76 / BECOMING SUCCESSFUL
Moving into leadership
A leader has the personal characteristics that make people want
to follow them, the ability to create and communicate a purpose,
and the personal touch to deal with people. To be a leader, you
must want to become a leader and be committed to learning
and practicing leadership skills.
Making a great leader
To be a great leader, you do not
necessarily have to be a good organizer,
but you must ensure that work is capably
organized and managed. You don’t
have to be a great strategist, but you
must ensure that strategy is developed,
delivered, and communicated. You
don’t have to be a brilliant decision-
maker, but you must ensure that tough
decisions are taken at the right time and
implemented sympathetically. The first
lesson of effective leadership, therefore,
is that you must surround yourself with
good people with the right skills, whom
you can trust to deliver.
Defining leadership
While it is true to say that leaders
are made, not born, they tend to
share certain characteristics. They
have integrity, displaying standards
and values that make people trust them.
They show enthusiasm, and can create
it in others. They tend to have a warm
personality and interact well with others
and they are tough but fair, with high
standards and expectations, but always
dealing with people fairly and openly.
Characteristics of success
Surround yourself with good
people with the right skills
MOVING INTO LEADERSHIP / 77
Aiming for the top
When you become a leader you will
usually have three main aims, which
often overlap and sometimes conflict
with one another:
•
To create a vision for the organization
•
To ensure team cohesiveness to
deliver the vision
•
To satisfy the needs of the individuals
within the team.
Juggling these balls is your task: if
you drop any one, the organization
or team is likely to stumble. Teams
and individuals do not work well
without a purpose or goal to achieve.
This is because most individuals find
it hard to achieve goals if they do not
work as a team; and teams usually
don’t achieve their goals without
motivated individuals.
HIGHPERFORMING ORGANIZATIONS
○
Are very clear about where they want to be
and the measures of success
○
Know where they have come from and respect
their past
○
Understand where they are now and where
they stand against their competitors
HIGHPERFORMING TEAMS
○
Have clear and realistic objectives
○
Share a sense of purpose
○
Create an open atmosphere
○
Regularly and objectively review progress
○
Build on their experiences
○
Work through difficult times together
HIGHPERFORMING PEOPLE
○
Feel valued and respected
○
Know what is required of them at work
○
Have the tools and resources to do their jobs well
○
Know how what they do helps the organization to
be successful
○
Are nurtured and developed
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