Traits of a True Leader

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Introduction

A true leader not only demands respect, but has the necessary leadership traits to command it. Negative qualities, such as harshness and verbal abusiveness may exact compliance from members of the group, but it will be most likely out of fear, rather than dedication to the cause, or project, at hand. An employee may be left to think that if he didn't need this job to pay his rent, he would terminate his association with that employer immediately. On a certain dance reality show, the proprietor, who is known for being mean, may have the right to rule her studio with a rod of iron, but the important question to explore is if she will have a studio ten years from now if she continues to run her site in that manner,even given that her methods yield results.

Indeed, being firm yet gentle may go far to strengthen morale in that studio. Besides that there are other character traits that can serve to strengthen communication between leaders and subordinates, yielding positive results.

Vision

Any discussion of leadership traits should begin in a discourse about vision. In order to be a leader, an individual must have a vivid picture of where he wants to take his organization. The person must not have a firm definition of success, but must know how he intends to achieve it.

A person of true vision is able to communicate with the other members of his organization the nature of his picture of the organization after such a plan is implemented both on paper and verbally. He must be able to persauade members of his team that it is the best goal to be achieved, for the benefit of both the group and the people it serves, and why.

Let's use a non-profit organization for the homeless as an...

... middle of paper ...

...up forward. It also involves accepting responsibility for failure, as O'Neill points out. For example, let's say an employer has hired someone against the better judgment of his board, and the employee has failed to perform up to par. The employee makes a mistake that costs the company a lot of money, leaving that manager with no other choice but to fire him. He has a choice--to either place the blame totally on the hapless employee, or on fate, or on the recruiter who recommended him for the position. True leadership is refusing to blame anyone but himself, acknowledging that the mistake was ultimately the manager's. This action would communicate humility, as well as integrity, louder than any words ever could.

O'Neill, Eve. "The Top 10 Leadership Qualities. In the Focus.com blog, May 26, 2009.

http://www.focus.com/briefs/top-10-leadership-qualities/

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