Leadership is nothing but the qualities which make a person stand out from other mortals.
It is associated with a person who is assertive in speech and action, and who has love for those under him.
Being an effective leader is not about what you make others do. It is about who you are, what you know, and what you do. It is not about using positional power to drive people to meet objectives.
It is the ability to bring together the team, so that they can see the value of the end result that needs to be achieved. This way the actions they take are driven by a bigger purpose.
It is common knowledge that it is not possible for all people to follow the leader, and be content. But effective leadership requires the ability to strike a balance between concern for people and concern for the job.
The bond that holds these two factors together, however, is integrity. This integrates ethics wisdom with management wisdom.
Even if you believe that you naturally have some qualities of a leader, you still need knowledge, practice, drive, tenacity, experience and enthusiasm to be a good leader.
It is also of utmost importance that a leader is trustworthy to lead others. People will respond more openly to a person of passion and dedication.
The good leader not only maintains high standards, but is also proactive in raising the bar in order to achieve excellence in all areas.
He needs to function in an orderly and purposeful manner in situations of uncertainty, as people look up to the leader during times of uncertainty and unfamiliarity, and find reassurance and security when the leader portrays confidence and a positive demeanour.
These are some personal characteristics that are foundational to good leadership.
"A leader leads by example, whether he intends to or not."
Annonymous
