A lot of people would love to be a leader. They want to be inspirational and have a following of people. Actually doing that, however, can be quite difficult. This is why Martin Sanders has developed some key tips that those who want to transform themselves into leaders – or become better leaders – can apply to their lives.
Martin Sanders Defines the Characteristics of Great Leaders
There are four key characteristics that all great leaders have. Those are:
- Confidence
A leader has to be confident, but that is often used as a buzzword. What it really means is:
- That they provide assurance. They don’t doubt and have full belief in their own abilities.
- That they are trustworthy and that they trust others.
- That they have a positive outlook on anything they engage in.
- That they build relationships.
By really understanding what confidence is and means, you can also start to look inwards and determine whether your personality is confident. The reality is that nobody wants to follow someone who isn’t sure of themselves. Hence, you have to figure out how to become more confident in your decision. This is quite easy to do: simply research everything before you come to a decision.
When you do this, you will demonstrate that you believe in the future of your enterprise. You won’t show fear or worry, but conviction that things will turn out great. This keeps others inspired as well. But you do have to be a critical thinker, because you should never give people false hope.
It is vital that others trust you to do right. You have to have clear values and stick to them. Never compromise on your principles, beliefs, and ethics. This will show others that they can rely on you.
- Excellent Communication Skills
Great leaders are great communicators. They are people that others want to listen to, and they speak in ways that others understand. Your communication also has to be relevant to your audience, which means you have to be very versatile.
- Strong Knowledge
Next, you have to actually know what you are talking about. A true leader does not become great by winging it, or simply hoping for the best all the time. Yes, leaders understand the importance of luck, but they don’t rely on it. They know what they are talking about, they understand people, they get finances, and more.
- Courage
Last but not least, true leaders have to have courage. At the end of the day, the welfare of your followers rests on your shoulders, and this is quite a responsibility to bear. If something goes wrong, you will be the only one who is accountable for that. It also means making difficult decisions sometimes, and doing things that will not make everybody happy.
Some people seem to be natural born leaders. While it is true that talent is helpful, you can learn to become a true leader. And even natural born leaders can work on themselves, becoming even better.