Three Proven Qualities of Great Leaders #1 Trust
It may sound
like a paradox, but a great leader isn't someone who leads. It's someone other
people want to follow. This isn't a matter of personal charisma, star power,
luck, or ambition. If you expect to lead any group, whether a small team at
work or a nation, you will do it best by acquiring real-life skills and
applying them. For decades the
Gallup Organization, gathering masses of data worldwide, have asked workers
what makes a great boss. The top three answers cut through a great deal of the
so-called mystery of leadership.
The first factor
was trust. "He's looking out for us" is the most basic and important
thing that a worker can say about a good boss. In war a soldier's life depends
on trusting that the generals in charge can be trusted. All generals give
orders that must be followed. Only a few engender the kind of loyalty that
sends people into risk and danger.
To follow isn't
a matter of blind trust, however. People judge their leaders pragmatically.
Ronald Reagan's famous line, "Ask yourself if you are better off today
than you were four years ago" was decisive in winning him the Presidency.
It won't matter how good you feel you are at leading if your team's wellbeing
is on the decline.
It's easy to get
carried away by ego--or at the other extreme by insecurity--so step back and
consider the ingredients that make other people willing to trust you.
Your actions are consistent
- Your words match your deeds.
- You make promises you can keep.
- You take responsibility for your decisions.
- You don't backstab or undercut those around you.
- You don't focus on yourself.
- You monitor the success and welfare of your cohorts.
- You tell the truth.
On any given day
you can measure yourself by these criteria. They apply as a parent or as
President of the United States. Whatever your self-image may be, these
guidelines give you an objective measure of your performance.
There's an
opposite to every positive trait, so here's the pattern that failing leaders
follow as they cause trust to deteriorate around them.
- They are fickle and inconsistent. You can't predict what they will say or do tomorrow.
- They talk the talk but can't be trusted to walk the walk.
- They are generous with promises but weak on follow through.
- They make excuses for themselves and pass the blame on to others.
- They are quick to find a fall guy.
- They gossip and backstab, in the belief that remaining on top means creating insecurity among potential rivals.
- They only care deep down about number one.
- They only care about the success of those who hang on to their coattails.
- They adjust the truth according to the situation at hand.
Take some time once or
twice a week to perform an honest self-evaluation of how much trust you are
actually earning. Making this a habit will serve you well on your path to
leadership.
Thanks to Deepak Chopra for the article
Thanks to Deepak Chopra for the article
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