Who is a leader?
A leader is a person or animal that holds a dominant or superior position within its field, and is able to exercise a high degree of control and influence over others towards achievement of a goal. He is a teacher who leads his group by mentoring and constantly communicating his vision and objectives. He sets the pace and create conducive environment for the followers. The place of leadership cannot be over-emphasized in both humans and animals; an illustration is the case of the black ants who are always confused without a leader.
A leader has a deep understanding of his subject matter, and a strong orientation towards achievements. He understands how to recognise, recruit, develop, and deploy talents, focusing on applying the best talents to best opportunities. He also knows when it is time to make changes and cut losses as required. Regardless of sentiments, he does the right things and never compromised core values. He builds trust and engenders confidence with his stakeholders in order to succeed. He thinks big regardless of the physical or geographical boundaries of his current role, since limited thinking yields limited results. He is externally oriented, hungry for knowledge of the world, and adept at connecting developments and spotting patterns. Possessions of powerful motivation to increase his knowledge base and to convert his learning into actionable initiatives are always in his thoughts. He questions, challenges, confronts and never accepts the status quo.
His thoughtfulness makes him strategic and tactical always. He is quick on his feet and knows how to get to the root of an issue faster than anyone else. He is extremely discerning and his decision making skills sets him apart from the masses. He does not make un-informed or ill-advised decisions in a vacuum. He recognises limitations and has superior knowledge base. If he does not have the much required experience, he hires it, contracts it or buys the means to acquiring it.
A leader is an unflappable individual that never let you see him sweat (unless of course it serves a purpose). His charismatic display shows he is in charge. He is positive in his outlook and his attitude is contagious. He knows when and how to share information and he is an expert listener. He develops strong and positive team cultures driven by aligned motivations. He is quick at detecting whether team is operating at full potential, delivering commitments, and whether they are changing and growing against just operating. He is a meticulous personality and always teachable.
In conclusion, despite a leader’s appetite for accomplishments and results, he never rest upon past accomplishments. He embraces change as the requirement to withstand today’s fast paced and competitive environments. While he may re-engineer or change direction, he never loses sight of the end game and he is never a quitter. He is always conscious that no amount of talent can overcome illegal, immoral or otherwise ill-advised actions; he knows he will not survive the long haul if he is void of integrity.