How to get Promoted to a Leadership Position
What makes a good leader? After all, all that glitters is not gold; so the people that are perceived as leaders, oftentimes are not. Similarly, the loudest person in the room, seemingly commanding the attention of everyone, may seem like a leader, a look-at-me type, but being the loudest, the most brash, the most aggressive does not necessarily make one a leader. There is a range of qualities one must possess in order to be capable of leading, only one of those qualities being the ability to command attention. But if it is the only leadership quality in a person, he or she does not classify as a leader, in a true sense of the word.
Maintaining commanding presence is, of course, one of the first things most people will think of when they are asked to describe the qualities of a leader. Indeed, leadership capabilities do include an ability to get people to notice and respect that one person in a crowded boardroom. A leader should, indeed, not fade into the background, but persist, convince, persuade and be able to do all of that with a certain air of effortlessness. But leadership is much more than being the top dog in the room. It does not stop right after everyone walks out of the boardroom and to their respective places of work. It is a job that involves many more underrated qualities that a lot of people may not even think of at first.
A leader should be able to listen to people's concerns. A leader is not a solitary figure of strength; he or she acquires leadership abilities from being able to take notice of other people's opinions, concerns and be able to address them. A great leader is never alone, for he will have no one to lead. The listening abilities of a good leader are imperative to propel him or her to a position of trust. Other people come to that leader to confide and to acquire faith that, now that their concerns are put in the leader's hands, something will be done about them and everything will get better.
Patience is a virtue, as they say. It is also one of the necessary components that comprise a leader. To be in a leadership position often requires one to deal with different people, diverse personalities. Not all personalities will jive, some will clash in the worst way. But in a business world, in a professional setting, a leader needs to know how to put on a brave face and stand shoulder to shoulder with a guy or a gal who might be a total opposite. It is all about patience in the business of networking, negotiating, making deals.
Ordinary people tend to lose their cool in dire situations. One of the very important leadership qualities is the ability to keep cool and make the right decisions in stressful, urgent or desperate situations. The difference between a leader and a follower is that a leader will be able to put on a thinking cap and, instead of panicking, will make every attempt to not only make the best decisions he or she possibly can but also to motivate his or her team to do the same.
Finally, a leader should also be a team player. He or she should have that commanding presence but should also be able to come down from a high tower and be able to level with his employees, team members and coworkers, genuinely and unselfishly. An ability to be approachable, without looking like a pushover, is something that a true leader has to master to gain respect and, even more importantly, trust from the coworkers. In order to do that, he or she should even be able to open up once in a while and show that vulnerable side that others can relate to. With a leader being able to juggle those positions of power and vulnerability, a team or a group of colleagues can feel like they truly have adequate support, no matter what their next assignment may bring them.
