A light-hearted look at leadership
We all know good leadership when we see it, and we cringe when we are exposed to bad leadership. Then how come it is so difficult to be a great leader every day?
The qualities of great leadership
As they say in a poet’s world, let me count the ways. Leadership is an embodiment of essential character traits like boldness and humility, resilience and empathy. It is the ability to understand human nature, and humans. It is the ability to be firm and flexible. The list goes on, and in the end, Leadership is also about delivering, achieving something that would not be achieved without leadership.
- Boldness and humility
- Resilience and empathy
- Understanding human nature, and humans
- Being firm and flexible
- Delivering outcomes that would not happen without Leadership
Why it can be hard every day
Daily pressures test these qualities. Context shifts, people change, and decisions carry consequences. The work is to return to the qualities of great leadership, again and again.
Keep perspective
Go easy on yourself. We are all called upon to be leaders, some more than others, and we can take solace in our imperfections, knowing that leadership is something people do, and therefore, there is no such thing as a perfect leader.
Watch the video: count the opportunities
Today we take a light-hearted look at the challenges of leadership. How many opportunities can you spot in this video, let me count the ways.
Practice your leadership
If you want to strengthen the qualities of great leadership in yourself or your team, consider focused development, reflective practice, and coaching. Small shifts, applied consistently, change outcomes.
