Building Leadership Qualities

Some people fall into leadership positions, and others work hard to get there.  Once you’re leading others, is your success as a leader more a result of nature or nurture?  Join the Wily Manager guys this week as they talk through how to figure out if you can learn to display the attributes that great leaders possess.

Monday’s Tip:  Be receptive to feedback.  You need to listen carefully to those around you to be an effective leader.  When you hear things you don’t want to hear, if your immediate reaction is to dismiss that feedback – you’re doing it wrong.

Tuesday’s Tip:  Shift focus away from yourself.  Great leaders make others successful.  The credit to leaders comes through the success they bring out in others.  If you’re a glory-hound, you probably won’t make it as a leader.

Wednesday’s Tip:  Be calm under stress.  People look to leaders in times of stress for their cues.  If the leader is reacting overly –emotionally, or irrationally, people will follow that cue.

Thursday’s Tip:  Make decisions promptly.  The wrong decision today is better than the correct decision 3 months from now because it allows you to correct course, and move on.  Leaders must make take risks and make decisions in a timely manner.

Friday’s Tip:  Balance values and results.  Results achieved the wrong way, undermine the organization in the longer term.  Great leaders insist on great results, but place equal importance on how those results are achieved.