By Todd Woods-CEO Guerrilla Marketing Strategies
“Leadership is one of the things you cannot delegate. You either exercise it, or you abdicate it.”- Robert Goizueta
The number one factor in becoming an effective leader is your ability to develop the qualities of leadership. This is more important than anything else in your business. To become an effective leader you must study successful leaders and seek to develop the qualities they have. When you think and act on the basis of the key qualities of effective leaders throughout the ages, you in turn become more effective day by day. It takes practice. It takes modeling. It takes determination and consistency.
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act but a habit.” Aristotle
Your job as a leader is to lift and elevate others towards reaching their full potential. To do that you must be committed to not only your success but the success of those around you and those who you lead. Leadership is the single most important factor in the success or failure of a company or a business.
Brain Tracy, one of the authorities on leadership teaches that there are seven qualities of leaders. Here they are.
Seven Qualities of Leaders
1. Vision- This is the most important single quality of leadership.
2. Courage- “Courage is the foremost of the virtues, for upon it all others depend.” Winston Churchill. To have courage is to be willing to initiate action with no guarantees. Audacity means offensive strategy, to dare to go forward, and courageous patience is the ability to stay the course.
3. Integrity- One of the most respected, required and admired of all great leaders is integrity. This quality is tough to find these days. We live in a world full of dishonesty and people compromising values and honesty in the pursuit of success. Great leaders exude integrity.
4. Responsibility- To be responsible means to accept your role as a leader. It means owning up to your failures and mistakes as well as your successes. Responsible leaders keep a level head and show “grace under pressure.” They focus on the future and the many opportunities that lay ahead instead of dwelling on past failures.
5. Foresight- This is the ability to look forward and anticipate. All great leaders are strategic thinkers and consider all possibilities of a course of action before taking that course. Great leaders are proactive and always anticipate challenges and crisis that may occur.
6. Winning- Leaders have the commitment to winning and continually strive to be the best. They focus on the needs of the situation and focus on the results on what must be achieved. They also focus on strengths and performance of their people and the company they lead.
7. Cooperation- Cooperation is the ability to get followers. Lead by example. Get involved and be visible.
Keep in mind that leaders are created, generally self made. Great leadership begins with the desire and the ability to be continually teachable. Becoming a great leader is a continual process that needs to be focused on daily. Leaders are continually learning and growing.
Be committed to be an outstanding leader, and your franchise business will reach levels of success you never thought possible. |
