Our leadership group reads a lot of books on leadership, and we have enjoyed several of John Maxwell’s books. We read 21 Qualities of a Leader a few years ago, and we return to it from time to time because this is so good. I wanted to share these with you.
21 Qualities of a Leader
#1 Character
We create character every time we make choices.
A leader not only stays above the line between right and wrong-he stays clear of the gray areas.
Improve your character:
- Search for Cracks- write down every instance when you compromised or let people down in the past two months.
- Look for Patterns-Is there an area you have a weakness?
- Face the Music- Character repair comes when you face your flaws
- Rebuild- You faced your past flaws- now create a plan that will prevent you from making the same mistakes.
#2 Charisma
Charisma, plainly stated, is the ability to draw people to you. And like other character traits, it can be developed.
Fleshing it out:
1. Love Life- people enjoy leaders who enjoy life.
2. Put a “10” on Every Person’s Head- One of the best things you can do for people- which also attracts them to you- is to expect the best of them.
3. Give people hope. If you can be the person who bestows that gift on others, they will be attracted to you and they will be forever grateful.
4. Share Yourself- people love it when you share your life journeys. Share wisdom, resources, and even special occasions.
To improve your charisma, do the following:
Change your focus. Observe your interaction with people during the next few days. As you talk to others, determine how much of your conversation is concentrated on yourself. Tip the balance in favor of focusing on them.
Play the first impression game. The next time you meet someone for the first time, try your best to make a good impression.
Share yourself. Make it your long term goal to share your resources with others.
Perle Mesta’s charisma secret:
“It’s all in the greetings and good-byes,” When a guest arrived , she met him saying , “At last you are here!” and as each left , she said ” I’m sorry you have to leave so soon!”
#3 Commitment
People do not follow uncommitted leaders, Commitment can be displayed in a full range of matters to include the work hours you choose to maintain, how you work to improve your abilities, or what you do for your fellow workers at personal sacrifice.
1. Commitment starts in the heart. If you want to make a difference in other people’s lives as a leader, look into your heart to see if you’re really committed.
2. Commitment is tested by action. Its one thing to talk about commitment-it’s another thing to do something about it.
3. Commitment opens the door to Achievement. If you want to get anywhere worthwhile you must be committed.
#4 Communication
1. Simplify your message
2. See the Person (focus on the people with whom you are communicating with)
3. Show the Truth (believe in what you say or say what you believe- conviction in action)
4. Seek a Response (don’t just dump a bunch of information on people -this is not communicating) Never forget the goal of communication is action.
To improve your communication:
- Be clear as a bell
- Refocus your attention
- Live your message
#5 Competence
1. Show up every day!
Responsible people show up when they’re expected but highly competent people take it a step further. They come ready to play no matter how they feel, the kind of circumstances and how difficult the game is.
2. Keep Improving.
3. Follow Through with Excellence.
4. Accomplish More than Expected
Go the extra mile.
5. Inspire Others.
To improve your competence
- Get your head in the game. If you’ve been mentally or emotionally detached from work- it’s time to reengage.
- Redefine the standard. If you’re not performing at a consistently high level, reexamine your standards.
- Find three ways to improve. Nobody keeps improving without being intentional about it.
#6 Courage “is doing something you are afraid to do”
1. Courage begins with an inward battle.
2. Courage is making things right, not just smoothing them over.
“The ultimate measure of a man (woman) is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy” Martin Luther King Jr.
3. Courage as a leader inspires commitment from followers.
4. Your life expands in proportion to your courage.
To improve your courage:
- Face the music. Go out and do something stretching simply for the sake of growing in courage-speak in front of an audience (most people’s fear), sky dive……..
- Talk to that person. Most people are avoiding confrontation with someone in their lives.
- Take a giant step.
#7 Discernment
“Smart leaders believe only half of what they hear. Discerning leaders know which half to believe.”
“Life is not easy for any of us” Marla Sklodowska says “We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.”
Discernment can be described as the ability to find the root of the matter.
1. Discover the root issues
2. Enhance your problem solving
3. Evaluate your options for maximum impact
4. Multiply your opportunities
To improve your discernment, do the following:
- Analyze past successes
- Learn how others think
- Listen to your gut
#8 Focus
If you chase two rabbits, both will escape!!
The keys are priorities and concentration.
1. Focus 70% on your strengths- Effective leaders who reach their potential spend more time focusing on what they do well.
2. Focus 25% on new things- If you want to get better, you have to keep changing and improving.
Don’t forget in leadership, if you’re through growing you’re through.
3. Focus 5% on areas of weakness- Nobody can entirely avoid working in areas of weakness.
Work on yourself. You are your greatest asset or detriment.
Work at your priorities. You will have to fight for them.
Work in your strengths. You can reach your potential.
Work with your contemporaries. You can’t be effective alone.
To improve your focus;
- Shift to strengths. Make a list of 3 or 4 things you do well in your job.
- Staff your weaknesses.
- Create an edge. Time and money spent to take you to the next level are the best investment you can make.
#9 Generosity Your candle loses nothing when it lights another.
1. Be Grateful for Whatever You Have
2. Put People First
3. Don’t Allow the Desire for Possessions to Control You.
4. Regard Money as a Resource
5. Develop the Habit of Giving
Are you a generous leader? Do you continually look for ways to add value to others?
To improve your generosity do the following:
- Give something away.
- Put you money to work.
- Find someone to mentor.
#10 Initiative
Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. The make mistakes, but they don’t quit.
What qualities do leaders possess that enable them to make things happen?
1. They know what they want
2. They push themselves to act
3. They take more risks
4. They make more mistakes
To improve your initiative, do the following:
- Change your mind-set– If you lack initiative, recognize that the problem comes from the inside, not from others.
- Don’t wait for opportunity to knock. Now, spend every day for a week looking for opportunities.
- Take the next step. It’s one thing to see opportunity -It’s another to do something about it.
“Of all the things a leader should fear, complacency should head the list.” John C. Maxwell
#11 Listening: To connect with your hearts, use your ears.
“The ear of a leader must ring with the voices of the people.” Woodrow Wilson
“A good leader encourages followers to tell him what he needs to know, not what he wants to hear.” John Maxwell
1. Your Followers: Good leaders, the kind that people want to follow, do more than conduct business when they interact with followers. They take the time to get a feel for who each one is as a person.
2. Your Customers: Good leaders always make it a priority to keep in contact with the people they’re serving. “Listen to the whispers and you won’t have to hear the screams”. Unhappy customers are always a concern- they are also your greatest opportunity.
3. Your Competitors: As a leader you don’t want to base your actions on what the other guy is doing, but you should still listen and learn what you can to improve yourself.
4. Your Mentors: No leader is so advanced or experienced that he can afford tobe without a mentor.
To improve your listening:
· Change your schedule- Do spend time listening to your followers, customers, competitors and mentors? Pencil in time for each of them on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.
· Meet people on their turf. A key to being a good listener is to find common ground with people. The next time you meet with an employee or a customer, discipline yourself to ask four or five questions about him as a person. Get to know who he is, and seek common ground to build your connection with him.
· Listen between the lines. Spend time in the coming days and weeks listening with your heart.
#12 Passion
Anyone can dabble, but once you’ve made that commitment, your blood has that particular thing in it, and it’s very hard for people to stop you.
Experts spend a lot of time trying to figure out what makes people successful- more than anything else, passion makes the difference.
1. Passion is the First Step to Achievement.
2. Passion Increases Your Willpower.
3. Passion Changes You.
4. Passion Makes the Impossible Possible
The truth is that you can never lead something you don’t care passionately about. You can’t start a fire in your organization unless one is first burning in you.
To increase your passion, do the following;
- Take your temperature- How passionate are you about your life and work?
- Return to your first love-Try to recapture your old enthusiasm.
- Associate with people of passion.
#13 Positive Attitude
If you believe you can, you can.
Most people credit Edison’s ability to creative genius. He credited it to hard work, “Genius,” he declared, “is ninety-nine percent perspiration and one percent inspiration.”
1. Your Attitude is a Choice
2. Your Attitude Determines Your Actions
3. Your People Are a Mirror of Your Attitude.
4. Maintaining a Good Attitude is Easier Than Regaining One
To improve your attitude, do the following:
- Feed yourself the right”food”. Read books – listen to motivational tapes
- Achieve a goal every day
- Write it on your wall.
#14 Problem Solving
You can’t let your problems be a problem.
Leaders with good problem-solving ability demonstrate five qualities:
1. They Anticipate Problems.
2. They Accept the Truth
3. They See the Big Picture
4. They Handle One Thing at a Time
5. They Don’t Give Up a Major Goal When They’re Down.
To improve your problem solving, do the following:
· Look for trouble. If you’ve been avoiding problems, go out and look for them.
· Develop a method. For example the TEACH method.
Time– spend time to discover the real issue.
Exposure– find out what others have done.
Assistance– have your team study all angles.
Creativity-brainstorm multiple solutions.
Hit it – implement the best solution.
· Surround yourself with problem solvers. If you aren’t a good problem solver, bring others onto your team who are.
#15 Relationships: If you get along, they’ll go along
“The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.” Theodore Roosevelt
1. Have a Leader’s Head- Understand People
All people have some things in common:
They like to feel special, so sincerely compliment them.
They want a better tomorrow, so show hope.
They desire direction, so navigate for them.
They are selfish, so speak to their needs first.
They get low emotionally, so encourage them.
They want success, so help them win.
A leader must still be able to treat people as individuals. That means treating people differently. This sensitivity can be called the soft factor in leadership. You have to be able to adapt your leadership style to the person you’re leading.
2. Have a Leaders Heart- Love People
“Being a leader is more than just wanting to lead. Leaders have empathy for others and a keen ability to find the best in people…by truly caring for others.”
3. Extend a Leader’s Hand – Help People
People respect a leader who keeps their interest in mind. If you focus on what you can put into people rather than what you can get out of them, they’ll love and respect you.
To improve your relationships, do the following:
- Improve your mind. Read several books on the subject of relationships. Recommend reading are books written by Dale Carnegie, Alan Loy McGinnis and Les Parrot III.
- Strengthen your heart. Don’t wait until you feel like helping others- ACT your way into feeling. Make a list of little things you could do to add value to friends and colleagues.
- Repair a hurting relationship
#16 Responsibility: If you don’t want to carry the ball you can’t lead the team.
“Success on any major scale requires you to accept responsibility….. In the final analysis, the one quality that all successful people have is the ability to take on responsibility.” Michael Korda
“A leader can give up anything- except final responsibility.” John Maxwell
Following are the characteristics of people who embrace responsibility:
1. They Get the Job Done.
2. They Are Willing to Go the Extra Mile
3. They Are Driven by Excellence
4. They Produce Regardless of the Situation
To improve your responsibility, do the following:
· Keep hanging in there. Sometimes the inability to deliver despite difficult circumstances can be due to a persistence problem. The next time you find yourself in a situation where you’re going to miss a deadline, lose a deal, or fail to get a program off the ground, stop and figure out how to succeed. Think outside the lines. Can you work through the night? Can you call a colleague to help you? Can you hire a staff member or find a volunteer to help? Creativity can bring responsibility to life.
· Admit what’s not good enough. If you have trouble achieving excellence, maybe you’ve lowered your standards. Look at your personal life for places where you’ve let things slip. Then make changes to set higher standards. It will help you to reset the bar of excellence for yourself.
· Find better tools. If you find that your standards are high, your attitude is good, and you consistently work hard- and you still don’t achieve the way you’d like- get better equipped. Improve your skills by taking classes, reading books, and listening to tapes. Find a mentor. Do whatever it takes to become better at what you do.
#17 Security
To improve your security, do the following:
- Know yourself. Take a personality test like Myers-Briggs or ask several people your three greatest talents and three greatest weaknesses. Don’t defend yourself when you hear their answers, gather the information and reflex on it.
- Give away credit. You may not believe that you can succeed if others receive the praise for the job your team is doing. Try it! If you assist others and acknowledge their contributions, you will help their careers, lift their morale, and improve the organization. And it will make you look like an effective leader.
- Get some help. If you cannot overcome feelings of insecurity on your own, seek professional help. Get to the root of your problems with the assistance of a good counselor, not only for your own benefit but also for that of your people.
Don’t let insecurity prevent you from reaching your potential.
#18 Self-Discipline
1. Develop and Follow Your Priorities
Anyone who does what he must only when he is in the mood or when it’s convenient isn’t going to be successful. Someone once said “to do important tasks, two things are necessary: a plan and not quite enough time” As a leader, you already have too little time. Now all you need is a plan. If you can determine what’s really a priority and release yourself from everything else, it’s a lot easier to follow through on what’s important.
2. Make a Disciplined Lifestyle Your Goal
To be successful, self-discipline can’t be a one-time event. It has to become a lifestyle.
3. Challenge Your Excuses
4. Remove Rewards Until the Job is Done.
“Any business or industry that pays equal rewards to its goof-offs and its eager-beavers sooner or later will find itself with more goof-offs than eager beavers.”
5. Stay Focused on Results
To improve your self-discipline, do the following:
- Sort out your priorities. Think about which two or three areas of your life that are most important to you. Write them down, along with the disciplines that you must develop to keep growing and improving in those areas. Develop a plan to make the disciplines a daily or weekly part of your life.
- List the reasons. Take time to write out the benefits of practicing the disciplines you’ve just listed. Then post the benefits someplace where you will see them daily. On the days when you don’t want to follow through, reread your list.
- Get rid of excuses. Write down every reason why you might not be able to follow through with your disciplines. Read through them. You need to dismiss them as the excuses they are. Even if the reason seems legitimate, find a solution to overcome it. Don’t leave yourself any reasons to quit. Remember, only in the moment of discipline do you have the power to achieve your dreams.
#19 Servanthood
The true leader serves. Serves people. Serves their best interest, and in so doing will not always be popular, may not always impress. But because true leaders are motivated by loving concern rather than a desire for personal glory, they are willing to pay the price. Eugene B. Habecker
1. Puts Others Ahead of His Own Agenda
2. Possesses the Confidence to Serve
3. Initiates Service to Others
4. Is Not Position-Conscious
5. Serves Out of Love
To improve your servanthood do the following:
- Perform small acts
- Learn to walk slowly through a crowd.
- Move into action
#20 Teachability
Value your listening and reading time at roughly ten times your talking time. This will assure you that you are on a course of continuous learning and self-improvement. – Gerald McGinnis
It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts-John Wooden
1. Cure Your Destination Disease- Some people mistakenly believe that if they can accomplish a particular goal, they no longer have to grow. —-But effective leaders can’t afford to think that way. Be a life long learner.
2. Overcome Your Success- Effective leaders know that what got them there doesn’t keep them there. If you have been successful in the past, beware. And consider this: if what you did yesterday still looks big to you, you haven’t done much today.
3. Swear Off Shortcuts – The longest distance between two points is a shortcut.. That’s really true. For everything of value in life, you pay a price. As you desire to grow in a particular area, figure out what it will really take, including the price, and then determine to pay it.
4. Trade In Your Pride- Teachability requires us to admit we don’t know everything> If we keep learning we must also keep making mistakes- The greatest mistake one can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.
5. Never Pay Twice for the Same Mistake. Roosevelt said ” He who makes no mistakes, makes no progress.” But the leader who keeps making the same mistakes also makes no progress. LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES.
To improve your teachability, do the following:
- Observe how you react to mistakes. Do you admit your mistakes? Do you apologize when appropriate? Or are you defensive? Observe yourself. And ask a trusted friend’s opinion.
- Try something new. Go out of your way today to do something different that will stretch you mentally, emotionally, or physically. Challenges change us for the better. If you really want to start growing, make new challenges part of your daily activities.
- Learn in your area of strength. Read six to tweleve books a year on leadership or your field of specialization. Continuing to learn in an area where you are already an expert prevents you from becoming jaded and unteachable.
#21 Vision
“A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position.”
1. Vision Starts Within
2. Vision Draws on Your History
It grows from a leaders past and the history of people around him.
3. Vision Meets Others’ Need
4. Vision Helps You Gather Resources
Where does vision come from? To find the vision that is indispensable to leadership, you have to become a good listener. You must listen to several voices.
The Inner Voice; Do you know your life’s mission? What stirs your heart: What do you dream about?
The Unhappy Voice; Inspiration for great ideas comes from noticing what doesn’t work.
The Successful Voice; if you want to lead others to greatness, find a mentor.
The Higher Voice; A truly valuable vision must have God in it. Only he knows your full capabilities.
To improve your vision:
- Measure yourself, how well are you caring out your vision?
- Write it down, Writing clarifies your thinking. Once you’ve written it, evaluate whether it is worthy of your life’s best.
- Do a gut check. If you haven’t done a lot of work on vision, spend the next several weeks or months thinking about it. Consider what really impacts you at a gut level. What makes you cry? What makes you dream? What gives you energy?
