What makes the following two people similar: Nelson Mandela, the South African leader who fought apartheid and inequality, and the captain William D. Swenson who received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in Afghanistan? Right! They have both proven themselves as true leaders.
So what makes a person a real leader? Are these some traits that we are born with, or can leadership be obtained? To which extent is it an individual choice? Let us look at the common characteristics of people who have become leaders in areas from business to politics.
What Are the Qualities of a Typical Leader?
A person who leads and whom people follow is not always a leader. The process alone is never enough. It is the result that matters. Leaders should be able to achieve group goals and often bring their group to the new level of functioning.
Embracing the Change
For a start, a true leader is a person who embraces the real-life challenges and is ready for the possibilities of the future. It is a person who is always ready for changes.
Roselinde Torres, a Leadership expert, stated in her 2013 TED speech that a leader can be defined based on three questions. They are as follows:
- What are his or her sources of information or inspiration in the changing environment?
- How diverse is their network, how open-minded are they?
- How strongly are they willing to go forward and never look back at the old models of decision-making?
So it is not content with the current state of affairs, but rather willingness to explore possibilities and take risks, which define leadership. However, this may not be enough as well.
Serving People
Simon Sinek, another leadership expert, emphasized the fact that true leaders should acknowledge the importance to serve others and sacrifice themselves for the sake of their people. By comparing companies where CEOs sacrifice others for the sake of their own gain to the ones where (such as Barry-Wehmiller) leaders create the atmosphere of trust and facilitate cooperation, Mr. Sinek concluded that a true leader is responsible for creating a safe and rewarding environment.
If we look at the leadership qualities listed by sources like Forbes magazine, we can see that they are based on establishing trust and showing readiness to face the future. So here are some of the leadership characteristics: delegation, communication, honesty, accountability, enthusiasm, commitment, positive attitude, creativity, and ability to inspire. The most important thing is that these are not what we are born with — we can indeed learn to be good leaders.
For example, when we imagine a typical leader, we usually think about extraversion, which is an inborn trait. That is neither true nor right. Jake Millman’s example on Quiet Revolution tells the opposite – one can be a quiet leader. It is possible to motivate others and make responsible decisions while not being a person of many words. Those who make use of personal qualities for the sake of the common good and never stop improving are capable of becoming the best leaders.
Conclusion
If we assume that there is such thing as a typical leader we’ll neglect the fact that no one is born a leader and disregard individual differences between people. We become true leaders by managing the environment and making it safe and advantageous for people. Leadership is about setting the example for others to follow, also about inspiring and facilitating change. Good leaders make a conscious choice to serve people for the sake of mutual gain, and they are rewarded at the end.