There is an old cliché that says “leaders are made, not born”. Have you ever wondered what it takes to be an effective leader? Who is a great leader? These questions often plague people who have the aspirations for leadership.

One will realize that leaders have one thing in common. Their leadership quality is one that distinguishes them from the others. However, developing leadership qualities is the first step in becoming a leader.

Let’s go through the steps in developing your leadership traits.

1. Lead by example.
Being a leader through example means showing your peers what it takes to be a leader. Exerting effort, working hard, and showing your commitment will gain the respect of your peers.

2. Inspire others.
Good leaders show exceptional skills in reaching out to others. Your listening skills are as important as your communication skills. As a leader, you must have the ability to address the concerns of your followers. Establishing a harmonious relationship is a crucial factor especially in the workplace.

3. Read books on effective leadership.
To be an effective leader, you need to spend some time looking over educational books. Instructional and audio-visual materials centering on the subject of leadership are readily accessible in the market. These are important tools to pick up some helpful reminders on how to be an effective leader.

4. Imitate the leaders you idolize.
Try to think of influential leaders that you look up to, and find out the reason why you admire them. Explore and read about the lives of these people. Try to recognize the attributes and qualities they possess that contributed to their influence and effectiveness as a leader. Try to discover if you picked up something important about these people which you feel you can integrate into your own leadership system.

5. Maintain a positive attitude.
To be a leader, you should not easily lose hope. You need to move on despite the odds not being completely in your favor. To be a good leader, you should not easily succumb to the pressures of failures and emergencies. You should always think ahead and remain optimistic. You need to be strong and persevere. In doing this, you can influence other people.

Leadership is not always an option; more often than not, it arises out of necessity. Given the chance, you can become a good leader with sufficient training and given the appropriate conditions. You can have the qualities of an effective leader; all it takes is self-control and commitment.
12 WINNING LEADERSHIP QUALITIES: Unleash The Leader Instinct Within You!
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About the Author

Kevin has written articles regarding health, self-motivation, public speaking and today’s environment. He speaks at business clubs regarding personal development. His website is: www-powerbooks.com

Do your peers, customers, family and friends find you credible? To be considered credible, people must find you to be trustworthy and an expert on the subject at hand. Building trust is the most critical component for establishing and maintaining credibility. If people have a difficult time trusting someone’s character, they will struggle with developing compatible professional and personal relationships. Trust is like the foundation of a house. Without the foundation, the house will not have its primary support in place; consequently, the house (relationship) will collapse. Having expertise on a topic, may make someone the go-to person but without the behaviors that build trust, credibility will not be fully established or maintained.

Since developing trust involves demonstrating positive character traits in behaviors, it usually takes time to establish. In some situations, building trust can happen quickly like when someone jumps into a situation and swiftly delivers positive results. It can also erode in a heartbeat when someone’s actions show disrespect towards others and a lack of accountability.

Behaviors That Build Trust:

1. Makes actions match words; follows through and keeps their promises.
2. Possesses a successful track record of achievements and establishes themselves as an expert in the subject at hand.
3. Communicates clear and consistent goals, expectations and standards.
4. Listens with empathy; understands other perspectives, validates people, and asks questions to show interest and eliminate false assumptions.
5. Makes an effort to show genuine sincerity and concern for employees as individuals.
6. Maintains confidentiality and stays out of the gossip circuit.
7. Approaches rather than ignores tough conversations and situations.
8. Is approachable and open-minded.
9. Thinks and responds with a growth versus a fixed mindset.
10. Acts authentically and is likable.

As the above behaviors are demonstrated, credibility is established and maintained. When credibility is maintained, high-performance teams emerge and personal relationships are strengthened, deepened and healthy. Work on developing your credibility by demonstrating trusting behaviors and watch others follow. Be the role model to bring greater success to your work teams, family team and yourself. It’s never too late to be how you could have been.

About the Author

Nancy Stampahar inspires people into action with her enthusiasm and lemons to lemonade wisdom and expertise. She is the author of the 2009 IPPY Award winning self-help, inspirational book, peace, love and lemonade: a recipe to make your life sweeter and a sought-after organizational development consultant, trainer and speaker. She earned her BSBA in human resource management from Robert Morris University, after she decided to make lemonade. Visit: http://www.silverliningsolutions.com