Basic
Characteristics of the leader
A leader
has a lot of qualities.
In this
lesson we are going to point out the qualities which can be considered
basic (they are necessary in a leader) whilst in the next lesson we
will analyze other complimentary qualities (they contribute to the
figure of the leader).
The leader
should posses all of these basic qualities, basically some more than
others, but all of them should be present.
The absence
of some of them will make being an authentic leader very difficult.
Basic qualities:
Visionary:
the leader is characterized by his vision in the long term, to go
ahead with events, anticipate problems and detect opportunities before
others.
The leader
is not happy with what there is, he is a non confirming person, he
is creative and he likes to think ahead.
Active
person: the leader
not only sets demanding objectives but he also fights hard to reach
them, without giving up, with great persistence, which constitutes
to the key of his success.
The leader
is not happy just dreaming, the leader wants results.
Brilliant:
the leader stands out from the rest of the group, because of his intelligence,
fighting spirit, clarity of his thoughts, etc or probably because
of a combination of everything.
Courage:
the leader is not afraid of difficulties; the goals that he proposes
are difficult (although not impossible) it is necessary to overcome
many obstacles, to convince a lot of people, but the leader is not
discouraged, he is really convinced of the importance of his objectives
and he will fight for them, overcoming obstacles that he is faced
with.
The leader
defends his convictions with determination.
He generates
enthusiasm: the leader manages to make the team enthusiastic;
they believe that the leader’s goals are positive not only for
the company but also for the employees.
The future
that the leader offers is so suggestive that it’s worth fighting
for.
One of
the fundamental characteristics of the leader is, knowing how to create
enthusiasm, making the group enthusiastic and getting them to share
the objectives.
If the
leader doesn’t have a team that follows him, a person with the
same characteristics will be a solitary wolf but never a leader (leadership
is always linked to the team).
Great communicator:
another quality which allows him to “sell” his vision
by letting the team know his plans in a suggestive manner.
Convincing:
the leader is persuasive; he knows how to present his arguments in
such a way that he manages to gain support from the organization.
Great negotiator:
the leader is a very skilled negotiator. The fight for his objectives
demands him to continuously negotiate not only with the company, but
with clients, suppliers, financial entities, shareholders, etc.
The leader
shows a special skill to advance in the long journey towards his objectives.
Capacity
to command: the
leader should base his leadership on the art of conviction, but also
he has to be able to use his authority when it’s necessary.
The leader
is a comprehensive person, but not a bland person (if this were the
case his subordinates would loose respect towards him).
The leader
can not abuse his power to “order and command” as if he
does this it will be impossible to motive the team, but he should
be capable of applying his authority without taking his finger off
the pulse.
Demanding:
with his employees, but also, with himself. The fight for some difficult
goals requires a certain level of excellence at work which is only
achieved with a high level of excellence.
If the
leader is demanding with his employees but not with himself he will
not be a leader, he will be a despot that turns the whole organization
against him.
Charismatic:
if in addition to the previous characteristics, the leader is a charismatic
person, he can be classified as a complete leader.
Charisma
is a natural skill used to seduce and attract people; it is an authentic
people magnet. Charisma can be used to win over a team; it can make
a team feel attracted to the leader.
However,
it is necessary to point out that it is possible to have a leader
that is not charismatic.
For a company
it is preferable to have a leader without charisma but who has a high
level of honesty, as a charismatic leader can use the organization
for his own benefit.
Honesty:
some high ethnic values are fundamental in order for the leader to
stay a period of time and these values can not be bluffed.
The team
needs to be confident in their leader, they need to be absolutely
convinced that their leader is going to act honestly and that he is
not going to leave them in the lurch.
If the
subordinates detect that the leader doesn’t play clean and that
he is only interested in himself, they will loose confidence in him.
Once this process is underway it is very difficult to stop it.
Reliable:
the leader has to be a person that sticks to his word: what he promises
he needs to carry out.
If he does
this the team will have blind confidence in him.
Coherent:
the leader has to live what he predicts.
If he demands
dedication, he needs to be the first to show this; if he talks about
austerity, he has to give an example; if he demands loyalty, he has
to show it.
The leader
should always practice what he preaches: he can not demand something
from his subordinates if he is not prepared to do it.
Besides,
the message from the leader should always be coherent.
He can
not think in a certain way today and in a radically different way
tomorrow: this would confuse his team.
This does
not imply that he can not develop his approach.
