Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
#6. Visionary
The vision of the leader sets the tone and provides a sense of direction for the organisation. You the leader must have the ability to galvanise your team effort behind the vision and thus propel your organisation into the future you have envisaged.
Many will look up to your leadership for direction in their own personal lives. When people commit to a vision, they commit to a person. That is you the visionary. They look to hear what you have to say, how you say it and what you do after you have said it.
Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela envisaged a world that was completely different from the one they lived in. They inspired their followers to take action at great cost to make that vision a reality.
Take a look into the future. What do you see? The further in the future you can see, the better the quality of your decisions today that brings you closer to the future you envisage.
#7. Goals
Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible. ~ Tony Robbins
Goals are like magnets that draw out the potential for achieving great things that can lie dormant inside of you. Your goals are the markers on your road to success.
You must have goals. They may be as simple as a list of things you want to achieve. They must be realistic and they must make you draw from the strength you did not know you have.
If you set out to achieve nothing, that is precise what will happen. You will achieve nothing. If you have your goals written out, you have a plan of action for achieving these goals and you have the discipline to follow your plan, then you are on your way to being a successful entrepreneur.
#8. Strategy
All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what non can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved. ~ Sun Tzu
Strategy deals with the long term direction. Is the lack of strategic leadership a contributory factor to why small businesses stop growing? One thing is for sure, growth is not automatic. You need a strategy and a plan for your’s and your organisations growth.
The only way to shake of the ‘small’ label attached to you and your organisation is to grow, grow and grow. How do you plan to grow?
You take a position in relation to the future opportunities and threats you and your organisation will face. You then commit resources today to position yourself to whether the storm or take advantage of the opportunities that will present itself.
#9. Team
I need to give power to other people, allowing them the creativity and freedom to explore new ideas and ways of thinking. ~ Jill Cleveland
Leadership is a team effort not a solo expedition. Leaders know they cannot do it alone. You the leader must therefore develop the ability to get the best out of others.
The foundation of your team effort is the building of trust. With trust comes the ability to engage in real dialogue around issues. Everyone has to pull his or her weight. This requires commitment to the success of the team or the achievement of vision.
You the leader must inspire your team to rise to heights far beyond the sum of their individual efforts. To quote a chinese proverb:
If you are planning for one year, grow rice. If you are planning for twenty ears, grow trees. If you are planning for centuries, grow men
#10. Emotional Intelligence
Leaders lead people and not organisations. Humans are emotional beings. We think with our head but we act with our heart. Your emotions and the emotions of the people you lead matter.
Emotional Intelligence is your ability to recognise and understand emotions in yourself and others and your ability to use this awareness to manage your behaviour and relationships. Saying the right thing at the wrong time can lose you a client. Resist the urge to say it as it is.
You inability to control your bouts of anger will get you passed over for the promotion that you have worked hard for.
Getting ahead in life requires more than a high intelligence quotient IQ score. You also have to have a high EQ or emotional quotient.
How do you inspire your Team?