Wednesday 30 November 2011

Leadership - The 7 Qualities you Need

Effective Leadership is not about making speeches or being liked;
Leadership is defined by results not attributes
(Peter Draper)

The following information has been extracted from an article produced by Business Link which I felt was well worth sharing.

A Great Leader .....

1. Has strong Awareness of what's going on, and uses good Judgement to determine what's important;

2. makes quick but considered Decisions that balance facts, instinct and the opinions of others;

3. defines a clear Vision for the business, and focuses the attention of everyone on it;

4. ensures the vision connects with business Strategy and Operations;

5. pursues, encourages and supports Innovation and positive change;

6. shows People why they are important to realising the company vision, enables people to achieve goals in providing support, training and freedom, and establishes trust;

7. pays attention to Improving oneself as a leader.

This article will give more depth to Quality 1, and during the coming months, we shall look into the other qualities.

Quality 1 - A great leader has strong Awareness of what's going on, and uses good Judgement to determine what's important.

Leaders make better decisions and define clearer visions if they have knowledge or perception of the pertinent situations or facts in a business context.

Situational awareness involves accessing knowledge on what's happening inside and outside of the organisation; from what's happening on the ground, to the opportunities and challenges that exist for management; and moreover, to the external opportunities and threats that are present in the marketplace such as economic conditions.

Leaders may not have time to study all these things and so must capitalise on strong and open lines of communication to inform them.

The task of improving awareness should be seen as an opportunity, not a chore. Being self-aware and accepting that you do not know everything is a vital admission for leaders to accept.

Good judgement is often said to be instinctive. Sometimes this is true but great leaders are likely to admit that over and above instinct, good judgement is a product of strong awareness, information and knowledge.

Importantly, this means that anyone - not just so-called natural leaders - can learn to improve their judgement and become a better leader. When it comes to decision-making or defining your vision, let your awareness inform your judgement.

Strong judgement is also independent rather than based on bias or emotion, so communication is again important; by consulting others you can build objective perspectives and form well-rounded conclusions.

You need to be confident in your own personal judgement, but also be aware of and value the perspectives and knowledge of others.

If you want to improve your Leadership Qualities, and would like to work with me alongside you, then please contact me at Nicholl Consultancy.

Until next time - enjoy great success!

Sharon