Stock images are as useful as a stock leader… minimal. Maybe a good place holder until you put the real deal in place. I was talking with a friend of mine and we were discussing the traits that make a great leader. Some key components I came up with while we were talking was self awareness and self confidence, and it’s important to have both. You need that confidence to believe in yourself. I also think you shouldn’t feel ashamed by it at all. Great leaders have that self confidence in their ideas and believe that their direction is what is going to take the company to the next level. This is the trait I think we see often in great leadership examples like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates. There is this confidence to them in what they are doing and you can tell they believe it 100%.
However I also believe a leader needs self awareness, and this is the trait that great leaders have but never seems to get noticed. They need to know how their decisions are effecting their team, and what their team thinks of them as a leader. They need to know their weaknesses so they can address them and not come across as someone who knows everything. Weaknesses are ok to have as long as you know them. Know what your weaknesses, delegate as many as you can out, learn what you can, and excel at your strengths. That is what building and leading a team at the highest level consist of.
I truly believe leaders that take this approach to their leadership style will not only get the most out of themselves but the most out of their team. They will build teams that will not only build great things together but that will truly enjoy working together. This leader wont get caught up in the drama if people don’t think they are good at something. They will agree with them and say, “I’m not good at that and that’s why I hires Sally,” and move on to the next thing. They will be great at finding the right person for the job and building a team because recognizing your own weaknesses will make you better at seeing other’s.
It was an interesting conversation with a friend, in what we were looking to accomplish as leaders in our companies. It also made me think of leaders I have had in the past and what I consistently see as strengths and weaknesses and what I can learn from that to become a better leader myself. I don’t want to end up being any run of the mill leader like the dude in this stock image I found. What traits do you look to have to be a better leader?