Good to Great Leadership

Have you seen any good leaders lately, how about great leaders? During the 2020/21 turmoil, there have been outstanding examples of great leadership, meeting situations we have never experienced before. It is important to recognise where we see great leadership and then, consider as a leader how YOU will build foundations for future generations. Today is a great opportunity to consider the leadership skills needed to achieve YOUR success! 

“True leadership stems from individuality that is honestly and sometimes imperfectly expressed… Leaders should strive for authenticity over perfection.”

– Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook

The 10 Skills of Good Leadership

A centre for Creative Leadership article asks the question, “What Are the Characteristics of a Good Leader?” Leaders shape our nations, communities, and organizations. We need good leaders to help guide us and make the essential large-scale decisions that keep the world moving. Our society is usually quick to identify a bad leader, but do we know how to identify a good one? What would most people say makes a good leader? Based on our research, we’ve found that great leaders consistently possess these 10 essential leadership skills:

• Integrity
• Ability to delegate
• Communication
• Self-awareness
• Gratitude
• Learning agility
• Influence
• Empathy
• Courage
• Respect

All good leaders leverage at least some — or most — of these characteristics. Together, they make up the backbone of leadership across leader levels, industries, and continents. Without these skills, true leadership is impossible. Also, leadership is something that you’ll have to work at regularly, is  less about a strong or charismatic individual and more about a group of people working together to achieve results. That’s why we say that leadership is a journey — different teams, projects, situations, and organizations will require you to apply these skills in different ways.

From Adversity to Extraordinary Leadership

Inspiring Leadership Now outlines “10 Of The Most Inspiring Leaders of All Time.” Some leaders became great because of how they persevered with a dream in spite of their circumstances, only to go on and achieve such extraordinary things that they continue to be revered long after their deaths. While others stuck by their values and protested for the rights of others, even when it jeopardized their own freedom… not mention their lives. Some leaders are truly inspirational and well-respected because of their natural flair to innovate, empower and influence others to act in meaningful ways and ultimately change the world. The list contains some of the most influential leaderswho have shaped the world for the better and inspired positive changes among millions, if not billions:

• Mahatma Gandhi – The Anti-War Activist with A Global Legacy
• Winston Churchill – Resolute Leadership during One Of The Most Painful Episodes In Human History
• Martin Luther King Jr. – Celebrated Civil Rights Activist That Forever Changed America
• Nelson Mandela – A Man Whose Cause For Freedom Proved Triumphant
• Albert Einstein – Rewriting The Laws Of Nature For The Betterment Of Humanity
• Abraham Lincoln – The Embodiment Of Liberty And Great Emancipator Of Slaves
• St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) – Nobel Lauriat Determined To Ease Suffering In The World
• Stephen Hawking – The Physicist Who Proved That Determination And Positive Thinking Can Triumph Over Even The Most Severe Limitations
• Bill Gates – Entrepreneur And Philanthropist Who Inspired An Entire Generation Of Innovators
• Oprah Winfrey – Overcoming The Odds To Empower An Entire Generation Of Women To Succeed

Good to Great Leaders

In the words of Adam Grant, Organizational psychologist at Wharton, bestselling author, and host of the TED podcast WorkLife:

• Great leaders build products and Great Leaders build cultures
• Good leaders deliver results and Great Leaders develop people
• Good leaders have vision and Great Leaders have values
• Very Good leaders are role models at work and Great leaders are role models in life

Cultivate Leadership Traits

Being a leader that is able to motivate and encourage others is not something that happens accidentally. There are key traits which most inspiring leaders share and by cultivating these traits you will improve your leadership skills so that you can bring out the best in yourself and others:

• Look Towards the Future
• Work On Self Improvement
• Polish Your People Skills
• Take Risks
• Make Health and Wellbeing A Priority

And, recognising that 2020/21 has been very challenging, we need to look ahead to the future to ensure we have future leaders and generations who will lead with courage. Like any leadership skill, courage is something that is learned and refined over time and it should form part of a leader’s inventory. Having Courage Intelligence will meet that need! The Courage Intelligence Program will provide future focussed leaders with an opportunity to build your courage as a skill.

Stay Kind. Stay Courageous.

Sonia x