A LEADER:
A leader is one who goes first and leads by example, so that others are motivated to follow him. Hence, to be a leader, a person must have a deep rooted commitment to the goal that he will strive to achieve it even if nobody follows him. However, the very essence of leadership is for one to have vision.
Accountability simply connotes an obligation of an individual to account for its activities, accept responsibility for them, and to disclose the results in a transparent manner.
To be a leader, one must have followers. To have followers, one must have their trust, these contributes to why some leaders are more effective in influencing their followers. Leadership has been viewed as an acquired competency, it is the ability to influence other person’s behavior, it is also the willingness to tolerate frustration and delay.
It is pertinent to note that, for one to accept the call of leadership responsibilities, a clear vision cannot be left behind. Hence, a visionary leader requires a strong sense of purpose.
It is obvious you are ready to take on the baton of leadership, but here is a question for you. Have you any vision for the task at all? Do you have a plan? If NO here are some tips.
ABILITY: A leader or an emerging leader should have the ability and capability to lead and also lead by example so as to get to the desiring point. A leader is expected to also rely on others when making decisions, giving guidance and solving problem. The ability to understand information, formulate strategies and make decisions is KEY.
ENTHUSIASM: Leaders can generate enthusiasm in followers, your enthusiasm as a leader must always be active and should be able to ignite others to do something. A brief experience on how a leader can actually ignite his followers. I once served as a manager of a firm, where I told some of our junior staff to clear some materials obstructing passersby but they turn deaf ears, however, I went there and start clearing it, the moment they saw me doing this as their Manager, they rally round me and start doing same. What I actually did there was to ignite them into action.
STABILITY: Leaders must understand their world. Emotional stability is very much sacrosanct.
SELF CONFIDENCE: A leader is expected to always express optimism to all situations against all odds.
ABILITY TO MOTIVATE: Leaders don’t lead by telling people what they have to do. Instead, leaders cause people to want to help them. A key part of this is cultivating your own desire to help others.
CHARSIMATIC: A leader must be charismatic enough to lead. It is a personal quality that generates others interest and creates followers. Charismatic leaders show optimism, a sense of adventure and commitment.
INTERGRITY: A leader must have integrity, it is a driving force.
PERSISTENCE: Persistence is a part of qualities of a good leader, which is inviolable. As a leader, persistence is a quality that a leader absolutely needs to possess, not only do we need persistence but we need the ability to be able to deal with the nay Sayers, who at the first sign of problem or failure will suggest that we should turn around, or to just back off. It is imperative to note that, a leader needs to have the courage to hold the course, to keep his teams on track, so as to show the route to success and keep people’s confidence high.
VISION: Vision is an aspirational description of what an organization or individual would like to achieve or accomplish in the mid-term or long-term future. By implication, it means knowing who you are, where you are going and what will guide your journey.
WHO IS THEN A VISIONARY LEADER: A Visionary leader is the builder of new dawn, working with great imagination, insight and charisma. A visionary leader is he who sees and takes ACTION
WHAT IS EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND LEADERSHIP
Most of these traits tie directly into emotional intelligence (EI). Leaders with high EI are intrinsically more self-aware. They understand their mental processes and know how to direct themselves. They are more in touch with what they are deeply passionate about. They naturally care more for others and receive more compassion in return. They are more socially in tune.
Leadership is more often than not about “soft skills” rather than hard skills. Certainly, a leader who understands what drives the bottom line is valuable. Yet it’s the leader who can get others to perform at their best who ultimately creates winning organization.
A GOOD LEADER MUST TAKE COGNIZANCE OF THE FOLLOWING Seek the whole picture (i.e don’t just judge people, listen to the other party) Be Resilience even during time of adversity ( it is your ability to successfully cope with change or misfortune that makes you an exceptional leader Accept that change is a part of living Seek for help of a psychologist Acknowledge and reward people (people will definitely follow you)
An exceptional leader is one who is solution focus, he is in charge of his life, he is successful, productive, proactive, innovative. He is creative, he is an optimist, he is dynamic. His success goes in line with his value, he loves what he does, he has self-control. He is selfless and generous. Alas! A Leader is adaptable, he is open to all feed-back, he is a pathfinder, he embraces failure. He is an overcomer. He is a LEADER