It takes a lifetime to build your reputation, and only a blink to bring it down. And in leadership, authority and respect commanded by your reputation and skill are critical. Who will want to follow a defective leader? Here are several traits to cultivate to be a sought-after leadership speaker.
A Leader Has Integrity
Great leaders are not merely great talkers. They do the right thing, not the easy stuff. Their words match their actions.
When a leader has unparalleled integrity, people follow him. When a leader with integrity makes a decision, everyone follows through to make that decision. Integrity lays the groundwork for a harmonious leader-subordinate relationship.
A Leader Is Decisive
No ifs, no buts, no hesitations; a great leader makes split-second decisions and sticks to it. They don’t second guess committing to a choice. And when that decision backfires, he stands firm and admits his mistake.
Leaders who don’t change their minds every so often gather respect and trust from their team. A great leader applies his ability to make decisions on the fly.
A Leader Delegates Responsibility
A great leader is willing to share the burden. A good leader shares tasks, even if he is so much a perfectionist that he wants to finish everything by himself.
Effective leaders understand that members will want to feel involved and be trusted. And a leader does precisely that, recognizing that when work is shared, team members have their morale raised. Not only that, but it also allows work to be finished on time.
A Leader Willingly Grows
There is a saying, “As rice grows riper, the lower it bows its head. Never lose your willingness to learn.” The skills that got you where you are won’t necessarily make you stay where you are. Adapt, learn, change.
Be coachable and trainable. There is always someone above you, and there is still something you don’t know. Stay humble like stalks of wheat.
A leadership speaker must be a diverse individual. There are other traits to be honed, but those listed above are some of the essential characteristics of a leader. Harness them to be the best versions of your leader selves.
