"Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality" quotes Warren Bennis. Leadership is a word that inspires many of us. To lead is to create, to manage, and to guide. Leadership is a powerful word and it is associated with an individual, who has earned the respect of others and who leads them effectively in the right direction. It should evoke a positive feeling in people and leadership should not be a dictatorship and create any negative feelings. "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader" quotes John Quincy Adams. Leadership can be defined in many words, but everyone may have their own opinion on which attribute they find most important in leadership.
Determination can get you anywhere in life. If you put your mind to it, then it is accomplishable. All it requires is hard work and effort. Success comes with hard work and every leader needs to be determined to achieve his/her goal. Leaders depend on their own personal determination to push themselves forward to succeed. If you have a goal, if you want to be successful, if you really want to earn it, you have to work hard, you have to stick to it, and you have to believe in what you're doing. As Gail Devers tells us, "Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything that requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe."
Confidence is more than just a requirement to leadership. You have to be confident in everything you do and prove to others you can take control and you're bold enough to be a leader. You need to have a firm belief that you can change ordinary people to superstars and world changers. Leaders need to have the confidence that they can change the world and make a positive impact on people. Quick thinking and the ability to be decisive comes in handy as well.
Focus. Leaders need strength in three areas of focus: self (inner), people (other), and system (outer) awareness. Inner focus in tunes us to our emotions and intuitions, guiding values and better decisions. Other focus smoothes our connections to the people in our lives and outer focus lets us navigate the larger world. But the challenge goes beyond that, the key is finding the balance, if you find the balance you're sure to succeed in leadership.
Accountability means more than be willing to take the blame, it means taking responsibility for the situation and the outcomes. Accountability is important when things don't go according to plan. As a leader you are ultimately responsible and should acknowledge that to those below and above you. True leadership acts ethically, which is committed to the needs of the organization and its people. Everyone wants their leaders trustworthy and honest. Leadership is essentially based on truth and honesty, because many people choose to follow leaders they trust, they have a sense of basic trust. Without honesty a leader can't lead with integrity.
Positive attitudes are essential as well. No one wants a depressed leader. With the right attitude, leadership should be one of the most exciting roles ever. Being a good leader is more than just being smart, but more of being understanding and making a healthy environment.
Over all, proper leadership is necessary in today's world. Without leadership the world would be in chaos. Qualities such as determination, confidence, focus and accountability are needed in a good leader. It is also important in leadership to understand and listen to others, instead of bossing them around. This allows them to lead others to be the best they can be.
