Leadership 领导 （pinying: ling dao)

Every person aspires to be a leader in whatever role he or she is doing. Correct?

If your answer is YES, read on.

When we google search “Leadership Qualities” we find many articles on the desired qualities of a good leader. According to www.entrepreneur.com These qualities include:

 

Focus:

“To be a good leader, you cannot major in minor things, and you must be less distracted than your competition. To get the few critical things done, you must develop incredible selective ignorance. Otherwise, the trivial will drown you.”

—Tim Ferriss, bestselling author, host of The Tim Ferriss Show

But in this day and age, multi-tasking becomes a must in any workplace. How to be focussed on just one task at any one time may just be too slow to react to modern day situations.

 

Confidence:

“A leader instills confidence and ‘followership’ by having a clear vision, showing empathy and being a strong coach. The two work well together in gaining respect.”

—Barri Rafferty, CEO, Ketchum North America

But too much empathy can lead you to “NOWHERE”. You become too soft, too obliging and your company goals will never be met.

 

Transparency:

“As a leader, the only way I know how to engender trust and buy-in from my team and with my colleagues is to be 100 percent authentically me—open, sometimes flawed, but always passionate about my work. No surprises.”

—Keri Potts, senior director of public relations, ESPN

Being authentic may not be the same as being transparent. What is your opinion on this?

Integrity

“Our employees are a direct reflection of the values we embody as leaders. If we’re playing from a reactive and obsolete playbook of needing to be right instead of doing what’s right, then we limit the full potential of our business and lose quality talent. If you focus on becoming authentic in all your interactions, that will rub off on your business and your culture, and the rest takes care of itself.”

—Gunnar Lovelace, co-CEO and co-founder, Thrive Market

Hm! I got to think about this. From my own experience in the workplace, many leaders in industries survive as leaders only because of the fact that in critical moments they choose to have less integrity than is desired.

Inspiration

“People always say I’m a self-made man. But there is no such thing. Leaders aren’t self-made; they are driven. I arrived in America with no money or any belongings besides my gym bag, but I can’t say I came with nothing: Others gave me great inspiration and fantastic advice, and I was fueled by my beliefs and an internal drive and passion. That’s why I’m always willing to offer motivation — to friends or strangers on Reddit. I know the power of inspiration, and if someone can stand on my shoulders to achieve greatness, I’m more than willing to help them up.”

—Arnold Schwarzenegger, former governor of California

But, say what we like, there has always been an element of “luck” in any leader. Some call this “being in the right place at the right time” to provide the right inspiration to the right circle of influential people around you.

Passion

“You must love what you do. In order to be truly successful at something, you must obsess over it and let it consume you. No matter how successful your business might become, you are never satisfied and constantly push to do something bigger, better and greater. You lead by example not because you feel like it’s what you should do, but because it is your way of life.”

—Joe Perez, cofounder, Tastemade

This is true. Therefore, we need to dissociate ‘success’ from ‘money making’. Hope this is as clear as mud.

Innovation

“In any system with finite resources and infinite expansion of population—like your business — innovation is essential for not only success but also survival. The innovators are our leaders. You cannot separate the two. Whether it is by thought, technology or organization, innovation is our only hope to solve our challenges.”

—Aubrey Marcus, founder, Onnit

If there is no innovation, the company cannot survive. Innovative leaders seek new ways of doing the same thing or throw new ingredients into the mixing pot. Ah, sometimes such innovations can bring a downfall. So beware, innovation may just be a trap into oblivion.

Patience

“Patience is really courage that’s meant to test your commitment to your cause. The path to great things is always tough, but the best leaders understand when to abandon the cause and when to stay the course. If your vision is bold enough, there will be hundreds of reasons why it ‘can’t be done’ and plenty of doubters. A lot of things have to come together—external markets, competition, financing, consumer demand and always a little luck—to pull off something big.”

—Dan Brian, COO, WhipClip

Yes, patience is a desirable quality, not only for a leader but also for every person wanting to stay healthy.

Open-mindedness

“One of the biggest myths is that good business leaders are great visionaries with dogged determination to stick to their goals no matter what. It’s nonsense. The truth is, leaders need to keep an open mind while being flexible and adjust if necessary. When in the startup phase of a company, planning is highly overrated and goals are not static. Your commitment should be to invest, develop and maintain great relationships.”

—Daymond John, CEO, Shark Branding and FUBU

No comment here. Do you agree or not agree with this quotation?

Empowerment

“Many of my leadership philosophies were learned as an athlete. My most successful teams didn’t always have the most talent but did have teammates with the right combination of skills, strengths and a common trust in each other. To build an ‘overachieving’ team, you need to delegate responsibility and authority. Giving away responsibilities isn’t always easy. It can actually be harder to do than completing the task yourself, but with the right project selection and support, delegating can pay off in dividends. It is how you truly find people’s capabilities and get the most out of them.”

—Shannon Pappas, senior vice president, Beachbody LIVE

While I find this to be true, too much empowerment can bring your downfall. Someone below you may be sharpening his knife to have you “killed”, not literally of course but certaining your downfall.