The qualities of being a leader are numerous and are not easy to develop. But in business it is a necessity for anyone looking to lead to master these qualities. Great leaders like Miami based Patrick Dwyer Merrill Lynch are made not born and they seek out those things needed to perform at their best. Some specific characteristics of a great leader might be surprising, while others seem obvious. The key is to make sure that you acquire as many of these skills as possible so that you can be the best leader possible and make your company as successful as possible. Here are a few of those skills:
They regularly seek the advice of experts in many fields who can assist them with decision making
The relationship with these experts is one of respect and appreciation for the expert helping the leader. What is important when selecting those to offer their advice, is that they are committed to helping you reach success. Many of these experts will become mentors and help guide the business to higher levels of success.
They listen to qualified opinions
A great leader will always have an open ear to those who are qualified to offer their opinion. Sometimes these opinions will be in direct conflict with the leader’s opinions, but there is always something to learn from a good opinion, so great leaders will listen to hear what there is that is valuable. Sometimes there is very little, but that small amount can make the difference between success and failure.
They make the tough decisions
Great leaders know tee will be tough decisions that must be made and they make them. This might be a change in direction, firing an employee or realizing that it is no use to pursue a client who has decided on another vendor. Often these decisions require going against popular consensus, and requires the leader to risk his standing or good name, but the alternative is to not make and important decision and risk losing everything. So great leaders are constantly assessing things to make sure that the right decisions are being made and are prepared to move in the right direction when needed.
They have a plan
Great leaders have a specific plan that they follow to become successful. They work this plan through with contingencies and go through the plan with every key person. One everyone is clear, they implement the plan and force everyone to adhere to it. But they are not idle, at this point, they consistently confirm that they are on track and make adjustments if they either go off track or the plan is not working. Throughout, they keep in contact with everyone involved so each person is clear about where things are and where they are heading.
The final skill is that they always seek out new and improved options for reaching their goals quicker and more efficiently. This strategy allows them to compete or to keep ahead of the competition.
