask the opinions of others about what you should do to improve your managerial qualities. Tip: keep a diary in which to write down the most significant events and incidents. So you can always look back and analyze what you did well, and what could have done better.

Preserving the integrity of the individual Leaders mustbe reliable, only then others will follow them. Honest attitudes, well-controlled emotions, predictable reactions, the absence of hysterical behavior and outbursts of rage are all signs of integrity. Integrity allows one to stick to one's values, even if the alternative path may seem simpler and promises greater benefits. The leader who possesses this trait of character seems to his followers to be understandable and reliable, which makes it more accessible to them. In addition, it can serve as a kind of model for people who would like to imitate him. How to assess your integrity: actively seek feedback from friends, colleagues, even with subordinates. This will help you to more clearly define your values ​​and the extent of your responsibility, and you will be able to verify how your ideas about the goal and your role in the team coincide with those of other people.

Work on yourself throughout your life Leadersinherent desire to constantly learn, grow and be open to new ideas. How to expand your knowledge: improve your professional skills, communicate with colleagues to exchange new ideas and inspiration, learn from the experience of more experienced leaders, read books on the theory of people management. Council: Wise leaders look for partners that could complement their own weaknesses.

Effective communication Leaders can transfer theirideas are completely different people, and are able to adjust the style of communication in order to find an approach to anyone and understanding with each individual person. How to improve communication skills: practice active listening and learn nonverbal body signals. "Read between the lines" during a conversation, especially when working with slave members of the group or with subordinates, who may sometimes not be interested in saying everything they think about. Present the most important information, repeating itself, but at the same time each time it is presented in different ways - so that everyone can clearly understand what is at stake. Ask the listeners to repeat the above to make sure that they fully understand the subject of the conversation.

Active help to others in achieving successA competent leader enables the others to fully realize their potential, realizing that by doing so they will only strengthen the team and will benefit the organization. How to give others a boost to development: encourage even the smallest success of each member of the team. Delegate some of your duties and responsibilities to your followers if you feel that they are able to take the lead.

We outlined the “work front” for you, that is, we gave youan idea of ​​what you need to change and develop in yourself to truly become a leader capable of leading people. If you really want to achieve real success, you will have to follow our advice point by point. Well, we want to give you another small reminder - a kind of guide to action.

How a real leader should behave

• Listen to the other before you start to speak for yourself;
• Use the "magic" words - "please" and "thank you";
• Being single-minded, do not forget to help others to solve problems every day;
• Keep all your promises;
• Be ready yourself to meet the requirements that you make to your charges;
• Do not skimp on the gratitude for a job well done;
• Together, celebrate all the victories, big and small;
• Show an example in everything;
• Be truly interested in your followers;
• Be ready to take responsibility for the poor performance of the team;
• Focus on the main goal.

Once you have mastered the basic personalitythe skills we have told you about, each next step will become easier and easier for you. We really hope that we were able to help you figure out how to lead people. The main thing is to understand that becoming a real leader is a process that never ends. Enjoy self-improvement and look for new ways to motivate others! The world lacks real leaders, and I want to believe that you will decide to take responsibility and help other people find their path in life. We recommend reading:

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