Leadership

Everyone has a view or an opinion on leadership. I have met and worked with some truly outstanding leaders and some who left me quite confused through ambiguity and their own lack of experience.

The great leaders I know are individuals with their own way of looking at the world and their own modus operandi. I think it’s important to recognise the words “their own”.

Successful leaders usually are not impersonating other people. They will have had good people influence and guide them at different times in their career and probably adopted ideas and techniques that were a good fit for them. The important point to make here is that they remain 100% themselves and those who come into contact with them always sense this authenticity.

In my own experience I have also found great leaders to be highly emotionally intelligent. They test themselves all the time and are open and indeed excited about new ideas, ways to improve skills, systems and methodologies. They know that there is nothing more constant than change and they do their level best to be ready to embrace good change whenever it presents itself.

Great leaders have usually had great mentors and often become mentors themselves. This is a very special opportunity for others to learn and the mentor is presented with another’s unique point of view in this highly trusting relationship. I have learned and am constantly impressed by those I mentor, it is a mutually satisfying experience and one I recommend.

To learn more about emotional intelligence testing go to the articles on MSCEIT on my website.

I would also encourage everyone to actively seek out mentors. A good mentor could be someone you admire in you work environment or someone you admire in some other business or area of your life. One thing for sure is that most people will be flattered that you would approach them to consider being your mentor and if for some reason they cannot commit immediately they may just recommend some other person to you. So be brave make the first move and take your career to new heights.

There are times when people have their own personal reasons for not seeking mentoring at work or you may have moved to a new town and haven’t yet established a network. In this case you may consider being mentored by a professional who will help you identify areas to develop and give you direct feedback on your progress. These relationships usually last well beyond the mentoring process because of the mutual trust that has been built and the genuine interest that has developed.

Actively seek a mentor!

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