Qualifying leadership qualities

By Melinda Collins

Leadership is the quality of spirit that enlists the aid and support of others in accomplishing a common task. It is a way for people to contribute to making something extraordinary happen; empowering those around you to achieve.  

Some people have leadership ability. Some don’t. But how does it play out in the corporate arena? Simple — it can make or break an organisation.

Good management is vital for any business organisation — whether it is an SME or a multi million dollar corporate. But in addition to basic management skills, managers require leadership skills as well. In fact, leadership is the key quality which every manager must acquire to become an effective manager. A manager may develop a perfect strategy to make an organisation successful – but to drive that strategy to fruition takes leadership.

Leadership then takes on a bigger, broader and more important role.

Internationally renowned leadership coach and speaker Dr Myles Monroe offered this insight in his bestselling Spirit of Leadership in 2005, after personally training thousands of business leaders around the world.

“Leadership is the capacity to influence others through inspiration, motivated by passion, generated by vision, produced by a conviction, ignited by a purpose.”

Leaders may be found in boardrooms, he says, but they may also be found in families, schools, and organisations of all kinds — anywhere people interact, nurture, create, or build.

“Contrary to popular opinion, leadership is not meant for an elite group of people who — by fate or accident — are allowed to be leaders while everyone else is consigned to being lifelong followers.”

A summary of his key leadership traits:

Influence

Leadership is not about being in power, it’s about empowering others. While it does involve influencing a group or team of people, leadership is not about power and coercion. Influence is creating the want and desire in others to do what you want and desire them to do.

Passion

A leader is most effective when he or she is passionate about the team, organisation, and the work thereof. Passion has to be genuine and cannot be faked. But it is contagious and when team members can sense the passion of leaders, they too will become passionate.

Vision

Leadership is all about action. The vision is the articulation of the action to get to where the group needs to go. The vision should be well defined and effectively communicated.

Conviction

Leaders believe that what they do is important and purposeful. The belief is the conviction that drives the leader’s actions and passion. The conviction is communicated in the vision and nearly every statement of the leader.

Purpose

Leaders have purpose for their actions and what they influence. Leaders seek what is best for the group, not the individual. Leaders are inherently selfless and hardworking. They are driven by their conviction and purpose and resonate the passion in their vision statements.

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