By Tonya Echols
Moving up from a managerial role and becoming a leader can be a daunting shift for many people. After years of doing, organizing, and monitoring, we are rewarded with expanded leadership roles for our efforts and successes.
There are many skills and competencies that leaders possess, and we might already be using some of them. The rest can be learned through mentoring or with a leadership training class or with continual practice. Rarely are we offered, however, ongoing guidance on what it takes to truly lead. Leadership traits can usually be narrowed down to five key areas:
Clarity. In simple terms, be clear about who you are, what you want, and why you want it. To lead others, you must have a strong awareness of self, including your values, priorities, and vision for the future. When you have clarity in yourself, you will be able to influence and inspire others to action because your personal commitment and drive will be apparent to everyone you encounter.
Confidence. You will only be able to make an impact if you have confidence in your ability to reach your goals and those of your team. If you don’t have self-assurance in your own skills and talents, it will be difficult for others to trust your leadership. Arrogance is a major detractor in a successful leader but timidity is equally dangerous. A confident leader can make definitive decisions and either stand by them or change them as additional information becomes available without intimidation or endless second-guessing.
Communication. One of the biggest causes of strife within most organizations is poor communication. The ability to communicate effectively is possibly the most important key to successful leadership. That communication, however, works in two directions--sharing ideas and listening to input from others. Leaders must be able to communicate the bigger vision in a way that others can understand and execute while remaining open to receiving input and feedback from their team, peers, and superiors. Leaders who are not able to incorporate both aspects will struggle to reach their goals and develop professional relationships.
Collaboration. If people say they can do it all alone, chances are they are not leaders--or at least not effective ones. While leaders are often the ones out front pushing the agenda, there is a team of people working with them to make sure the final output works as planned. True leaders have the desire and willingness to work with others, even in challenging circumstances. Even in situations in which one has considerable experience to achieve an initiative, a leader will solicit others to contribute to and implement the plan. Involving others supports the professional development of team members and frees the leader to focus on more strategic objectives.
Carry through. Leaders inspire trust by doing what they say they are going to do. Expressing the desire to reach a goal means nothing if you do not actually follow through on the responsibilities you take on as a leader. Whether it is sharing knowledge, communicating openly, or supporting and coaching your team members, if you agree to it—do it. Not only does that reflect your personal integrity, it helps to build an overall environment of trust.
While there is no one perfect method of becoming a successful leader, if you are authentic and clear about who you are, show confidence in your abilities, willingly communicate and collaborate with others, and follow through on your commitments, you will be well on your way.
Tonya Echols is an executive coach and leadership consultant and the founder of Vigere with over 20 years of experience in corporate management, business operations, media, and finance. She is a faculty member of American Management Association. Echols was named a standout executive coach by LinkedIn ProFinder for 2016 and 2017 and is a member of Forbes Coaches Council.