10 Signs You Were Born to Be a Leader
The qualities of a good leader are varied but across the board, but overall a leader should stand out from the rest. They should be obvious choices for a promotion, a raise or an opening due to not only the technical skills they possess but also the personal skills.
The Harvard Business Review conducted research on leadership qualities by "collaborating with a respected organization in the telecommunications industry whose leaders scored well above average on most managerial competencies." The team looked at 33 leaders who scored at or above the 99th percentile on innovation, and their peers, subordinates and bosses measured them in a survey.
Here are 10 ways to know you've got it in you to be a leader, too, based on the leadership signs they exhibited,
1. You're trusting.
A leader builds trust with their team because they understand that innovation requires some level of risk. They know that they need trust in their plan and for the team to trust each other for it to work out.
2. You have a shared vision for the company.
A leader is forward looking and visualizes situations for the company that are in line with the company's values. A leader adheres to those values and exhibits them in everything they do.
3. You're pesuasive.
A leader doesn't push their ideas on other people. Instead, they enthusiastically present their ideas with conviction so that their team willingly agrees.
4. You're a candid communicator.
Leaders offer honest feedback that can help employees actually improve, even if it's blunt.
5. You're motivational.
A leader's actions alone are motivational for the team, and they have a clear sense of purpose in the work they're doing. One respondent in the study said, “For innovation to exist you have to feel inspired.”
6. You're Timely.
A leader meets and exceeds deadlines.
7. You're Goal-Oriented
A leader can not only meet goals but also expand on them. They find new ways to achieve higher and higher goals.
8. You're Optimistic
Leaders believe that "the best and most innovative ideas bubbled up from underneath," according to the study. They strive to" create a culture that uncorked good ideas from the first level of the organization" and are often described as projecting optimism, full of energy and always receptive to new ideas."
9. You're Customer- or Client-Focused
A leader believes that the customer or client is right, and they get into the customer or client's mind to better understand how they can service them.
10. You're for the Good of the Company
"Pleasing the boss or some other higher level executive always took a back seat to doing the right thing for the project or the company," according to the study.
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AnnaMarie Houlis is a multimedia journalist and an adventure aficionado with a keen cultural curiosity and an affinity for solo travel. She's an editor by day and a travel blogger at HerReport.org by night.
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