There is a common assumption that the competencies of leadership are natural traits that can only be found amongst a few distinguished leaders.I personally believed this idea for many years when I was working as a corporate executive for multinationals. Many years later and a few experiences as an entrepreneur have changed my viewpoint: leaders are more common than we tend to think and can have various roles and positions in a company. It seems clear to me today that excellent leadership is all about deep self-understanding, self-awareness, awakened consciousness of values and beliefs, confidence and conviction, vision, emotions and feelings, empathy and a special attention to others.

How do we best recognise a true leader ?

I’m tempted to say : « a person who inspired you, helped you unleash the best in you and encouraged you to surpass yourself » and the answer which particularly drew my attention is Maya Angelou’s : « I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel». In his book « What makes a good leader ? », Daniel Goleman states that while emotional intelligence (IQ) associated with smarts and technical skills are important as a minimum requirement for success in may the key attribute and prerequisite that distinguishes outstanding performers leaders from those who are merely adequate. 

 

The 5 chief components of emotional intelligence- self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills.

Self-Awareness

- To know your emotions and their effects, your preferences, your instincts and own resources.
- When you know your limits and succeed in taking up challenges.
- When you take decisions in alignment with your values. In a certain way, you feel energized by your work
- When you take smart and calculated risks...and know when to seek support.
- When you acknowledge your mistakes…and when you demonstrate a sense of humor and self-mockery.

Self-Regulation

- Your abilities of self-control, managing impulsiveness, containing emotions and refrain from acting negatively in times of stress or in a context of opposition and adversity.
- Your flexibility and your ability to manage change.

Motivation

- When you’re driven by an intrinsic motivation and thriving to achieve excellence.
- The ability to project yourself in the future and look at things positively.
- To be differentiated from a motivation driven by greed and power.

Empathy

- Your ability to listen to others with their heart and soul and pay a special attentions to their concerns.
- This ability is required for at least 3 reasons : the increasingly use of project teams, the fast pace of globalisation and the imperative need to keep talents.

Social Skills

- Your ability to manage interpersonal relationships and build trustful rapport with your colleagues.

 

To conclude, what we know about true leaders is that they:

- inspire through aspiration and vision
- spread caring and compassion
- are self-aware, authentic and sensitive to the mind, the body, the heart and the spirit
- facilitate the creation and maintain the resonance - they affect your mood and emotions with a lively pace
- dare their teams and accept risk of failure as being part of a learning process of  progression and development.

The objective of a Leadership coaching is to help building awareness, to empower you and unleash your potential, to overcome the anxieties and self-doubts which are holding you back and to consciously practice one’s emotional intelligence.

 

What others behaviours and qualities are for you key traits of a good leader? Please share your thoughts and opinions at info@beboldcoaching.ch , as I believe that we learn from each others by exchanging !