Leadership Qualifications
1) Unwavering Courage
Unwavering courage means full belief in oneself and one’s occupation. No intelligent follower will follow a leader who lacks self-confidence and courage.
2) Self-Control
Put simply, if you cannot control yourself then you can never control others. Self-control is a must in leadership.
3) A Keen Sense Of Justice
Essential for leadership in any calling. Otherwise you will lose the respect of your followers.
4) Definiteness of Decision
If you do not make strong decisions then you are unsure – people do not follow one who is unsure.
5) Definiteness of Plans
You must plan your work and work your plan. Otherwise you are moving by guesswork and will eventually fail.
6) The Habit of Doing More Than Paid For
Hill found that all leaders who succeed in an outstanding way are always willing to do more than they require from their followers.
7) A Pleasing Personality
This is needed to get the respect of followers (whether these be customers, workers or shareholders) and is essential.
8) Sympathy and Understanding
A successful leader must be in sympathy with his or her followers and understand their problems.
9) Mastery of Detail
All great leaders know every single detail of their position to the most minute detail. They master whatever is expected of them.
10) Willingness to Assume Full Responsibility
A successful leader must be willing to be responsible for the mistakes and shortcomings of their followers. If a follower has failed he must consider that he or she has failed and do whatever it takes to put it right.
11) Co-operation
This is essential. As well as co-operating with others a successful leader must also induce his/her followers to co-operate. Leadership calls for power and power is only available through the help of others which requires co-operation.
The 10 Major Causes Of Failure In Leadership
1. Inability to organize details
Efficient leadership calls for ability to organize and to master details. No genuine leader is ever “too busy” to do anything which may be required of him in his capacity as leader. When a man, whether he is a leader or follower, admits that he is “too busy” to change his plans, or to give attention to any emergency, he admits his inefficiency. The successful leader must be the master of all details connected with his position. That means, of course, that he must acquire the habit of relegating details to capable lieutenants.
2. Unwillingness to render humble service
Truly great leaders are willing, when occasion demands, to perform any sort of labor which they would ask another to perform. “The greatest among ye shall be the servant of all” is a truth which all able leaders observe and respect.
3. Expectation of pay for what they “know” instead of what they do with that which they know
The world does not pay men for that which they “know.” It pays them for what they do, or induce others to do.
4. Fear of competition from followers
The leader who fears that one of his followers may take his position is practically sure to realize that fear sooner or later. The able leader trains understudies to whom he may delegate, at will, any of the details of his position. Only in this way may a leader multiply himself and prepare himself to be at many places, and give attention to many things at one time. It is an eternal truth that men receive more pay for their ability to get others to perform, than they could possibly earn by their own efforts. An efficient leader may, through his knowledge of his job and the magnetism of his personality, greatly increase the efficiency of others, and induce them to render more service and better service that they could render without his aid.
5. Lack of imagination
Without imagination, the leader is incapable of meeting emergencies, and of creating plans by which to guide his followers efficiently.
6. Selfishness
The leader who claims all the honor for the work of his followers is sure to be met by resentment. The really great leader claims none of the honors. He is contented to see the honors, when there are any, go to his followers, because he knows that most men will work harder for commendation and recognition than they will for money alone.
7. Intemperance
Followers do not respect an intemperate leader. Moreover, intemperance in any of its various forms, destroys the endurance and the vitality of all who indulge in it.
8. Disloyalty
Perhaps this should have come at the head of the list. The leader who is not loyal to his trust, and to his associates, those above him, and those below him, cannot long maintain his leadership. Disloyalty marks one as being less that the dust of the earth, and brings down on one’s head the contempt he deserves. Lack of loyalty is one of the major causes of failure in every walk of life.
9. Emphasis of the “authority” of leadership
The efficient leader leads by encouraging, and not by trying to instill fear in the hearts of his followers. The leader who tries to impress his followers with his “authority” comes within the category of leadership through force. If a leader is a real leader, he will have no need to advertise that fact except by his conduct- his sympathy, understanding, fairness, and a demonstration that he knows his job.
10. Emphasis of title
The competent leader requires no “title” to give him the respect of his followers. The man who makes too much over his title generally has little else to emphasize. The doors to the office of the real leader are open to all who wish to enter, and his working quarters are free from formality or ostentation.
These are among the more common of the causes of failure in leadership. Any one of these faults is sufficient to induce failure. Study the list carefully if you aspire to leadership and make sure that you are free of these faults.