Leadership comes with great responsibility. As a leader, misconduct can ruin your reputation. The professional code of conduct rulebook is constantly expanding, but with great leadership qualities, you can be a person of influence. Leaders are people of exceptional character who are able to find the way and guide others through it. Vision, teamwork, empowerment and trust are the hallmarks of a true leader. Whether we are following or leading, we are all leaders and must conduct ourselves appropriately towards others in order to be good ambassadors for our people. Whoever leads must develop vitality, liveliness and a deep sense of shared value among his people. He must lead consciously if he wants his team to go from good to great.
Leadership can be defined as the ability and capacity of an individual to influence, inspire and encourage others to contribute their best towards the improvement and success of the group. A person who can generate change, therefore, is one who has the potential to be a leader. One quality does not fit all for leaders. Leaders are different depending on the organizations they lead. What and who they are in relation to the group they lead determines their ability to lead and the willingness of people to follow.
No matter what type of group different leaders lead, generally, a leader must possess a few qualities in order to conduct themselves professionally and lead with a positive difference.
* Belief: A leader must believe in his ability to correctly lead people. Believing strengthens your power of achievement. If you don’t believe in yourself and your abilities, no one will believe you.
* Self-awareness: Proper knowledge of your skills, passions, strengths, and values will help you on your leadership journey. You cannot give what you do not have, therefore, you must know yourself and lead yourself before you can lead others well.
* Wisdom: This is the main thing. It will help you enhance your intelligence and know when to say or do things right. Wisdom gives you hindsight, insight, and foresight.
* Effective communication and connection: the ability to create common ground is very important in leadership. The ability to listen and understand the thoughts, concerns, and ideas of your people will greatly help you lead. This virtue will help you connect well with them and give you the platform to easily communicate your thoughts with them clearly. A vision is nothing until it can be sold.
Every leader who wants to be successful must be confident, innovative, enthusiastic, inspiring, courageous, motivating, and teachable. People only follow those who know where they are going. Improving yourself will help you become a better leader who has the necessary qualities to conduct yourself professionally. Great leadership is not developed in a day, but daily. Behaving professionally helps you improve your interpersonal skills.
© IFEANYI ENOC UNOHA
