If charisma is an innate quality, it is however essential to know how to highlight it in a relevant way in order to be a followed leader. Definition, qualities, management… What you need to know about leadership.
Leadership is built on 3 domains: the individual, the situation and the group considered. Thus, a person exercising his power during a meeting of collaborators will perhaps not have the same capacity of attraction when faced with an audience of leaders.
Moreover, a leader is not necessarily a manager and vice versa, even if leadership and management remain complementary.
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Table of Contents
What is Leadership?
If the power of the manager is conferred on him by his hierarchy through his position in the company, intrinsically determining his authority over his team, the leader is, for his part, above all recognized by his collaborators as a charismatic leader – almost a ” guru” for some – sometimes followed blindly.
The leader shakes up habits, creates and has no fear of innovating or proposing totally disruptive solutions. In addition to his natural charisma, it is essentially in his relationships with others that he establishes his powers of persuasion.
Thus, a certain leadership is essential in times of transformation in the company, for example. Change management will be all the smoother if it is led by a leader who is recognized, listened to and followed by everyone – or almost.
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What is the link between leadership and management?
Intimately linked to management, leadership differs from the latter. While it is essential for a leader to know how to lead and manage his troops – although this is not always the case, a manager is not necessarily a leader.
Indeed, the manager will make sure to achieve the objectives that have been set for him (or that he will have defined himself) by relying on the potential (human, budgetary, etc.) available to him.
The leader, meanwhile, will go further by innovating if necessary – sometimes surprising and confusing at first glance – but above all by involving his troops in the movement in an obvious and enthusiastic adherence to the said path.
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If the manager generally remains realistic, the leader makes every effort to go after his dreams, however incredible they may be.
In addition, a good leader is not only able to identify and bring out the skills of each and the group, but also to articulate all these skills, transform them if necessary, juggle with them in order to lead the group even further. .
Thus, it is essential for him to possess certain qualities and skills if he intends to be followed!
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How to become a good leader?
Leadership, when it is not “innate”, can however be acquired to a certain extent and be worked on in order to exploit all the possibilities, while remaining in a virtuous circle, of course – certain leaders can turn out to be toxic, as history has repeatedly shown.
The qualities of a followed leader
To ensure a certain indisputable charisma in the eyes of others, certain qualities are essential and characterize a good leader. We thus find, among others:
self–confidence: essential to then be able to give confidence to others and transmit one’s vision and ideas effectively.
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the vision: distant and 360 degrees in order to bring out the best in everyone in a collective objective.
open–mindedness: no one knows the truth. Knowing how to question yourself and remain curious about any new opportunity or possibility is essential to achieving a dream. The leader knows that alone, he cannot do much. Unity – and therefore collective intelligence – is strength.
setting an example: this is a basic principle. To be listened to and followed, you have to set an example and yourself put into practice what you preach.
consistency with their values and convictions: a good leader will not be able to convince if they themselves are not deeply in agreement with the project and the ideas they are defending.
multidisciplinary intelligence: a good leader instinctively feels what his collaborators are capable of, but also their personality and mode of operation. With all this, he is able to orchestrate his world and lead it to the best possible success for each and everyone.
empathy: an integral part of a particularly developed emotional intelligence that allows the leader to get the best out of everyone by allowing them to develop completely.
freedom: independence in the face of one’s ideas and decisions, intimately correlated with self-confidence and a sense of responsibility.
responsibility: linked to the previous point, the leader, free in his choices, must assume his decisions, risk taking, etc. always aiming for the best for its troops.
Also read: “Leader in the eyes of some, mere mortal for others” or how the situation, the group in question and the characteristics of the individual have an influence on his leadership.
The key skills to master to be inspiring
In addition to the qualities detailed below, a good leader must know:
take initiatives: it is often in this that the good leader is admired and respected, because he is determined, confident and he dares.
defend and impose one’s ideas with gentleness and respect: what’s the point of having good ideas if one is not able to present them, explain them – sell them in a way – but with respect and non- violence ? Knowing how to convince is therefore a major asset.
communicate effectively: an essential skill for getting your ideas across and above all gaining the support of your troops. Feedback is an important element of this, because it allows the leader to remain attentive to his collaborators, to hear new possibilities and/or opportunities, etc.
identifying and expressing the talents of everyone in the collective: one of the pillars of leadership, which consists in detecting, bringing out and orchestrating individual and collective talents in order to lead everyone to success.
shaking up habits in the interest of everyone and of the group as a whole: disruption and innovation are two powerful notions in terms of leadership. They allow you to constantly question your ideas, your work and the whole group in order to reach the heights you dream of.
motivate and recognize the work of its employees: a sine qua non of effective and positive management. A good leader must also manage his troops – and play on motivation and meaning at work – to maintain his position as a followed leader.