Spent a lot of time thinking about this over the years to come to the conclusions below. I left out some of the more obvious things that people tend to think of when they think of leadership skills.
A Skilled Leader...
■Has the Ability to Stand Alone. While few people will be faced with a situation where they must stand completely alone, the more alone you are, the greater your leadership ability. If you stand with 30 people believing in something that everyone else is against or doubts, that takes much more courage than to join a movement of 30,000. Leadership means paving the way, otherwise you cannot be leading by definition, you would be joining or following. Being the first means taking the accusations, questions, opposition, and doubt. A leader is ok with this, and sees it as a necessary step in changing the world. In fact often even when it is extremely diificult it still feels refreshing and right, which is empowering and a bit addictive.
■Knows Himself/Herself. A leader spends time introspecting and reflecting. They are honest and thorough in their self-analysis, thinking no less and no greater of themselves than is the actual truth. You won't hear false humility statements from them. If they are skilled at something they admit it and are proud of themselves. If they have a weakness they admit that too with perfect accuracy. They know what their top weaknesses and temptations are and they work to fight these, while improving and testing the limits of their strengths.
■Knows What is Their Role, and Other's Roles and Does Not Take On Someone Else's Role. A skilled leader is comfortable in their own skin. You won't hear them make statements like "I can do anything I set my mind to." A mediocre leader may make such statements but a great leader knows their limitations as a human being. A skilled leader is aware of where the line and limitation is for their own power and the power of others. The map has been drawn out in his/her mind and the leader realizes that to cross it and take on someone's job is both ineffective and dangerous. They rely on others constantly and think no less of themselves for it,They see the interconnectedness of humanity plainly before them and are keenly aware of it. Instead of being jealous or depressed about this they rejoice in it, seeing the close relationships that can grow from this as well as the added power that can be channeled when people work together.
■Creates New Perspectives. A skilled leader is an independent and creative thinker. He/she doesn't dwell in the boxes of thought that exist, the common or popular perspectives of society. Upon evaluation of these "boxes" the leader finds them flawed and works to develop a bigger, more improved box. A leader realizes no box is perfect and is simply one angle of vision and that greater accuracy is acheived when more boxes are present. Just around the time people are starting to accept the new box and think inside of it, the leader has developed another box and is working on his/her third. Always two steps ahead of the crowd, the leader challenges, creates, and empowers the people with perspectives and ideas.
■Thinks Big Thoughts. Not only does a great leader have big dreams, but the actual daily thought processes of such a leader are big as well. In fact this is how the big dreams came about in the first place, almost by accident when the leader was simply involved in creative thought. The leader dwells in the world of possibility and achievement. A great leader doesn't simply look at what exists and seize hold of current opportunities, no the best leaders create opportunity from scratch and plow through heavy doors because they see the unseen and have mapped out the course in their minds. They can follow it blindfolded because they have chosen the worthiest of causes. They have not only wrapped their mind around it but their heart as well; it has personal significance to them and they have dwelt upon it fondly so long that it is second nature.
■Leads Wherever They Are. There are many different leadership styles. Some people are hands-on, giving commands and direction, some people are indirect motivating through books and radio, some are strategist-leaders devising plans behind the scenes. But the bottom line is a leader will lead wherever they are in their unique way. If you look closely you can find leaders in every place. At school a leader may be the person who challenges the textbook, irritating the professor. It could also be the person in that same class who sits in the back and works untiringly on an entirely different project than the assignment, getting a low grade in the class in order to finish their personal project. It could be the person who speaks out and offers examples and adds new perspectives to the discussion. It may be the person who organizes a study group after class and drills each student using a unique method of study. Leaders lead without realizing they are doing it. Because their thought processes and goals are different from the norm, they are shaped by them to actually be different and they can't suddenly change and become a follower just because they are not in a leadership position.
■Feels Things Deeply. This doesn't mean all leaders are super emotional. Some are more emotional than others. But They are more sensitive to things that are destructive than are other people. If something is going wrong or someone is being hurt they are the first to know and the first to care. For some leaders it's things like injustice and incompetence. For others it's things like lack of mercy and understanding. All leaders should work to round themsleves out and feel righteous indignation for all wrongs, while still being specialized in certain ones and working in their particular role to combat the wrongs they are best at fighting.
■Studies Great Minds. A leader has a fascination with the human mind. And I'm not just talking about prominant people such as MLK or Socrates. A leader recognizes a quality of greatness even if it's in someone who is not known or respected. The quality makes the person great, not the position in a leaders mind. The human mind is capable of wisdom, intelligence, and greatness. When a leader finds someone with great thoughts they seek to get to know the person, to drill them, to ask questions, to study them, that they might grow themselves. A great mind is an abundant resource that a skilled leader will not let pass by.
■Gets Wisdom From Anywhere/Everywhere. A real leader judges wisdom, knowledge, and advice by whether it works and makes sense, not by the medium that is delivering it. With the high goal of seeking to expand their understanding and everything else paling in significance, they become humble enough to accept advice from little children if what the child says is wise. Their eyes and their ears are always open and they piece together information from many different sources to gain understanding.
■Uses Their Personality to Lead. The best leaders are real with you. Yes they may study up on how to be larger than life, persuasive, or motivational, but they don't come across as fake. The goal is to enlarge their own personalitiy, to become more powerful and skilled, not to gut themselves of their uniqueness. They incorporate attitude, humor, passion, and wit and never adopt a fake personality or style to bring their message across. They use their story, their views, their emotions to give their message power. While they may speak of other's struggles or agree with others views at times they still understand themselves to be the medium of that message and they make sure that medium is alive and vibrant with personality so that the viwers pay attention and maintain interest.
Puts the Needs and Interests of the People Under their Charge Before their Own Personal Needs and Interests. I once heard of this hypothetical scenario - I think it was a pastor who mentioned it - anyway he asked if their was a train coming and your child was on the railroad tracks and you only had time to either save your child or the hundreds of people on the train which would you choose? While it may not be morally wrong necessarily to choose your own kid in such a situation, the best leaders can choose the people on the train. Yes, it's painful and difficult but they can still do it. They are able to make the decision rationally and logically, based on what is best for society, not what is best for themselves and their families. With the higher goal of impacting the world with their lives, the best leaders make everything else secondary. This is not to say that they have no interests or ignore their own needs. It just means that when faced with a choice they choose the higher cause. They understand that as a leader it is their role to make these kinds of choices and they take the responsibility and do well with it.
A Skilled Leader...
■Has the Ability to Stand Alone. While few people will be faced with a situation where they must stand completely alone, the more alone you are, the greater your leadership ability. If you stand with 30 people believing in something that everyone else is against or doubts, that takes much more courage than to join a movement of 30,000. Leadership means paving the way, otherwise you cannot be leading by definition, you would be joining or following. Being the first means taking the accusations, questions, opposition, and doubt. A leader is ok with this, and sees it as a necessary step in changing the world. In fact often even when it is extremely diificult it still feels refreshing and right, which is empowering and a bit addictive.
■Knows Himself/Herself. A leader spends time introspecting and reflecting. They are honest and thorough in their self-analysis, thinking no less and no greater of themselves than is the actual truth. You won't hear false humility statements from them. If they are skilled at something they admit it and are proud of themselves. If they have a weakness they admit that too with perfect accuracy. They know what their top weaknesses and temptations are and they work to fight these, while improving and testing the limits of their strengths.
■Knows What is Their Role, and Other's Roles and Does Not Take On Someone Else's Role. A skilled leader is comfortable in their own skin. You won't hear them make statements like "I can do anything I set my mind to." A mediocre leader may make such statements but a great leader knows their limitations as a human being. A skilled leader is aware of where the line and limitation is for their own power and the power of others. The map has been drawn out in his/her mind and the leader realizes that to cross it and take on someone's job is both ineffective and dangerous. They rely on others constantly and think no less of themselves for it,They see the interconnectedness of humanity plainly before them and are keenly aware of it. Instead of being jealous or depressed about this they rejoice in it, seeing the close relationships that can grow from this as well as the added power that can be channeled when people work together.
■Creates New Perspectives. A skilled leader is an independent and creative thinker. He/she doesn't dwell in the boxes of thought that exist, the common or popular perspectives of society. Upon evaluation of these "boxes" the leader finds them flawed and works to develop a bigger, more improved box. A leader realizes no box is perfect and is simply one angle of vision and that greater accuracy is acheived when more boxes are present. Just around the time people are starting to accept the new box and think inside of it, the leader has developed another box and is working on his/her third. Always two steps ahead of the crowd, the leader challenges, creates, and empowers the people with perspectives and ideas.
■Thinks Big Thoughts. Not only does a great leader have big dreams, but the actual daily thought processes of such a leader are big as well. In fact this is how the big dreams came about in the first place, almost by accident when the leader was simply involved in creative thought. The leader dwells in the world of possibility and achievement. A great leader doesn't simply look at what exists and seize hold of current opportunities, no the best leaders create opportunity from scratch and plow through heavy doors because they see the unseen and have mapped out the course in their minds. They can follow it blindfolded because they have chosen the worthiest of causes. They have not only wrapped their mind around it but their heart as well; it has personal significance to them and they have dwelt upon it fondly so long that it is second nature.
■Leads Wherever They Are. There are many different leadership styles. Some people are hands-on, giving commands and direction, some people are indirect motivating through books and radio, some are strategist-leaders devising plans behind the scenes. But the bottom line is a leader will lead wherever they are in their unique way. If you look closely you can find leaders in every place. At school a leader may be the person who challenges the textbook, irritating the professor. It could also be the person in that same class who sits in the back and works untiringly on an entirely different project than the assignment, getting a low grade in the class in order to finish their personal project. It could be the person who speaks out and offers examples and adds new perspectives to the discussion. It may be the person who organizes a study group after class and drills each student using a unique method of study. Leaders lead without realizing they are doing it. Because their thought processes and goals are different from the norm, they are shaped by them to actually be different and they can't suddenly change and become a follower just because they are not in a leadership position.
■Feels Things Deeply. This doesn't mean all leaders are super emotional. Some are more emotional than others. But They are more sensitive to things that are destructive than are other people. If something is going wrong or someone is being hurt they are the first to know and the first to care. For some leaders it's things like injustice and incompetence. For others it's things like lack of mercy and understanding. All leaders should work to round themsleves out and feel righteous indignation for all wrongs, while still being specialized in certain ones and working in their particular role to combat the wrongs they are best at fighting.
■Studies Great Minds. A leader has a fascination with the human mind. And I'm not just talking about prominant people such as MLK or Socrates. A leader recognizes a quality of greatness even if it's in someone who is not known or respected. The quality makes the person great, not the position in a leaders mind. The human mind is capable of wisdom, intelligence, and greatness. When a leader finds someone with great thoughts they seek to get to know the person, to drill them, to ask questions, to study them, that they might grow themselves. A great mind is an abundant resource that a skilled leader will not let pass by.
■Gets Wisdom From Anywhere/Everywhere. A real leader judges wisdom, knowledge, and advice by whether it works and makes sense, not by the medium that is delivering it. With the high goal of seeking to expand their understanding and everything else paling in significance, they become humble enough to accept advice from little children if what the child says is wise. Their eyes and their ears are always open and they piece together information from many different sources to gain understanding.
■Uses Their Personality to Lead. The best leaders are real with you. Yes they may study up on how to be larger than life, persuasive, or motivational, but they don't come across as fake. The goal is to enlarge their own personalitiy, to become more powerful and skilled, not to gut themselves of their uniqueness. They incorporate attitude, humor, passion, and wit and never adopt a fake personality or style to bring their message across. They use their story, their views, their emotions to give their message power. While they may speak of other's struggles or agree with others views at times they still understand themselves to be the medium of that message and they make sure that medium is alive and vibrant with personality so that the viwers pay attention and maintain interest.
Puts the Needs and Interests of the People Under their Charge Before their Own Personal Needs and Interests. I once heard of this hypothetical scenario - I think it was a pastor who mentioned it - anyway he asked if their was a train coming and your child was on the railroad tracks and you only had time to either save your child or the hundreds of people on the train which would you choose? While it may not be morally wrong necessarily to choose your own kid in such a situation, the best leaders can choose the people on the train. Yes, it's painful and difficult but they can still do it. They are able to make the decision rationally and logically, based on what is best for society, not what is best for themselves and their families. With the higher goal of impacting the world with their lives, the best leaders make everything else secondary. This is not to say that they have no interests or ignore their own needs. It just means that when faced with a choice they choose the higher cause. They understand that as a leader it is their role to make these kinds of choices and they take the responsibility and do well with it.
