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On Becoming a Leader

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On Becoming a Leader
“More leaders have been made by accident, circumstance, sheer grit, or will than have been made by all the leadership courses put together.”
― Warren G. Bennis, On Becoming a Leader Revised Edition

What makes a leader? Is always my initial though when thinking of leadership. There are many kinds of leader and many reasons why a person can be considered a leader

Truly effective leaders are also distinguished by a high degree of emotional intelligence, which includes self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skill. Every businessperson knows a story about a highly intelligent, highly skilled executive who was promoted into a leadership position only to fail at the job. And they also know a story about someone with solid—but not extraordinary—intellectual abilities and technical skills who was promoted into a similar position and then soared.

I believe in order to be an effective leader you must be respected, charactsmtic, have a strong sense of self and be a team player at heart. If a leader is only focused on them selfs they eventually lose focus of the overall goal and mission of their team.

The Characteristics of a Good Leader
What makes a good leader? Here are some of their most important characteristics:
Self-Awareness. You have an intimate knowledge of your inner emotional state. You know your strengths and your weaknesses. You know when you’re working in flow and you know when you’re over worked. You know yourself, including your capabilities and your limitations, which allows you to push yourself to your maximum potential.
Self-Direction. You’re able to direct yourself effectively and powerfully. You know how to get things done, how to organize tasks and how to avoid procrastination. You know how to generate energy for projects, to calm yourself when angered. You can make decisions quickly when necessary, but can also slow to consider all the options on the table.
Vision. You’re working towards a goal that’s greater than

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