Leaders of all types possess certain traits that make them stand out among other people. According to "Leadership: do traits matter?" by Kirkpatrick and Locke, key leader traits include: drive (achievement, ambition, energy, tenacity, initiative), leadership motivation (personalized vs. socialized), honesty and integrity, self confidence (including emotional stability), cognitive ability, and knowledge of the business. Although I agree that most of these are important traits to have in leaders, I do not feel that a leader needs all of these traits to be successful.
Of these traits, I admire DRIVE most of all. If a leader is driven, they have the energy and motivation to accomplish anything. They will take initiative to get a project started and are able to see the big picture. They aren't satisfied until they have achieved their goal and will do whatever it takes to reach it. Driven leaders are inspiring and encouraging to others.
I didn't pick drive as one of the traits I most admired but I picked commitment which I think is along the same lines. I like the idea of driven leaders because I think those are the type of leaders who stick to what they say they are going to do and don't back down when things get difficult.
ReplyDelete