A Clever Leader must:
- Be able to create a long-term goal or vision
- This vision must be used to inspire others(To be a leader you need followers).
- Be able to take calculated risks.
- Think outside of the box and develop new ideas or approaches to things.
- Be trustworthy and honest.
- Take responsibility for their actions and the actions of others under their leadership.
- Be supportive of others.
- Encourage others.
- Celebrate success.
- Recognize the contributions of others.
See: Our Research Finds The 6 Essential Skills You Need To Be A Great Leader
Main Leadership Qualities
As well as the list above, all Clever Leaders must have a high level of Emotional Intelligence (E.I.) This means that to be a Clever Leader, you must understand and manage your own emotions and behaviours before you can understand and influence others.
What Is Emotional Intelligence?
IE.I. is a combination of:
- Self-awareness.
- Self-control.
- Self-motivation.
- Social Skills.
See: Clever Leaders Need E.I. -5 Clever Steps To Develop Yours
What Is Self-Awareness?
A leader who is self-aware and understands themselves and their emotions including their:
- Strengths
- Weaknesses
- Likes
- Dislikes.
When a leader has a good understanding of their emotional intelligence they will understand their values, goals, and what motivates them. By understanding yourself you will gain a greater understanding of others and how to have a positive effect on their performance.
What Is Self-Control?
Self-control is your ability to control your emotions and or impulses so that you don’t harm the chances of reaching your goal.
Having good self-control will enable you to be calm and efficient even in a crisis. It will help you think clearly and logically and not overreact in trying situations. As a Clever Leader, you need to be reliable and consistent in all situations.
Most importantly, if you have high levels of self-control others will be able to rely on you when it is most needed. This is especially important in difficult situations where everyone else may be losing control and makes a true leader stand out from the crowd.
Self-Motivation
To be a Clever Leader, you must be able to find your energy and drive to achieve goals. You should also have the energy to spare so that you can motivate others. You must be passionate and excited about your goals and be able to pass this on to others.
You should always be looking out for new ideas and challenges and be positive and sometimes forceful to ensure that your vision is achieved.
Empathy
Being able to put yourself in the other person’s shoes and seeing things from another person’s perspective enables you to make the best decisions for each individual by meeting their needs as well as the business needs. Ensuring each person’s needs are being met will create happy, motivated followers who are willing to do more to achieve the collective goal. This is particularly important in cross-cultural leadership.
Social Skills
Having good social skills means that you can maintain good working relationships and can lead people towards achieving collective goals. To achieve this, you must be able to communicate your passion and energy to others and be ready to give support and guidance when it is needed. You should always be ready to celebrate success but also remain positive when things do not go to plan.
More Cleverness:
Developing Good Working Relations – Human Resource Management
For additional reading also see: Forbes What Is Leadership?(External Link)
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