Leadership questions to remember: 10 qualities that mark a leader and help influence the leadership process

We have three choices in challenging situations: 1) Change your perspective; 2) Influence your situation; or 3) Leave.  Option 2 is the focus for leaders responsible for organisational development.  Option 1 does not effect change and option 3 is rarely a solution. As I realign from of few challenging months of my own, I take on board questions from The Art of Leadership that remind us of leadership qualities that determine our ability to influence our situations.

Leadership principles like those below can seem like common sense.  Yet we can all identify less than desirable responses to associate with our poor leadership outcomes.  Do I always maintain and articulate clear vision? Do I always express care for my staff over the needs of the project?  Do I engage in activities that will build my self-confidence?

I take assurance that the “life” thing we are on is a journey.  Leadership is not asking the question, and it is not necessarily having the right answer.  Leadership is knowing which questions to ask at the right time, understanding how to arrive at the answer, and having the ability to develop a strategy to change your response.

The questions below can act as a self-assessment of your current situation or a test to determine your ability to enter a new situation.  Almost all leaders I know are insanely busy and must keep a great number of things top of mind.  With everything we have going on, our first step is to remember to ask the question…

10 qualities that mark a leader and help influence the leadership process

1.     Vision

• Do I have plan?
• What is my vision of what this organisation or department should be?

2.     Ability

• How competent am I?
• Am I current in my field?
• Do I set an example and serve as a resource for my employees because I keep job knowledge current?
• Are my perceptions accurate, is my memory good, are my judgements sound?

3.     Enthusiasm

• Do I care personally and deeply about what I am doing?
• Do I show this to my employees?
• Does my enthusiasm ignite others to take action?

4.     Stability

• Do I possess objectivity?
• Do I convey stability to my employees?
• Do they trust that personal problems will not interfere with my judgement?

5.     Concern for others

• Do I truly care about my employees as people, or do I view them more as tools to meet my current goals?
• Do I ever demean people, or do I always lift them up?
• If I value my employees, do they know it?

6.     Self-confidence

• What is my self-confidence level?
• Do I show confidence in my actions?
• Have I done the homework and preparation needed to build self-confidence?

7.     Persistence

• Do I have self-drive and unflagging persistence to overcome adversity even when others lose their strength and their will?

8.     Vitality

• Am I fit for the task of leadership?
• Do I have sufficient energy?
• Am I doing everything I can to keep physically strong?

9.     Charisma

• Do I poses a positive outlook and commitment in my demeanour that transforms followers to new levels of performance as well as personal loyalty to me?

10.  Integrity

• Do my people trust me?
• Do they know I seek the truth and that I am true to my word?
• Do they see that I possess strength of character and the courage of my convictions?