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    You are here Home » leadership

    5 Traits Every Leader Should Have to Achieve Hero Leadership

    Last updated on Jan 17, 2019 by Dan McCarthy · This post may contain affiliate links

    Guest post from Jeffrey Hayzlett:

    What’s
    leadership? What makes for an effective leader? The answers to both these
    questions are relative to every organization -- big or small. There is no one
    set of rules that makes for an effective leader, but leadership encompasses a
    slew of characteristics and different people embody different sets of traits.
    The fact of the matter is, some people become good leaders and others don’t.
     
    For me, a good
    leader isn’t someone who just tells others what to do. It’s not someone who wields
    power just because they are the boss. A good leader is someone who guides and
    mentors a team, who offers counsel, looks to foster a good working environment
    and creates a culture that’s sustainable.
    Natural born
    leaders have the ability to motivate and communicate better than other members
    of the team. I believe these two traits are the two most critical because if
    you can’t motivate your team or can’t communicate your ideas, there won’t be
    anyone following you. Therefore, who exactly are you leading?
    My latest book,
    “The
    Hero Factor: How Great Leaders Transform Organizations and Create Winning
    Cultures”
    examines key pillars on how to become a better leader by creating
    a winning culture, achieving operational excellence – all without dismissing
    the power of profit. It was Henry Ford who said, “A business that makes nothing
    but money is a poor business.” Making money and creating a winning culture is
    something every leader should strive for. Why not have the best of both worlds?
    Here are 5
    traits every successful leader should have:
    1. Personality.
    You have to show your employees that you have a personality
    – whether it’s humor or being charismatic, employees need to relate to you at
    some level. Above all, you must be genuine. That’s something that you shouldn’t
    have to fake – ever.
    I
    believe in being yourself, always! My
    attitude is about owning who I am and everything I do: Sell me, sell the
    company; sell the company, sell me. My style of leadership is fearless, bold
    and relentless. To me, that says, “I own who I am!” Don’t be afraid to own
    everything about your leadership – the good, the bad and the ugly.
    2. Be
    persuasive.
    Being
    persuasive doesn’t entirely mean getting people to do what you want. It means
    that as a leader, you are constantly aware of the differences that exist at
    every rung of the ladder – from your fellow executives, to other types of
    company leaders, to the admin team. The message you’re trying to convey must
    reach everyone without any room for
    misinterpretation. At every turn, you need to think about who your audience is.
    That’s what a good leader does. They communicate succinctly and effectively,
    leaving little to no wiggle room for miscommunication or misinterpretation. An
    effective communicator gets everyone to row in the same direction and therefore
    is the catalyst that moves the needle forward.
    3. Honesty and trustworthy.
    Honesty and trustworthiness are the
    pillars of any good leader (and human being). If your employees and colleagues
    can’t (or don’t) trust you, you have a huge problem. Not to mention, no one
    wants to do business with you. People will follow those who they trust, and
    they’ll appreciate your candor and openness. They may not like it, but they’ll
    appreciate it.
    A good leader also
    gives credit to their team. Let them know they are appreciated, trusted, and
    that you have their backs generates a greater level of trust and loyalty; more
    so than any so-called leader who is constantly bragging about “their”
    accomplishments.
    4. Good listener.
    A great leader
    is constantly engaged with their peers can rally a group of followers much
    faster than one who hides in the corner office. If you fail that simple, yet
    somewhat overlooked, task you’re putting your business in danger. It’s as
    simple as that.
    Listen to your
    employees as they’re typically most aware of the issues taking place within your
    company and also your first line of defense. Listen to your consumers as they
    may have sound advice on how to improve your product or service. Creating that
    level of trust and keeping the lines of communications open are what’s needed
    to achieve a winning culture, which leads to operational excellence.
    5. Risk-taker.
    Taking risks is
    part of being in business. And for most of us, no one will die if we take a
    risk and make a mistake.
    Everyone in my
    company has heard me say “no one will die” in numerous occasions. Most of us
    aren’t leading a team of surgeons and no one is going to die from taking a risk
    in business. Lose some money? Maybe. One thing’s for sure, you won’t get
    anywhere without taking a risk or two.
    Taking
    risks isn’t about being irresponsible, reckless or careless. It’s about
    constantly taking the temperature of your business to make sure it still has a
    pulse. It’s about taking risks that align with the changing times and your
    company’s values. You will make mistakes, that’s part of life. However, if as a
    leader you’re not willing to take any risks, you can’t expect your employees to
    take them for you. If you take risks, they’ll try to emulate that and help move
    the company forward. You set the tone.
    Good
    leaders, lead. They think big, they come up with great ideas, they fail, they
    counsel, mentor, and are part of the team. If you think being a leader is
    finally making it into the c-suite or the corner office, you have the wrong
    perception of what being a leader is all about. Sure, the corner office and the
    c-suite look good on a resume and might impress a few of your friends, but the
    fact remains that you spend more time at the office with your team, than you do
    with your own family. It might be best to have your team on your corner, rather
    than fighting you at every turn.
    Jeffrey Hayzlett is a primetime television host of C-Suite with Jeffrey Hayzlett and Executive
    Perspectives
     on C-Suite TV, and business podcast host of All
    Business with Jeffrey Hayzlett 
    on C-Suite Radio. He is a global
    business celebrity, speaker, best-selling author, and Chairman and CEO of C-Suite
    Network, home of the world’s most trusted network of C-Suite
    leaders. Hayzlett is a well-traveled public speaker, former Fortune 100
    CMO, and author of four best-selling business books: Think Big, Act
    Bigger
    : The Rewards of Being Relentless, Running the Gauntlet, The
    Mirror Test 
    and The
    Hero Factor: How Great Leaders Transform Organizations and Create Winning
    Cultures.
    Hayzlett is one of the
    most compelling figures in business today and an inductee into the National
    Speakers Association’s Speaker Hall of Fame.

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