The world is always in need of charismatic personalities who can influence the masses and drive to accomplish something great. Maybe even more so in business because there is a lot of money involved. People who are good at managing other people and achieve results are invaluable to any given company. But what does it mean to be a good leader?
Why it may not be all about the profits, managers who can take care of a well-oiled, money-making machine, stimulate everyone around and keep stakeholders happy will have no trouble finding employment. Being the right man for the job is just that. It’s all about the performance and smart managing the workforce and available resources. Another question is whether certain qualities that would make an excellent front-runner are something you have to be born with or is it more like an acquired feature of a hard-working executive. The curious case of Steve Jobs, famous Apple CEO, could be brought as an example. The enigmatic chairman is now one of the most commonly mentioned names of great business leaders, but his road to success and later legacy was a little bumpy.
Although it seems possible to learn the trade along the way, certain predispositions for the job won’t hurt. Running a prospering enterprise is more of a team effort, but the power of individuality cannot be underestimated. Some would even argue that real leadership has to start from within to indeed inspire. Therefore, the natural candidate represents some of those valuable qualities. They should have a vast knowledge and experience, especially working with people. They should be confident in their abilities, but self-aware in recognizing their strengths and weaknesses. A leader is also somebody with integrity who has an enthusiastic approach to the role, creativity and imagination. When dealing with others and subordinates, they act with caution and fairness.
In life, good intentions are usually not enough. The qualities people represent must be supported by decisive actions. That’s also true in business where what we do matters, and sometimes, can have significant implications. In essence, you can tell a lot about a leader by looking at his behavior. First, they should have a deep understanding of what they are doing and what is expected of them. They know the company and its mission, how things work around there and what the people involved are capable. They can put together a dedicated team of workers, know how to motivate them while treating them with respect and listen to what they have to say.