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Oh yes, there are several of these articles flooding the cyber space….notes that’d tell you how a ‘perfect leader’ ought to be, and mistakes that most leaders make. However, no one is born a leader…not even the best ones! Just like a parent, it takes years of patience, observation and practice for a leader to be ready enough to ‘command’ that respect. However, there are still some tell-tale signs that can guide you through the process of spotting a future leader, in his raw elements, who many would love to follow… a leader who’d be able to inspire and motivate, a leader who would lead his team and an organization to great heights. Let’s see if you have one of such ‘true influencer’ in your team! Look for these signs and make no mistake.
Confidence… not under, not over
No, this certainly is not an overrated personality trait. A confident person surely knows what they’re up to. They’re secure, helpful and have a strong vision of the future, as against an under- confident or over- confident person, who’d either be openly unsure about what to do, insecure about their own space… or try to mask it with a superior, and therefore, non- cooperative, snobbish attitude which’ll bring harm and bad health to the team. Confidence also stems from knowledge, dedication and practice, and attracts others like a magnet. You’ll often find such people the uncrowned leaders of their teams, even before you’ve spotted them!
2. A Live example of dedication
The leader of future will certainly be a sincere, dedicated worker setting benchmarks for all around. They’d be respected for their work attitude, rarely waiting for an external motivation. To do things with excellence is ‘a way of life’ for them, and not just a tool to get promotions and good reviews. So keep an eye for that young worker in the team who delivers efficiently and effectively, without waiting for a nudge.
3. No tolerance for gossip
They who can take your team together will show signs of character and values long before you give them ‘positions’ or ‘designations’ (although they’ll rarely use the stature as ‘positions of authority’). One tell- tale sign of a future wise leader is their non-tolerance towards gossip…even if it’s about their ‘hater’ (yes, there could be people who hate them….not everyone has a good taste). Gossip is for the lowly, they believe, and so you’d often spot them being with themselves rather than with the ‘gossip group’.
4. Fearless, yet humble
A true leader has the king’s character. They’re fearless! If they make a mistake, they confess. If you make a mistake, they confront… in the politest way, so it doesn’t hurt. As a matter of rule, they mind their own business, and the only time you’ll see them breaking this rule is when they see goodness or values being compromised. Then, all territory is their territory. They’d take it upon themselves to protect the right, without any fear.
5. Assertive, not aggressive
Like I already said, a leader in the making is sure and confident about themselves. So, naturally, they’re inclined to assert themselves when they know they are right, without causing hurt to the respect of others around. They’d insist on being heard, insist on the right thing to be done, insist on staying away from what they believe could be hurtful to the team or the organization (without calculating personal risks of rejection or more), without getting offended or taking it personally or getting aggressive if the final decision of the team is not in accordance with their conviction.
6. A great Listener
Empathy is not a skill to get trained in… it is a value that is learnt early in life. All successful leaders of the world share this one character trait…empathy, or to be able to feel the emotions of another. So watch out for that empath in your team, who other team members turn to for venting out. This one person in your team would always create time for someone who needs just a listening heart. And for sure, this listening heart would NEVER speak!
7. Mentor...guide...
friend
This wonderful empath in your team wouldn’t stop at just lending an ear. They’d always have a way of getting things better. They’d be the mentor, the guide or the friend to the one in need, always helping with their wisdom, experience, insight or just an immediate friendly practical solution. Not a surprise then that they and everybody feels like they’re the ‘parent of the team’, even if they’re young enough to be a carefree buddy. After all, ‘old souls’ don’t always come in old bodies!
8. Keeps the family together
By now, you’d have already spotted this one person of your team who has the knack of keeping the team together, not necessarily by sitting across the table and giving advice, but by any which means that others understand. The greatest of bonds were built over a cup of coffee, or a simple sharing of a ‘ciggie break’! Don’t underestimate the power of that bonding time. You never know, the team might be becoming a family, and a certain ‘team member’ the ‘head of this family’!
9. Not afraid to learn, evolve, grow
A truly dynamic person is never ashamed of confessing their lack of knowledge, and is ever- ready to learn new skills, because in their immense wisdom, they know that one has to cease being the caterpillar to be a beautiful butterfly …’what the caterpillar calls ‘end of life’, the Master calls ‘butterfly’! The real character of a true leader is to take risks, get out of the comfort zone, acquire new skills constantly, grow and evolve! And they ensure that they aren’t in this journey alone. They motivate, inspire and lead many, who want to be ‘just like them’… and sure enough, they become.
10. Being Able to communicate effectively
If you have immense music in your heart, but don’t know how to express it, it is but a waste of the truest emotions....unable to kindle fire in any other heart. So it is with ideas. Being able to think wisely is one thing, but being able to communicate all of those thoughts is quite another. And what use are the most wonderful of intentions without a chance of getting implemented into action? Is your future leader able to communicate….for self, and if need be, for others?
11. Wise, Balanced
Your future leader is wise (more than being smart), emotionally intelligent (more than being ‘emotional’) and respects people, ideals and values (more than profits and personal gains). They are like a wise parent who knows when to speak and when to hold their reins…a person who understands and regulates emotions of self and others in the wisest possible way and has learnt how to respect individuals, ideals and character.
Basically, your leader of tomorrow is a person one can look up to, a person high in emotional and spiritual quotient, rather than just intellectual quotient, a good human being who is capable of ‘managing’ rather than ‘manipulating’, who has faith in himself and others. Even if such a person falls short in technical skills, they can be trained. Cherish them!
They say, “Speak what language you will, you cannot speak but what you are”. So is the true leader…a person worth holding in the highest of esteem…a person who ‘earns’ his followers by virtue of his being….a person who is a true ‘INFLUENCER’!
A word of caution to you…the ‘leader spotters’! It’s a HUGE responsibility to give an organization or a team a leader they deserve. Choosing a wrong leader, who is seen as inefficient or non-deserving by a majority, can be a huge set-back for the organization. It will lead people to feel short-changed, ‘small’ and insulted (Some might even under-value the recognition given to them) … gradually forcing even the most passionate ones to either quit, or lose faith and become hopeless, ‘silent’ and ‘numb’ to the organization.