What makes a great leader?
When I ask people, “what makes you a good manager?”, they often consider the ability to get things done to be extremely important. However, when I ask employees what makes a good manage, I get a rather different answer… It is much less task-focused and much more personal.
A while ago I read an article, which summarised 10 things, that great leaders all have in common.
- Know the power of feelings.
- Be tough in a crisis.
- Know what makes employees stay and leave.
- Judge people by what they’re good at.
- Hubris is your greatest weakness.
- Culture is what you do, not what you say.
- Managers are about processes, leaders are about people.
- Know thyself.
- Convey authority and warmth.
- Inspire by showing people the importance of their jobs.
As you can see, they all relate to soft skills. It shows how great leaders move above the tasks at hand to motivate and inspire people.
What is interesting is the first two — a great leader should know how to be in touch with people’s feelings but at the same time be tough in a crisis. This is a mix of leadership styles and it is this flexibility that makes them successful.
If you are interested in the article, you can find it here.
