Leaders are made rather than born. -Warren Bennis
Encouraging words from Warren Bennis for those of us who may not feel we are ‘natural born leaders’. This quote highlights the simple fact that anyone can show and practise leadership in their daily working life. Let’s think about it – what really makes a leader? It’s much more than an impressive title and a bit of power, right?
So if you want to make a leader of yourself or someone else, what skills, attributes and behaviours do you need to promote and practise? Here are our top five:
1. Self-development – constantly striving to be better encourages the same attitude in people around you, and means you do not stagnate and stop improving at any point of your career.
2. Accountability – a good leader leads by example, and empowers people to own their responsibility and their work by doing the same thing themselves.
3. Self-awareness – knowing yourself ensures better communication with others, and better personal discipline, as well as higher emotional intelligence.
4. Open communication in all directions – not just to people you line manage or share jobs with.
5. Encouraging and developing others – showing leadership is not about making your way to the top and keeping others below you; true leaders help to create future leaders from all of their colleagues.
Written by Florence Sturt-Hammond
