"Leadership, like Swimming cannot be learned by reading about it" -Henry Mintzberg
Are leaders born or can they be made, is an often debated question. This cannot be answered in a binary form, a zero or a one, because leadership has different shades of grey.
Leadership has two types of ingredients: skills that can easily be learnt and traits which are largely in born but can be imbibed over a period of time. Analyzing a balance sheet, teamwork and public speaking are skills that can be easily learnt. Traits are those intangibles that are difficult to learn and therefore need to be developed gradually. For instance, an eye for detail, empathy and sense of judgment are some of the traits which are inborn to some and would take years for others to learn.
During ones career, one can ramp up several leadership skills and traits. Here are five things you should focus on.
Don't be a perfectionist:
Strange as it may sound, a perfectionist has more disadvantages than advantages. There is a big difference between excellence and being a perfectionist. Excellence means doing a great job but not expecting the result to be perfect every time. Yet excellence means brilliance or being distinguished. Look back at your own career; you could have done equally well without hitting a bull's eye every time. Perfectionism 24 X 7 can become debilitating. It can lead to constant dissatisfaction, which impacts your health and may also demoralize your team. You are likely to miss a movie if you spend too much time dressing up for it.
Are leaders born or can they be made, is an often debated question. This cannot be answered in a binary form, a zero or a one, because leadership has different shades of grey.
Leadership has two types of ingredients: skills that can easily be learnt and traits which are largely in born but can be imbibed over a period of time. Analyzing a balance sheet, teamwork and public speaking are skills that can be easily learnt. Traits are those intangibles that are difficult to learn and therefore need to be developed gradually. For instance, an eye for detail, empathy and sense of judgment are some of the traits which are inborn to some and would take years for others to learn.
During ones career, one can ramp up several leadership skills and traits. Here are five things you should focus on.
Don't be a perfectionist:
Strange as it may sound, a perfectionist has more disadvantages than advantages. There is a big difference between excellence and being a perfectionist. Excellence means doing a great job but not expecting the result to be perfect every time. Yet excellence means brilliance or being distinguished. Look back at your own career; you could have done equally well without hitting a bull's eye every time. Perfectionism 24 X 7 can become debilitating. It can lead to constant dissatisfaction, which impacts your health and may also demoralize your team. You are likely to miss a movie if you spend too much time dressing up for it.
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