Great qualities of inspiring leaders

Business leaders are expected to know and do a lot of things. However,  the difference between a good manager (who delivers according to plan) and a great manager, who can inspire everyone around him, is not a question of knowledge or even about execution. It is a question of personality.

We all know inspiring leaders, famous or not. At first sight, they appear to have little in common. Yet, Gandhi, Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Jack Welch, or this very special manager, mentor or teacher who helped you to grow beyond your limits,  all have or had the same 3 qualities that make them stand out from the crowd. Those qualities are Confidence. Credibility. Clarity of Focus.

Confidence

Inspiring leaders have the absolute confidence that they have the ability to remove any obstacle which may block their road to success. Many of them have known very dark times, sometimes prison, bankruptcy, health issues, etc.  Those  trying times made them stronger.

Inspiring leaders know they may not prevail all the time.  But they have learned that, if they and their team "work  with all their might, put their soul into what they do. and stamp it with their personality", they have a good probability to succeed.

Their confidence is like a lighthouse which keeps everyone on track, whatever happens. The inspiring leader will be the last to abandon ship, not only because of honor or integrity, but also because he is convinced there is always a solution.

Most importantly, their confidence fuels the confidence of their teams. The greater the leader is, the more confident the employees will be. The vibrant energy of employees, whatever their rank and position,  is a clear signal of the  positive influence of an inspiring boss.

Credibility

The force of all inspiring leaders is their credibility. They "Walk their Talk".

Those leaders will not ask their teams to comply with a new rule and do not apply it to themselves. They will lead by example, not only by objectives. They will seek to experience (from time to time) the everyday lives of their employees, in the office, in the factory, in the store. This hands-on experience will enable to better listen, and also to be better listened to, as they really know what they are talking about. 

Clarity of Focus

Inspiring leaders stand for a simple, central idea. They know that ambiguity and dispersion are the enemies of change. They will keep on repeating the same message, again and again.  They will say no everytime if they think a new project(even a very good idea or opportunity)  could derail the group from its main goal. At that moment,  it may hurt some people, it may not be understood. But it's for the greater good of the organisation. And eventually the team will  recognize the simple yet powerful rationale behind the decision of not chasing multiple targets.

The good news is that anyone can learn from those leaders. Build the same confidence in your capacity to find solutions. Nurture your  credibility based upon  hands-on experience. Preserve your clarity of focus. Those qualities will benefit to you and your entourage, big time. How about starting today ?