What makes a successful leader?
This was the question posed in the following article that I was asked to contribute to.
There is a lot one could say in answer to this question. I am interested in hearing what your answer is. Leave a comment below if you haven’t emailed it to me already.
A successful leader is one that can add value to the company / organization, while being fair and consistent to all employees. All while having a vision for the future, Setting clear goals and working as a team to achieve them, being able to look in the mirror and being accountable and responsible for your successes and failures.
In my view, a truly successful leader is one that clearly defines the mission and goals of his team, he or she leads by showing the way forward, demanding more from himself than from his team members and is protecting his team. He goes first where it is most dangerous, risking his reputation all the way to risking his own life to protect his team members, while taking a step or two back when praise and honor is acknowledged, giving the credit to his team. A successful leader can lead his team through difficult times with limited resources, he understands that there are differences in communication due to differences in personality, building his team considering capability & personality. He is delegating tasks and missions in a way, so it builds on the individuals team members strength, while arranging support for the weaknesses. A successful leader understands the meaning not to judge a “fish by its ability to climb a tree” and applies it consciously as he is leading the way forward.