According to me a leader is not only a person who leads a group of people or any organization or company but they also must include following characteristics:-

1. They must allow their team members to put down their thoughts on each and every topic related to all decisions because may be others have good imagination in particular field and may be their response will be beneficial to the leader.
2. Second comes the motivation, look when we were younger or a kid then if we score well in exams then our teachers and parents would give us rewards which made us so enthusiastic and we did more better next time so in the same way as a human nature everyone loves rewards and http://compliments.So a leader must motivate everyone.
3. A leader must also do his best as he must set example for team members.
4. A good leader will be that in the presence of whom the team members will not be afraid instead they will be free to share their opinions.
5. A good leader must be a good listener. Thank you.

In my opinion,

Leadership exists at all levels in any organization.

Leadership is not about getting that title. It is about influencing people with the qualities.

Leaders should not always need to be supervise other people. It is not necessary to be in management to be a good leader.

Leadership people never gets afraid and always wanted to show what they think and collect feed backs from others also. They always wanted to do things which will work and never delays for any discomforts.

Certain characteristics of leaders,

• Leaders manage and help others.
• Leaders think far beyond what others think.
• Leaders teach others.
• They stay positive and focused.
• They share their knowledge with others.

As we age, we start feeling 'senior' and entitled. And the first casualty is the hands-on approach to things.

We don't want to get our hands dirty or even understand what is going on at the ground level. We end up becoming 'senior people' who can't open a spreadsheet or even understand the technical terms we freely bandy around. After all, "it is an analyst's job."

In fact, this 'seniority disease' is so strong that at my startup, when we started nominating people as team-leads, some developed an instant aversion to fieldwork and accountability. They just wanted to wave their hands and give gyaan. Their stint ended quickly.

I have never understood big theories about leadership. However, I can vouch for one thing from experience - the only way you can lead is by example. You don't have to micromanage. Nor do you need to have every skill - how is that even possible?

But you do need to be willing to go deep, open spreadsheets, and ask to be educated when you don't understand the technical terms. You have to be willing to stand on the road if needed. Seniority, rank, and stature come with a huge curse. Nobody tells the emperor that he is naked. But they all know it and tell each other.

You better invest in a mirror.

1. Leaders will need to make an effort to be more engaged from afar.

Employee engagement is going to be completely redefined in the next decade.

What does it look like to build meaningful relationships with coworkers over Zoom? What signals show a person has a high level of emotional intelligence from afar? What does empathy look like in a workplace managed over Slack?

These are very new questions for our society to answer. And while coming up with a plan that solves for the immediate future may help an organization right now, it fails to examine how those actions will turn into habits, and those habits will eventually define the company as a whole.

2. Leaders will need to rethink hiring, management, training, and beyond.

From a management perspective, companies are going to need to completely reimagine what it means to build a highly productive, profitable, and diverse workforce.

What do team-building exercises look like over Zoom? How can you use technology to automate your training processes—especially if in-person training is not an option? What steps can be removed, or what steps should be improved in the company’s hiring process to ensure the right talent is being brought on board? If showing up to a physical office isn’t necessary, how can the company leverage more contract workers as opposed to full-time workers?

We aren’t going to be quarantined forever. But seeing the impact of the coronavirus has certainly shown us what modern-day society can and will look like in the near future.

3. Leaders need to think about how they can allow more, not less, freedom with their employees.

There are going to be two types of companies that emerge out of the coronavirus pandemic: those that allow their employees to work remotely (or go 100% remote) and those that insist on employees returning to work.

Obviously, certain industries require people to show up to a physical location—restaurants, travel, etc. But for many other industries where remote work is not only possible but preferred, forcing employees back into a physical workplace is going to make certain companies more competitive than others. Couple this with the fact that major cities are seeing a dramatic fall in demand, it’s going to be the companies that find new ways to build distributed teams that will thrive in this “new normal.”

We can already see this happening in places like San Francisco, where rent prices continue to fall.

4. Leaders need to think optimistically about how to create and leverage the new startup hubs that will emerge in new cities around the United States.

As more and more talented workers move out of busy cities like New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, etc., new hubs for innovation will pop up everywhere.

In addition, venture capital firms that used to swear by having a presence in communities like Silicon Valley are now starting to see the benefits that come with relocating somewhere with lower taxes and better rent prices—like the Greater Austin area. At a certain point, when so many people (especially those in tech) are working from home, it becomes hard to rationalize paying $3,000 or more per month in rent for a small studio or one-bedroom apartment, when almost anywhere else in the US you could live in a house with a yard for that price.

Supporting, not condemning, these lifestyle changes is going to be crucial. And furthermore, it’s in the best interest of companies and their leaders to look for areas where these new innovation hubs are beginning to form—and having a presence there sooner than later.

5. Leaders will need to move out of a productivity mindset founded on quantity (hours) and move into one focused on quality of work.

The days of clocking in and 9:00 a.m. and clocking out at 5:00 p.m. are coming to an end.

Workers today don’t want to be valued based on the number of hours they sit in front of their computer, or the desk chair in their office. Instead, they want to be valued based on the result they’re able to drive—whether it takes them three hours or ten hours. And to be honest, it’s in the best interest of the company to embrace this way of thinking. You get more out of people when you celebrate their quality of work, not their commitment to staring at a screen.

I’ve had this philosophy for years: people can do more with less if given the opportunity.

6. Leaders will need to find new ways to engineer serendipitous creativity.

One of the big benefits of having a physical workplace is the fact that many great ideas don’t happen in regularly scheduled meetings.

They happen in the hallway, at the watercooler, or just staying late and chatting with other coworkers in the common area.

In this new digital-first, primarily remote world we’re all living in, there is going to be a period of time where organizations hyper-focus on productivity—and measuring that productivity using software tools that track everything from hours spent working to files accessed to the amount of time it takes to accept a new task and ultimately complete that task. This will be the company’s way of determining, from afar, “who is valuable” (for lack of a better term).

However, it’s only a matter of time before leadership teams begin to realize that this is a myopic strategy—and the downside is that it prohibits a lot of those spontaneous moments throughout the day where conversations can lead to tremendous breakthroughs.

Finding new ways to engineer and encourage these interactions from afar is going to become a key leadership trait that nurtures workforces of the future.

Thanks for your question, Vijay. From the sound of your question, it’s obvious that you are very motivated to become a leader—good for you!

Now, how are you going to get there?

I’m going to say some things that may sound counter-intuitive to what you want to hear, but please bear with me and hear me out, because I really care about people like you—people who want to be the very best them they can be.

There are more important things to consider in this journey than career choice.

The first thing is the concept of mastery and the second is being a good follower.

Commit your self to mastering whatever position, whatever task you are given. This way, you are sending a signal that excellence and growth are important to you. Then, reach out to help others and share what you have learned—help others to develop, too.

As you move along this path, be very aware of followership and your role in something bigger than yourself. Ask yourself how you can be an active follower to your boss, versus just doing what you’re told to do. How can you help build and maintain team cohesion? How can you help the team become more solution oriented?

By doing these things, you are showing your boss(es) that you understand the foundational elements of being a credible leader: being dedicated to personal growth and excellence and to helping others.

This is about the time that someone who is in a position of authority, and who has noticed what you have been doing, will give you your first promotion. Then, you begin the cycle over again—mastery and followership. This is one way to build a sustainable path to becoming the kind of leader you wish to be.

Good luck on your journey!

Corporate Culture is one of the hardest things to change. If the culture of your Company is NOT to hire from within, they probably will not hire from within.

Here are a few things to help:

Have regular meetings with your boss*. 1 on 1 if you will. Set clear goals that you want to be a “Manager/Leader". Ask them what duties you have to do to get there.

Start doing Manager tasks, finding out how they are run and what they do. Act and do manager tasks you gain those skills.

Ask to mentor people. Train people, etc.

BTW most likely it won't change things at your current workplace…Unless you see Internal Promotions!!! If you have then do the above and it will work.

Otherwise do the above still, why? Because you will have the skills for the job where you can grow.

Now I answered for Team lead/Manager. Leadership though is awesome and very different.

Good leaders:

Don't be afraid of tough problems. The identify, key org blockers and how to get through them.

Help colleagues upskill. Be the person who knows it all but is super helpful.

Treat Customers and everyone with respect.

Foster true balance of work and life at work. Ensure people.enjoy holidays and get real downtime.

Be awesome. Be real and a people person, give a shit about your co-workers lives.

Bring awesomeness into where you work. Find out what the best practices or new tech is in your industry.

All the above is very draining. Company culture is the hardest to change. Leaders can do it. Yet that is far harder then getting promoted to manager!

*look this does depend on your boss.

A leader possesses a large number of qualities. However, if I have to list only three qualities, I must list the following.

1: Innovative Ideas

If you desire to be a leader, you must be a man of brand new ideas. A leader does not follow the trodden path of other leaders. He creates his own path using his creativity and innovation. All great leaders like Gandhi, Stalin, Roosevelt, Bill Gates, and Steve Jobs were unique because they implemented some unique ideas to practice. They were not necessarily the creator of idea, but they implemented an idea to the real life for creating abetter world.

Swami Vivekananda, the greatest spiritual Guru of Indian in the modern time highlighted the importance of a great idea: “Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life - think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.”

2: Accurate Vision

There is no dearth of ideas in this world. People are full of ideas but they don’t know how to convert their ideas to reality. A leader must have a vision to see the future accurately before the future actually becomes a reality. He must have a plan to execute his idea and transform that to be a reality. His plans and strategies can be implemented successfully only if he possesses deep knowledge of the reality and accurate vision of its execution. If you don’t have right vision, you will fail to implement what you think should be done,and then blame the world for your failure.

3: Courage of Conviction

The greatest quality of a leader is to have the courage to follow his conviction even when no one believes in his idea and his vision. Itis the ability to walk alone that distinguishes a leader from the follower. If you have all the qualities, but you lack the courage, all your qualities are of no value. The Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, wrote this beautiful poem ‘Ekla cholo re’ to give this message to humanity.

If they answer not to thy call, walk alone

If they are afraid and cower mutely facing the wall,

O thou unlucky one, open thy mind and, speak out alone.

If they turn away, and desert you when crossing the wilderness,

O thou unlucky one, trample the thorns under thy tread, and along the blood-lined track, travel alone.

If they do not hold up the light when the night is troubled with storm,

O thou unlucky one, with the thunder flame of pain ignite thy own heart, and let it burn alone.

A person becomes a leader, the moment he inspires others to step up, get out of their comfort zone and get them to do something bold & daring, that they have not done before.

A leader’s task is to create output from the people working for him, such that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts with his Leadership quality.

Leadership is people stepping up and doing things that none of the others in their level have done before. In the process they inspire others to do the same, then one more person looks at this guy and does that, then the next person, then the next person and so on, the whole organization gets transformed. So everybody in the organization feels empowered, imagine what happens when everyone of your employee feels empowered and acts with such empowerment.

It is critical to start with what leadership really is. There are plenty of misconceptions about what leadership is. Let's start with what leadership isn't.

True leaders are not:

•Dominating - Leaders don't talk in loud voices with intent to dominate and suppress others.

•Controlling - Leaders don't feel the need to control everything & influence others through that control

•Colluding & Manipulating - Leaders don't let a core group hijack things and force everyone else to do what they want

•Preferential - Leaders don't allow nepotism or show favoritism to friends

•Humiliating - Leaders don't shame people in front of the group or try to suppress them by bringing up a personal quality in a negative way

Leadership is not about:

•Knowing everything,

•Answering every single question correctly,

•Coming across as an expert in your field,

•Solving every single problem accurately and/or quickly,

•Being the smartest one in the room.

Real leadership goes beyond a personality type or a set of attitudes. Real leaders help the organization accomplish something positive that produces a significant benefit to the organization or community. It should be something that your organization has never done, and it should be done in a way that will inspire others. These people get noticed, and start influencing others. These are the people who get promoted. So you step up and do something that none of the people at your level has done before, step up and show what you can do, inspire people to do something like what you have done, that shows that you are a leader, make a difference, it could be executing a project that nobody wanted to pick up, lean in a little bit, take up tough assignments that nobody wanted, be the hardest working in the room, stay late, arrive early, go the extra mile, help your boss in a genuine caring way, be a patient listener and work with the difficult to work colleague, turn around a tough project with your empathy and emotional intelligence, it is not easy but figure it out, it might involve reaching out to your mentors, reaching out to your professors, reaching out to your friends or consulting in Quora, you will probably stumble a few times before you find that solution, but even if you fail a few times you will make it happen if you keep on trying. Soon you will be a role model, your enthusiasm will spread because enthusiasm is contagious, even others will start acting like you, your boss will start seeing the difference, he will know you are the reason for it and you will get that coveted promotion.

Once you become a boss, a designated leader, then the leadership role morphs. Then, leadership is about helping those in your organization, creating open lines of communication, inspiring them to get out of their comfort zone, and sharing your vision with them. Leaders empower their people to take decisive action and calculated risks. Leaders foster personal connections that build trust to allow them to be empathetic to challenges and help them move ahead. Leaders are truly vested in the progress and well being of their people. Leaders also create accountability

All of this takes hard work, but the results are powerful. With this kind of leader, employees proactively volunteer information when trouble arises or when they need to figure out a problem. Organizations are inspired to build great products, and execute in new ways. Further, excellent employees seek this kind of leader out, wanting to work with them again and again. All of that benefits the organization. It also starts molding the leaders that will lead the next generation. Leadership driven organizations highlight the importance of broad and deep diversity. These organizations welcome a variety of personalities, ideas, and experiences.

Leaders also need emotional intelligence.

The other key ingredient is enthusiasm. Real leaders love what they do and have fun doing it. Excitement is contagious and creates teams that are ready to tackle anything. Once, I had a challenging program of rolling out a warehouse management system in seven distribution centers in ten months. The project had a million dollar budget. Our team worked fast, creating a common design and configuration, and deploying very quickly. After the first deployment, the team felt confidant and built on that to do the rest quickly. We succeeded on enthusiasm from the first deployment – Expand on this story

This is very important, if you have everything but no leadership then all those you have don’t matter, you would never grow from where you are. Where as you had leadership but nothing else then you will still go places, because along the way you will figure out to use the things you find in your way to your advantage as long as you have the boldness and attempt to do great things.

Here are a few tips on Leadership

·A very renowned Leadership expert is Jack welch – Watch videos of Jack Welch in Youtube

·Always have the courage to do things – Courage to get out of comfort zone and take that leap

·Women are better leaders than men for the reasons below

a.The motherly nature of women brings out the nurturing quality in them

b.Women are good at reading people than men

c.Myers Brigg says that there are two types of the people that are most successful

i.Men with a lot of touchy feely quality and

ii.Women those are ruthless

I once had a job facilitating small group learning workshops for medical students. I had virtually no background in medicine, but it was up to me to guide the students through a process of identifying the links, knowledge gaps and learning objectives in the case studies they were working with. I think this role can be rigged to many other situations that require leadership where the leader has little to no idea of the task at hand but instead has the important responsibility of guiding those who do through a process of ascertaining a more holistic understanding of it. Basically, help those under you to determine their own roles by brainstorming how their strengths and skills can be applied to the task. Help them to see the task from different perspectives so that they can understand how their colleagues may be doing their jobs and find more synergistic operating techniques. Ask lots of questions, even stupid ones, so they get better at providing concise answers which may hone their approach to the task as well as reveal potential misunderstandings or knowledge gaps. Importantly, help them to identify what they don’t know about what they’re doing. Sort these knowledge gaps by relevance and use the resulting hierarchy to develop a set of learning objectives which your team will then have the responsibility of solving. Once they have done this, assist them in the process of using the information they have gathered to anticipate any further problems or opportunities that may arise. Your role as facilitator is also important in identifying critical incidents: events or relationships that could help or hinder the process, and respond to them appropriately, by finding ways to capitalize on the positive and inhibit the negative.

It’s kind of an idiot savant thing. The team must know that you have the big picture tools even if you don’t understand the details.

This is an excellent question and one that is becoming more common than you’d think. Partially because most managers think they are de facto leaders because of the title “Manager”. What has become clear in recent years is that titles mean nothing in relation to leadership.

There are a number of different ways to answer this but a very basic answer is that a person manages things but leads people. Leaders are focused on the people they are charged with leading. If a team is not getting the results needed, it’s up to the leader of that team to make the necessary adjustments in their approach to get the team to become work together. Sometimes those adjustments are in a leader’s thought process, sometimes in their language, sometimes in having a clear goal and purpose for the team and then communicating that goal and purpose to the team. The onus is on the leader to make the necessary changes.

The other major component to becoming a leader is to exhibit empathy. We’ve all know managers who could charitably be described as “hard-nosed.” They may get results from team members in the short term, but the long term is often not nearly as successful.

Empathy, by definition, is the act of understanding or being aware of the past of present condition of another person with out experiencing the same condition. Leaders who use empathy in the dealings with others tend to be more successful in their leadership roles. They get more enthusiasm and effort from their teams not because they fear for their jobs but because they feel secure in them.

There are more ways to answer this question, but this is a baseline start. Thanks again for asking.

Mark Fechner

A great leader has personal insight into his or her individual and corporate internal-external strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). Many people mistake narcissism as a quality of great leaders, but it is an illusion. Self-confidence comes from a past history of learning from one’s mistakes, applying that knowledge to present situations, and garnering future successes. Narcissists never learn from their mistakes, they repeat them. Since society provides cover for narcissists (e.g., entertainment industry, politics, communications networks, information technology, business, etc.), they may thrive in some areas for a period of time.

Exemplary leadership is a hard ideal to live up to because of the responsibilities of the leadership role and the pressures that come with it; however, successful leaders appear to have a number of skills and characteristics in common.

An exemplary leader feels and displays passion and enthusiasm for the role and the general purpose to which his leadership is directed, whether he is a general defeating an enemy or a business leader getting the best work performance out of his team members.

Exemplary leadership means listening more than speaking. To build trust, make sure employees feel heard.

Exemplary leaders work to make people feel strong, capable and committed. Leaders enable others to act not by hoarding the power they have, but by giving it away. Exemplary leaders strengthen everyone's capacity to deliver on the promises they make.

If you are a senior leader, executive or organization looking forward to becoming a remarkable leader look no further. XEd learning solutions offer quality executive education through a rich experience of imparting more than 2400 days of custom programs for more than 4320 senior leaders. Visit the link to know more - Executive education, Senior Management Training, Custom programs, Leadership and skill development programs for Senior level management employees - XEd Institute of Management (Executive education, Senior Management Training, Custom programs,Leadership and skill development programs for Senior level management employees - XEd Institute of Management)

The roles of a manager and a leader can vary depending on the context and the specific organisation or situation. Generally, a manager is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations, setting goals, allocating resources, and ensuring that tasks are completed efficiently. On the other hand, a leader is responsible for inspiring and motivating others, setting a vision, and guiding the team towards achieving that vision. While there may be some overlap between the roles of a manager and a leader, they often require distinct sets of skills and focus.

However, it is important to note that there is no universal agreement on the roles of a manager and a leader. Different perspectives and theories exist on what makes a good manager or leader, and these can vary across cultures, industries, and individual preferences. Some may argue that a manager should primarily focus on planning and controlling, while others may emphasise the importance of leadership qualities, such as communication and empowerment. Similarly, the concept of leadership itself can be interpreted in various ways, including transformational leadership, servant leadership, or situational leadership.

The lack of universal agreement on the roles of managers and leaders stems from the fact that these roles are inherently subjective and context-dependent. What works effectively in one situation may not be as successful in another. Additionally, people have different beliefs and values, leading to diverse opinions on what constitutes effective management and leadership. It is important for individuals to consider their own views on these roles and recognise that others may have different perspectives.

Each person has to determine their own perspective on the roles of a manager and a leader, taking into account their own values, experiences, and goals. It is important to recognise that some people may agree with their views, while others may have different opinions. It is important to consider how the diverse views will be dealt with in practice..

Leadership is not about the career your choose. It is an act that you adhere to, you demonstrate certain qualities that make you a leader automatically. It in many ways is not about a title or a position.

You may like to volunteer in your university related activities, see how well you understand the concept of being a team member, and taking lead in situations, introspect yourself as a person and how you handled situations (what worked well and what did not work). This will help you build some of the required skills.

Also, try and read some good books on leadership (however, reading alone is not sufficient - practising the skill matters)

Some of that qualities good leaders demonstrate are -

• Having a vision
• Resilience
• Good decision making capabilities
• Showing respect towards others/ teams
• Are honest
• Maintain high levels of integrity
• Walking the talk at all times
• Good communication skills (including listening)
• Valuing people
• Showing empathy when required
• Are able to focus on the task well (despite challenges)

Professionalism

In the working world, your professionalism encompasses the way you carry yourself, your attitude, and the ways you communicate with others. Being professional can ensure a positive first impression, successful interpersonal relationships, and a lasting reputation within your organization and industry.

“Whether you’re preparing for an interview, starting your first day on the job, or advancing in your career, professionalism and workplace etiquette is always important,” explains Katy Curameng, director of career planning and development at the University of Massachusetts Global. “Regardless of overall performance, careers have been known to stall (or even fail to start) because an individual did not display these qualities.”

Generally speaking, etiquette centers on respect. In an office environment, it’s important to be thoughtful when it comes to your interactions, acknowledging other people’s time, and how you treat your workspace. Workplace etiquette is important because it ensures that your presence won’t be a burden on anyone else’s work experience.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, there are few things employers value more than employees who professionally fulfill their duties. Employees with a high degree of professionalism are frequently perceived as being more credible and reliable than their coworkers. Mastering workplace etiquette can also give young workers an edge as they begin their careers. In the most generationally diverse workforce, we’ve ever experienced, professionalism transcends age.

But professionalism isn’t just one trait — it’s a combination of a few different qualities. That might seem confusing, but consider the following five ways you can employ workplace etiquette within your organization.

5 Tips for proper workplace etiquette

1. Honor your commitments

With a topic as expansive as professionalism, it can be difficult to know where to start when it comes to your work habits and practices. Curameng says that following through with your commitments can be pivotal.

“You can meet every other facet of professionalism, but if you don’t honor your commitments and get your job done, none of it will matter,” she explains.

If you are continually accountable for your assignments and other commitments, it will show that you’re a responsible person who can do what needs to be done to accomplish a goal. In addition to meeting deadlines, you should aim to be on time to start your day, to meetings, and any other work-related events, whether in person or virtual.

“Being on time sends an unspoken message of respect for your responsibilities, as well as the value you place on the time and effort of your colleagues,” Curameng adds.

2. Be attentive, responsive, and proactive

It may sound simple, but one of the most effective ways to display professionalism is to show that you’re invested enough to pay attention. This might mean taking notes during meetings, asking relevant questions, or even just using responsive body language. Curameng maintains that if you don’t follow these basics of office etiquette, you may appear bored, distant, or aloof. That could send a message to those around you that you don’t value what’s being shared.

Another way to show your investment in and commitment to your organization is by being proactive about improving the company. But that requires doing more than just identifying concerns or pain points. Make sure to pair your complaints with solutions. Instead of simply bringing a problem to your manager, come armed with a proposed resolution.

3. Get to know the workplace culture

The general work culture will often change from company to company. That’s why it’s important to learn as much as you can about cultural norms whenever you start a new position. Determining the right workplace attire is a good example.

“For cues on the office-appropriate dress, pay attention to how others in your workplace dress,” Curameng suggests. “Although conventional wisdom may tell you to wear a certain type of clothing, you need to look around to follow company culture.”

This can also impact your communication habits, as standard practices can vary. In some offices, it’s common to just send a quick email or arrange an impromptu video chat to discuss something. Other environments may require formally requesting a meeting via an administrative assistant.

“Once learned, these cues and others will reflect the unofficial rules of your organization and help you to navigate to success,” Curameng adds.

4. Keep personal matters to a minimum

Because the overall goal of workplace etiquette is to be respectful of your organization and your coworkers, you’ll want to avoid things that might interfere with anyone’s productivity.

“Whether you’re in an office, cubicle, or open space, it is important to mind the personal space and time of others,” Curameng explains. “A ‘quick’ conversation about the movie you saw last night could turn into 15 to 30 minutes, which is not a productive use of time for you or your colleagues. Catch up on last night’s game or your weekend plans at lunchtime or after work.”

It’s also helpful to remember that personal business doesn’t just include phone calls or conversations about your life outside of work. These days, it’s easier than ever to take a quick break by whipping out your phone to peruse social media. But what you intended to be a five-minute distraction can quickly turn into 20 minutes of wasted time.

Some companies have specific policies around social media for this very reason. If yours does, be sure you know what it says and adhere to it. Even if there isn’t an official policy in place, Curameng maintains that it’s important to think before you post, Tweet or comment at work or about work.

“Never post or comment negatively about your job, boss, or coworkers,” she says. “Those words could find their way back to someone within the company and may put your job in jeopardy.”

5. Avoid the negative side of office politics

Office politics can indeed be unavoidable. At times, it’s a necessary part of climbing the corporate ladder. The truth is, you’re already part of your organization’s political landscape simply by being an employee. But it’s possible to stay on the positive side of things in the following ways:

• Find common ground with your colleagues
• Don’t try to make others look bad
• Be mindful of your place in the larger company structure
• Prioritize company success over personal ‘wins’

Politics can have a positive outcome when coworkers build up and work alongside those in their workplace community. But the political climate in an office can turn negative when colleagues compete with one another, rather than working together for the greater good.

“When you do encounter negative gossip, don’t participate in the conversation,” Curameng urges.

Achieve success in your career

Success looks different for everyone, but practicing proper professionalism in the workplace can get you far regardless of your ultimate goal. If you honor your work commitments and remain dedicated, productive, and respectful of those around you, building a respectable reputation within your organization will happen naturally.

As you continue to progress in your career, you may find yourself eager to climb the ladder within your organization. There are several things you can do in addition to practicing top-notch professionalism.

If you are expecting an answer along the lines of charismatic leaders or individual heroes who are idolized, you are in for a surprise. Individuals who can demonstrate “control” over employees are often perceived as successful leaders in many organizations and cultures; I will try to challenge such thoughts, which I think are anchored in traditional leadership models. I will also highlight the difference between traditional leadership models and the evolving 'Leaderful Practice'.

I think that traditional leadership models which were successful during the industrial revolution are no longer effective in today’s business contexts. Unfortunately, many of these 18th century leadership practices are still prevalent, and also widely acclaimed by many.

Today’s businesses are faced by fast paced changes which are driving profound changes in the way we work. In order to survive in today’s fast paces business environments companies are rethinking everything from culture to tools and environments. Responsiveness is becoming the key to competitiveness in ever faster moving and interconnected global economy. To succeed, companies need to shift their focus from efficiency of process to effectiveness of outcomes. There needs to be strong emphasis on adaptivity, wherein companies should decentralize decision-making and empower their people with information to increase engagement and enable continuous learning. Value creation needs to shift from the individual to the collective [my emphasis].

Joe Raelin’s ‘Leaderful Practice’ is probably one of the finest model for new leadership paradigm that is relevant in the context of knowledge workers such as consultants, software engineers, medical professionals, engineers, academics, scientists, lawyers, and so on, who are professionals that make use of knowledge as their primary capital. The figure below illustrates the four tenants of Leaderful Practice, and compares them with the tenants of traditional individualistic leadership.

Let’s take a quick look at each of the Leaderful Practice tenants:

1. Concurrent: The chaotic world of corporate affairs requires leadership that diverges from age-old conceptions of leading by control. According to Leaderful Practice, the only possible way to lead our way out of trouble in management is to become mutual and to share our leadership. You do not need to be in a designated leadership position for being a leader; if your work involves working with others, you are capable of exerting leadership.
2. Collective: Leadership is being seen more as a plural phenomenon, something that the entire community does together. People in the community assume leadership roles when necessary, and through this collective action, leadership practice occurs. One example that comes to mind is The Lord of The Ring series…I will soon write a post relating this movie series to collective leadership.
3. Collaborative: Think of a group of musicians coming together in a jamming session and creating music, as opposed to a music director or conductor telling them what to do. In which situation do you think the musicians are enjoying more and being more creative...by jamming democratically that is based on principles of collaboration and self-governance, or following the lead of a conductor who’s controlling the process?
4. Compassionate: How many of you have seen leaders who resist standing in the tension of opposites, leaders who want conflicts resolved and want our emotions to be held in check? Compassionate leaders do not seek to control or to awe others because of some unmet ego needs. They rather recognize the potential contribution of each member of the community, no matter what his or her position or status. Lawrence Bossidy of Honeywell has been known to point out that one fundamental reason for sharing control with workers is simply because “they know their job better than you do.” Another reason that compassionate leaders might offer for empowering others is because it represents a process that dignifies the human spirit to grow and achieve.

In summary, I think that in today’s business contexts which are driven by knowledge workers, traits and values such as empathy, compassion, trust, and cooperation, matter more in order to make efficient business decisions. Resilient high-empathy teams have the potential to drive desirable business outcome as opposed to the acumen of heroic individual leaders trapped in traditional leadership models characterized by serial, individual, controlling, and dispassionate behaviors. Taking a Leaderful Practice approach concurrently, collectively, collaboratively, and compassionately can make you a leader in any job. What are your thoughts?

References:

Microsoft and Poptech (2016) ‘The Future of Work’ [Online]. Available from: The future of work (Accessed: 2 July 2016).

Raelin, J.A. (2003) Creating leaderful organizations: how to bring out leadership in everyone. San Francisco, California: Berrett-Koehler.

Yes, and there are some professions that are known for it. Sports is one, where some not so great players were great leaders and coaches. Teaching is another. You can be a nonentity as a physicist, for example, but still be a great teacher, program developer and inspiring leader in the profession. I’m sure there are other examples. I’ve worked with managers whose technical skills were pretty poor, but they were really solid leaders. At a certain level, if you have a leadership role, you start leaving your professional skills behind you because your profession is now leadership. You can’t leave your professional knowledge or get totally out of touch, but you stop being competent or even up to date at the daily work and tools of the profession. You wouldn’t hire the head of the Carpenter’s Union to build your house. They probably still know how and maybe could give it a shot, but I bet they’d be pretty poor at it compared to a full time working carpenter. Bill Gates can still code, I’m sure, but if you needed software built by a heads down coder, he’d be left in the dust by most of the competent, up to date, on the job coders who work at any good shop.

I'll share three things that I believe separate great leaders from good leaders. This is by no means an all-inclusive list, but three things that are definitely worth pondering.

1. Great leaders have more experience under their belt.

“That which we persist in doing becomes easier, not that the nature of the task has changed, but our ability to do has increased.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson.

It's a simple concept: the more at-bats we have, the more shots, the more games we have played, the better we get at what we're doing. The same goes for leadership. Great leaders have more experience because, historically, they have persisted in the act of leading. As Emerson alluded to in the quote above, you can't help but get better as you persist at something. To be the best you can be at anything, you have to put in the time, you have to "pay the tuition" so to speak.

2. Great leaders are natural.

I don't mean in terms of natural born leaders or any other silly cliche, what I mean is (and I can say this because I am one) they are not like “white guys dancing”. They're not applying this technique and that technique, going through each one in a pre-meditated or calculated manner, where you can almost hear them saying "which leadership principle should I apply here." They are artful in their application of leadership, as a result of intensely practicing the skill. The swing, the art, the shot, comes naturally here because they've done it before hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of times before.

3. Great leaders get stuff done.

It sounds like a glaringly obvious point, but it's one I think is sometimes overlooked. Leadership is a function of achieving things or getting things done. Good leaders, while still valuable, tend to have results that are mediocre, or just good. Great leaders, then, are the ones whose results are superior. And thus, their ability to produce great results compounds and increases overtime because it creates an attraction of people that want to follow them. I would sooner follow a great leader than a good one, wouldn't you?

These three things can be applied to almost anything, not just leadership, but it certainly highlights what separates a great leader from a good one.

My dad served as a senior advisor to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. One of the things Gates did while interviewing potential candidates was ask these candidates' subordinates what they thought of this person.

His idea was that a good leader will have people under him who don’t have terrible things to say when it is safe to do so.

A leader can’t always be the good guy. But, quite often, managers and leaders have no idea just how bad they are. They are surrounded by people who can’t speak back or criticize them.

This is how companies get bogged down with god-awful people running them. The system self-insulates ugly management practices.

A good leader inspires and treats his people correctly. He or she listens to them rather than breathing down their neck 24–7. A leader shouldn’t think of themself as a divine oracle who has all the answers and is never wrong.

A career is your professional journey, one that covers half of your adult life. Half! That’s a lot, right? Good reason then to make it meaningful. Remember that!

A career for some is a climb to the very top, for others is a journey to explore and experience.

Careers are not linear, they can go up and down and sideways. Life events and choices sometimes play more of a role than performance or hard skills and experience. What is critical is to know yourself, develop, set goals, pursue them and change course as needed.

Regardless that you are an explorer or a climber, you need a plan to manage your own destiny rather than being driven by events. And that plan needs to be oriented by your personal compass, your purpose, who you want to be, and what you want to achieve to feel accomplished.

If you reflect on all of this, we are talking about something very different from just getting a job, making money or following your parents' footsteps, or just following your friends. Because we are talking about you, you as a unique individual like there’s no one else in the world. You are the one that needs to discover what you are ready, willing, and able for.

In a nutshell, you need to develop your career “spec”. And review it and adjust it as your preferences change and situations redirect you.

Remember, a lot is about how you grow as a working professional, how you learn and learn to grow. How you understand and leverage (and share) your top strengths as well as develop some other areas where you can and want to improve.

To be clear, while hard skills (the technical abilities you acquire through learning) and experience (what you practice) are an important part of your toolkit, we believe that soft skills (or hardwired capabilities as we call them at Tal&Dev are those that will define your success.

Take charge and manage your own destiny!

A good leader has a futuristic vision and knows how to turn his ideas into real-world success stories. Here I’would love to explain important leadership qualities that separate good leaders from a bad one.

1. Honesty and Integrity

2. Confidence

3. Inspire Others

4. Commitment and Passion

5. Good Communicator

6. Decision-Making Capabilities

7. Accountability

8. Delegation and Empowerment

9. Creativity and Innovation

10. Empathy

Cheers!!

Unveiling the Quirkiness: Traits of Truly Extraordinary Leaders!

Hello there, fellow Quoran! Ah, the elusive qualities that make a leader shine like a supernova! Let's embark on a whimsical journey through the kaleidoscope of leadership traits that are sure to tickle your neurons and leave you pondering the very essence of leadership. Buckle up, and let's explore the magical traits that make a good leader, shall we?

A Sense of Humor:

Picture this—a leader with the ability to weave humor into the fabric of their leadership. A well-timed joke, a playful banter, or a humorous anecdote can create an environment that fosters creativity, relieves tension, and boosts morale. And these are exactly the characteristics imparted in the modern-day leadership training programmes like the Future Leaders Programme by NUS Business School offered in collaboration with Great Learning that help professionals transition into future-ready leaders.

Unyielding Passion:

A true leader is a fire-breathing dragon of passion, radiating enthusiasm for their vision and igniting the same fiery passion in others. We find this infectious enthusiasm in Oprah Winfrey, the queen of media, whose unwavering passion for empowering people has propelled her to touch countless lives. Passion is the spark that sets the world ablaze with motivation and purpose.

Radical Empathy:

In a world where "me" often takes precedence over "we," a leader with a heart full of empathy can be a breath of fresh air. A leader who embraces empathy can cultivate a culture of understanding, compassion, and support, allowing their team to flourish.

Fearless Authenticity:

Ah, the art of being unapologetically yourself! Leaders who embody authenticity forge genuine connections and inspire trust. Look no further than Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, whose down-to-earth demeanor and authentic leadership style have earned her global admiration. Authenticity is the secret ingredient that binds leaders and their teams in a tight-knit tapestry of trust.

Embracing Failure:

Leaders who view failure as a stepping stone to success possess a superpower. The indomitable Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, has conquered the world of business through his audacity to embrace failure and learn from it. A leader who isn't afraid to stumble, get back up, and try again shows their team that setbacks are simply opportunities in disguise.

Continuous Learning:

A voracious appetite for knowledge is the hallmark of a leader who refuses to stagnate. Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, embodies this trait, driving innovation by fostering a culture of continuous learning within the company. A leader who embraces a growth mindset and encourages their team to develop their skills is poised to conquer the ever-evolving challenges of our times.

So, dear reader, there you have it—quirky traits of exceptional leaders sprinkled with references to modern-day luminaries. Remember, leadership is a dance of unique characteristics, and the most effective leaders weave their own colorful tapestry of traits. Now, go forth and unleash your inner leader, armed with laughter, passion, empathy, authenticity, resilience, and an insatiable thirst for knowledge!

Leadership and management are not the same thing.

Management involves activities like planning, organizing, controlling, monitoring, reporting, staffing, etc. Most managers got to where they are by first being pretty good at the work they manage, and then by demonstrating their ability to organize their own work, deliver on time, meet quality expectations, and keep their manager(s) informed of their progress (or lack of it, when problems arise).

Management is about maintaining what is. It's about stewardship.

Leadership, on the other hand, is about change. It involves the communication skills, charisma and confidence to convince people that a change is necessary and to take in the risks necessary to make the change. It’s about strategy and setting goals, not about tactics and a step by step plan to get there. That’s what managers are supposed to do — figure out the details of how to achieve the goal.

Of course, managers can demonstrate leadership qualities. They can spot opportunities for change within their own purview, and convince their teams to seize those opportunities. When they do, and if they are successful, they often get promoted. If it happens often enough, they may start to become recognized as leaders.

But the vast majority of managers in the world are not leaders. They are stewards who maintain the status quo.

So what are your career prospects if you don’t choose management? Well, in software they are still pretty good. I’ve worked in organizations where senior technical people were paid much more than managers — even more than the manager they reported to. But there are limits. If your ambition is to break into the executive ranks, you need a broad set of skills. Being technical is not enough. You need to understand how business works, and why having the best technology or product does not necessarily guarantee you business success.

I was in first year of college when I saw Steve Jobs’ Stanford Commencement Speech. I cried. It was so good. It was inspirational.

All great leaders articulate very well. I thought. That must be one of the most important leadership qualities. I thought.

Harry Potter lead Dumbledore’s Army in the fifth year while he attended Hogwarts. Why? He was the best at most of the defence against dark arts spells. Skill. Skill must be one of the most important leadership qualities. I thought. Because it’s only when you’re the master at something, then you can lead.

Ability to inspire others?

Speed of execution?

Perfectionism?

Dedication and passion towards a mission?

All this and more. And very very very important leadership qualities. But I think the two most important leadership qualities are desire to learn and ability to adapt and change.

Of all the great leaders I have had the chance to meet, or of all the great leaders I have had the chance to read about spend good amount of time reading and learning and are super adaptable.

As I end the answer it reminds me again of my first year of college and how the commencement note ended now makes more sense.

Stay hungry (continue to learn), stay foolish (continue to adapt and change).

Manager is a political position for Rich democrats who get excited over shiny nameplates with 6 figure compensation packages and usually little/no actual work to do..Here is an example

Leader is an individual who motivates others to get BIG Projects accomplished

The idea is to put sufficient fire under your teams butt to motivate the team to work in unison to accomplish a large and complex project…Here is an example:

Had attempted this answer.. replicating here the same..

Hi,

Good manager is the person who is not only a subject matter expert or specialist but can fairly get work done from his own team. Mangers have a specific task/goals and are expected to focus and achieve the same. As a Good manager you are required to follow the organisation’s Vision and strategies.

But we have definitely seen some of the most successful managers fails at being exceptional leader. As a Leader you are not specialist, but you need to exhibit general skills. From being subject matter expert, now you need to have strong knowledge about all the aspects of successfully running organisation. You are there to make sure all the people associated with you are motivated and inspired. You are setting up the vision and strategies for everyone.

As a Leader you need to sharpen your skills:

Decision Making: Effective leaders use practical and responsive approaches to decision making. They know that you can't wait to make a perfect decision: when you're in the middle of a situation, you have to be confident enough to do what needs to be done right now. This means you must quickly evaluate the situation and take an action that has a high probability of success. The decisions that these leaders make under pressure may not be perfect, but they're consistent with the desired outcome.

Successful problem finding: Skilful leaders are proactive, and they continuously ask questions. They look for problems that may be hidden. In other words, they often recognize potential issues before they become significant.

Effective opportunity finding: Successful leaders find opportunities and use them effectively. In practical terms, they understand leverage, and they constantly look for ways to achieve more with the same amount of effort.

Finally, good leaders inspire people to take action, motivate, instigate trust, have a clear vision, are trustworthy, and are committed both to their people and to making their company better. Leaders are willing to accept responsibility and accountability.

Good manager is specialist… Good Leader is Generalist…