Leadership is one of the most important skills that you can possess in your personal and professional life. It's what allows you to achieve great things, inspire others and make a real difference. In his new book, The Eight Paradoxes of Great Leadership, Dr. Tim Elmore shares some of the secrets that make great leaders so successful.
Tim joined Kim on the LOL podcast to talk about what it takes to be a successful leader. We'll look at the traits he mentioned and consider what they mean for you as a leader in this blog article.
- A great a leader is present. They're not worried about what happened yesterday or what might happen tomorrow. They're focused on what's happening right now and what they can do to make a difference.
- A great leader is authentic. They're not perfect and they don't pretend to be. They're honest about their mistakes and they learn from them.
- A great leader is open minded. They're willing to listen to others and consider new ideas. They're not afraid of change or of making mistakes. They know that progress comes from taking risks.
- A great leader is passionate. They believe in what they're doing and they're enthusiastic about it. They inspire others to feel the same way.
- A great leader is patient. They don't expect instant results or overnight success. They're willing to put in the hard work and persevere through setbacks.
- A great leader is decisive. They make smart decisions, even when they're difficult ones. They know that there's no perfect solution and they're not afraid to make a choice and move forward.
- A great leader is humble. They don't need the credit or the glory. They're more interested in helping others succeed than in taking all the credit for themselves.
Those are just a few of the characteristics that make up a great leader, but a great leader is made up of many more. Tim's book explains how these traits and others interact to form the 8 paradoxes of effective leadership.
At the end of the day, individuals are seeking for someone who they can relate to. Someone who is humanized and relatable while also making sound judgments.
To learn more about the characteristics of a great leader, listen to Tim's episode on LOL with Kim Gravel.