Leadership is one the most coveted skills a person can possess in both business and life. The ability to lead others is one of the fundamental drivers of all human productivity. But why is leadership so valuable? What does good leadership mean to you? And what qualities does a good leader posses? In this article, I’ll attempt to answer those questions and define leadership in it’s purest form.

Why is leadership such a valuable skill?

Good leadership is akin to being able to create your own reality. Being able to inspire, motivate, or influence others to act is a skill that has always been in demand. This is mainly because of it’s penchant for bringing power to those who wield it.

With businesses, social groups, sporting teams and organisations we live in a world filled with opportunities to lead. Convincing groups of people to buy-in to a project is essentially the basis of western society. Which is a part of why we value it so highly.

Being a leader, rather than a follower also increases your earning potential. It can enable you to start a business or take on leadership roles at work. Leading a successful team can magnify your resources and productivity far beyond what you could produce alone. That’s why so many charismatic leaders rely on others to advance their goals. Instead of depending on their own self reliance.

What does good leadership mean to you?

Not all creators are leaders, but all leaders are creators in some way. They create a vision that other people want to get behind. They start the ball rolling and create the momentum that their followers then build on.

A leader is a person who brings certainty into uncertain situations. Their confidence allows them to influence others into adopting their point of view. Leadership is a process of dreaming up a future that doesn’t exist and taking action to make it a reality. This future focused perspective empowers leaders to endure criticism and take action when others won’t. As a result, they have no problem doing something unpopular if they believe in the eventual outcome.

However, leadership is not simply a case of taking action. Being the first business into a new market does not guarantee it will be the market leader. That’s because leadership is very much linked to communicating the value of the action you take. Therefore, it is the first business to reach the hearts and minds of the market that becomes the market leader.

What qualities does a good leader possess?

To be a good leader you need to possess a diverse set of skills. These skills will help you to lead large and small groups of people. Some of these skills include:

The ability to speak, write or debate in a persuasive manner.

A helpful level of impatience that motivates you to be decisive and take action.

A hunger to learn from others and listen more than you speak.

A conviction in what you say and what you believe.

The ability to empathise with others and understand their point of view.

The discipline to set aside time to self reflect.

The ability provoke emotion from an audience.

A deep understanding of the hopes and dreams of the people you’re attempting to lead.

The courage to stand alone in the midst of a new challenge.

A willingness to fail, to take on feedback and to have people tell you, “you’re wrong.”

The ability to set a standard for what you expect from your followers.

The intention to do something that takes your followers out of pain and moves them toward a more positive emotion.

A desire to be of service .

These are all qualities you could expect from a successful leader. They also describe someone likely to use their leadership as a force for good. I could write an article about each individual skill, but for now take some time to reflect on this list.

Which of these qualities do you possess? How often do you engage them? Do you have clarity on what your offering is or why you desire to lead in the first place? Are you seeing things from your followers point of view? And do you approach leadership as an act of service or one of narcissism? So take some time to answer these questions honestly and read over you responses.

Conclusion: Good Leadership is Good For Everyone

Leadership is an important skill, not just for individuals for the human race as a whole. Good leadership has the power to fix the worlds problems. Because good leadership causes technological breakthroughs, mends broken relationships, inspires altruism, gives people hope and much more. Therefore don’t underestimate what cultivating your leadership skills could do in your life or the lives of others.

Hear More Examples of Good Leadership on The Network Podcast:

✅ Tyler Spooner on How to Build a High Growth Start Up with Tyler Spooner

✅ Tom Kooy on The Chaos of Entrepreneurship and Why Gratitude Cures Self Sabotage

✅ Charlie Gunningham on How To Sell A Small Business

✅ Chris Nurse on Why Soft Skills Are Important for Tech Entrepreneurs

More on Good Leadership from Around The Web:

➡ Tony Robbins – The Blueprint of Leadership, The 4 Qualities of Exceptional Leaders

➡ Seth Godin – The Difference Between Leadership and Management

➡ Inc – What Every Boss Can Learn About Leadership From Sheryl Sandberg at Facebook

➡ GQ – Mark Bourise on How to Become a Successful Leader

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