Leaders are at their personal best when they are able to:
- Challenge the process
- Inspire a shared vision
- Enable others to act
- Model the way
- And encourage the heart
These findings are from The Leadership Challenge
by Kouzes & Posner, whose research examines leadership competencies. They went on to determine that the majority of us admire and will willingly follow leaders who are honest, forward looking, inspiring, and competent.
So, what makes a solid leader?
Leaders seek challenges to overcome.
When there is a change from the status quo they innovate, experiment, and take risks. They have dreams of what could be and, more importantly, a personal belief that it can be. Leaders use the language of their organization to communicate a vision that inspires people to rally behind.
Leaders ignite passion in others.
But dreams don’t become reality without the skill to enlist the support of others in that dream. Leaders are creative and aggressive in finding ways to involve those who will be most impacted by change. They make it possible for people to invest themselves in a worthwhile cause that they can be proud of. Leaders believe in teamwork, trust, and empowerment— they create situations where people are given the authority, information, and skills to act on those words. Leaders set the example.