10 Best Leadership Qualities

Leadership is defined as the ability to get other to follow and commit to a call to action. Every business needs leaders at every level of their operation. Leadership isn't an inherent quality. It's taught to anyone at any age. Here are 10 important traits you must develop to be effective as a leader.

Have a vision. He who is blind is lost. Know what it is you want and how you're going to get there. Hard to have people look up to you if you have no idea what you're all about. Integrity. Integrity is your ability to walk to talk. That you beliefs are in your actions. Being honest, having a calm consistent demeanour, and being fair are sign of integrity. A leader who knows his center will be well liked and approachable to his followers. Gives praise where praise is due. A good leader shares in successes and takes the heat when things don't go well. Ensuring that as many people as possible in their organization will make people feel good about themselves and draw people your team closer. Take the blame, share the blame is a hallmark of good leadership. Humility. Good leaders realize that they are no better than anyone else in their team, and understand that every person is valuable to the success of their endeavour. They also understand that just because they're the boss, that doesn't make them God. Openness. Good leaders are open to new and creative ideas. They think outside of the box. They can suspend their judgements while listening to others, while accepting other ways of doing things if someone else suggests it. It creates mutual respect, it also creates an endless resource of ideas that can further their vision. Creativity. This is the ability to think differently. To be unorthodox in thinking that can constrain solutions. Creativity allows leaders to see things others haven't in order to lead their team into new directions. Effective communications. Good leaders are precise with ideas, and are kind when the need to admonish. They kind, and refrain from vulgarity. People need reaffirmation, good leaders praise for good work. They're people persons. Their best attribute is being able to communicate face to face with confidence, and knowledge, with the power of proper language skills. Team building. No man is an island unto himself. You're only as good as the people you surround yourself with. Effective leaders know that having the right people in key places will afford the best opportunities for success, while at the same time giving them some peace of mind. Respect. A leader understands and respects every person that follows. While being the "boss" they keep up a level of dignity that is given and expected in return. Places known as excellent employers have leaders within their company where the respect is mutually given from leader to follower. Confidence. Nobody will follow a wishy-washy personality. When you know what hit's the fan, your followers will want you to take charge, take responsibility, stay calm, and think straight.  Believing in yourself, will be the basis for others to believe in you, your vision, and in your abilities.

The Impact of Narcissism on Charismatic Leadership

Narcissists and charismatic leaders often are so commonly linkec, one cannot determine where one personality trait ends and the other begins. While all narcissists are not charismatic, it is believed that all charismatic leaders have some form of narcissism greater than the average individual. The hard-wiring of narcissists is highly Machiavellian in that they have "changeable" or mutable consciences. Instead of being tied to a specific method of getting things accomplished, narcissists change their minds and paradigm according to the needs of the situation. Consequently, narcissists are difficult to pigeon hole, because they adapt to a situation for the sole purpose of winning.

As Vidal Gore once stated, "It's not enough to win, the other guy has to lose." This will to achieve is believed to stem from early childhood experiences of degradation that positioned the narcissist to excel at all cost. Lubit (2002) asserts that narcissists are inclined to leave projects unfinished once they become bored. Conversely, Fleming (N.D.) contends that charismatic leaders become inextricably tied to a project. So much so that the challenge is motivating the charismatic leader to leave or delegate power rather than remain, once the mission has been accomplished.

Charismatic narcissists are often more persistent than the average individual based on the need to achieve. This drive is a benefit for organizations in that the charismatic will stay the course until the task is accomplished or deem the challenges unwinnable. As noted earlier, the downside is the unwillingness for charismatics to leave or create a succession plan once a goal has been achieved. Evidence also suggests that charismatic narcissists will abdicate the mission or forgo alliances if persisting acts contrary their self-interest.

All in all, charismatic narcissists can be beneficial in creating an innovative, fast paced and groundbreaking environment for employees. Their "Big Picture" sentimentalities allow for individuals to feel a part of something bigger than themselves. For charismatic narcissists, accomplishing a grandiose mission becomes the driving force of their existence.

As demonstrated by Prince, Hitler and Stalin, the mission is so critical for vainglorious and self-aggrandizing measures, anyone who poses either a threat or ceases to be valuable will be eliminated. Charismatic narcissists are persistent in their endeavors and will unload any "baggage" at will. In their minds, they are indispensable where everyone else is expendable.

For organizations wrestling with charismatic narcissists, it is essential to weigh the pros and cons of this type of leadership. For organizations that are receding, irrelevant and complacent, charismatic narcissists can be valuable for jump starting the organization. The cautionary note is to have parameters, boundaries and oversight to the actions of charismatic narcissists. Not to have some measure of control is fodder for the charismatic narcissists to wreak havoc on the long-term aspirations of the mission. Like fire, charismatic narcissists can be beneficial for building an organization or they can obliterate everyone and everything around them if left unchecked.

References

Fleming, G.(N.D.). Student leadership styles: Charismatic leadership. About.com guide. Retrieved from: http://homeworktips.about.com/od/studymethods/ss/leadership_4.htmFf

Lubit, R. (2002), 'The Long-Term Organizational Impact of Destructively Narcissistic Managers', Academy of Management Executive, Volume 16, Number 1, pp. 127-138