Developing the leadership qualities necessary for success is possible!
Some people will debate for hours on whether a leader is born or made? Is leadership and management the same thing? Is one particular personality type more or less likely to succeed as a leader?
For every question you have about leadership there are a hundred and more answers.
We all have our own opinion, and you are entitled to it. This is mine…
We can also debate all day, all year in fact on whether these should be called qualities, traits, characteristics, personality and so on. All of these terms are relevant, yet the debate about which is most critical is probably the cause of procrastination and deadlock.
Does it help if we spend some considerable time arguing about whether this should be a trait or a qaulity? For the purists perhaps, the academics certainly, but for you? Don;t you just want to know how to be a better leader and do better leadership?
For those who simply want to get on with developing their leadership – scroll down the page and find the links to the different qualities. For those who want to bear with the academic justification of all this qualities bit… read on.
What is a Quality?
I turn to the trusty and ever-ready dictionary.com
qual·i·ty;[kwol-i-tee] noun, plural -ties,
- an essential or distinctive characteristic, property, or attribute: the chemical qualities of alcohol.
- character or nature, as belonging to or distinguishing a thing: the quality of a sound.
- character with respect to fineness, or grade of excellence: food of poor quality; silks of fine quality.
- high grade; superiority; excellence: wood grain of quality.
- a personality or character trait: kindness is one of her many good qualities.
- native excellence or superiority.
- an accomplishment or attainment.
- good or high social position: a man of quality.
- the superiority or distinction associated with high social position.
Check this out yourself at dictionary.com
You can see that the word “quality” subsumes trait, character, personality, nature, native and is suggestive of superiority.
Why does superiority matter?
Between you and me OK, there are some characteristics of leaders, some traits if you prefer, that whilst they do indeed make up who that leader is and how they behave… these are not the sort of things that we really want to encourage.
I had a teacher in primary school for example, Miss Cripps her name (I kid you not). She was the leader in our classroom. Now she ruled that classroom and dominanted it. Speak out of turn, or God forbid, desperately need a bathroom break and raise a hand to actually ask permission resulted in a swift ruler over the knuckles. (When I said ruled I mean metaphorically and as it happens her weapon of choice).
Yes I probably deserved many of the beatings I received. Was she a leader? Yep! Was she a good leader? In the sense that order reigned supreme, a classroom of thirty 7 year olds was quiet and respectful… I guess she was then. Did we learn stuff? I think so, I certainly remembered to not drink water, juice or milk before school (just in case) and I definitely learned that tattle taling on my best friend was far better than taking the balme for a misdemenor…
She had character, she had traits and she had a ruler! Do I think that anyone else should emulate these? No way.
Did she posses leadership qualities? Maybe, but I never saw them.
So, I stick with Leadership Qualities as my preferred term.