It\u2019s true. Some people are born leaders.\u00a0 They are born with the right aptitudes and behaviors that pave the way for leadership.\u00a0 They may have to work at it, but at least they have the right tools to develop their leadership style and abilities.\u00a0 Others (probably most of us) have to work harder to develop leadership abilities.\u00a0 But all of us, given the desire and the right opportunity, can serve in a leadership role.\u00a0 So how do you stack up as a leader?\u00a0 Below is a self-test you can take to help answer that question.\u00a0 If you\u2019re brave enough, you can ask others . . . others who know you well and whose judgement you trust . . . to use this test to evaluate your leadership abilities.\u00a0 I should point out that there is no scientific basis for this test at all.\u00a0 I can\u2019t tell what strong leaders typically score on it because none have ever taken it.\u00a0 These are attributes of great leaders that I have gleaned from some leadership books and articles as well as from my own experience.\u00a0 The expectation is, by rating yourself on each of them, you will uncover areas of your leadership style and abilities that you can improve upon.\u00a0 Please continue reading below, then score yourself at the end.<\/p>\n
A boss has the position and authority to command compliance, but only a leader can inspire commitment.<\/strong><\/p>\n Are you a boss or a leader? Contrary to popular belief, being a boss doesn\u2019t necessarily make you a leader.\u00a0 Some bosses are good leaders, but others are not.\u00a0 Below we discuss some attributes commonly associated with good leadership.\u00a0 Please rate yourself on each at the end.<\/p>\n Character.<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0 Your character defines who you are.\u00a0 Do you have a system of values and beliefs that guide your behavior?\u00a0 Strong leaders do.\u00a0 Character begets trust which is the foundation of leadership.<\/p>\n Relationships.<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0 There isn\u2019t much of importance that we accomplish all by ourselves.\u00a0 Usually we need the help and support of others.\u00a0 Good leaders are relationship-builders, not only with people in their own organizations, but with outsiders as well.<\/p>\n Knowledge.<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0 Leaders are life-long learners.\u00a0 They are constantly on the lookout for opportunities to learn or experience new things that will add to their leadership abilities.\u00a0 Leaders recognize that they develop themselves, not by quick fix events, but by a process of continuous self-improvement.\u00a0 Leadership is developed every day, not in a day.<\/p>\n Consistency.<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0 A leader must be consistent . . . consistent in his own demeanor, consistent in the way he interacts with others, consistent in the way he applies performance standards, and consistent in the way he upholds corporate values.<\/p>\n Emotional Quotient (EQ).<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0 Sometimes referred to as Emotional Intelligence, it\u2019s the ability of a person to understand his or her own emotions and to make conscious choices about how to display and act on those emotions appropriately.\u00a0 But more important is the ability of a person to recognize emotions in others<\/u><\/em> and to respond in a way that is fitting to the situation.\u00a0 Most students of leadership place a greater value on EQ than they do on IQ.<\/p>\n Vision.<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0 Leaders have a compelling vision, not just of where they\u2019re going, but of how they\u2019re going to get there.\u00a0 You might be a great guy in lots of other respects, but how can you expect anyone to follow you if you don\u2019t know where you\u2019re going?<\/p>\n Self-confidence.<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0 Not to be confused with arrogance, strong leaders are simply comfortable in their ability to lead . . . comfortable enough to say, \u201cI don\u2019t know\u201d when they don\u2019t, and comfortable enough to ask for advice or help when they need it.<\/p>\n Communication.<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0 Good leaders are good communicators.\u00a0 They\u2019re not necessarily gifted writers or orators, but they find effective ways to get their message across.\u00a0 How else can you build relationships, demonstrate your knowledge, or describe your vision if you can\u2019t communicate well?<\/p>\n It would be beyond ridiculous to say the above eight things completely define good leadership. They don\u2019t.\u00a0 However, most of the leadership attributes we have chosen not to discuss here would likely fit in as sub-sets of these eight.\u00a0 And if you can rate yourself highly (and honestly) in each of these eight areas, you\u2019re leading pretty darn well.\u00a0 If you can\u2019t, then you have a road map guiding you to the area(s) you need to work on.<\/p>\n Please rank yourself on each of the eight below, using a scale of 0 to 10.<\/p>\n It\u2019s true. Some people are born leaders.\u00a0 They are born with the right aptitudes and behaviors that pave the way for leadership.\u00a0 They may have to work at it, but at least they have the right tools to develop their leadership style and abilities.\u00a0 Others (probably most of us) have to work harder to develop<\/p>\n\n