Introduction

Leaders are the people who drive change and create positive impacts on their teams and organizations. As a leader, you can have an immediate impact on the lives of others, but that also means that your actions will have consequences. Many people who aspire to leadership positions can get discouraged when they realize what is required of them in order to be successful at this role. So how do you know if you're cut out for being a leader? Well first off, you need to ask yourself these questions: Are you willing to make sacrifices for your team? Do you feel comfortable holding other people accountable? Are there any situations where it would be difficult for someone else to speak up about something going wrong because they don't want to cause trouble or create conflict among their peers? If any of those scenarios sound like something that could put a damper on your professional aspirations as an aspiring leader then read on! Here are five real-life lessons about what makes up effective leadership skills and traits (as told by yours truly):

Leadership is about who you are, not what you do.

Let's say you're the founder of an organization, and it has a board of directors and executives. You may be the CEO or a chairman of the board—the person in charge and with all the power. But this doesn't mean that others will automatically respect your leadership.

What makes someone a leader? It isn't about what their title is, or how many followers they have, or even how much money they earn. Leadership comes from who we are as individuals: our character, our integrity, our ability to care for those around us.

Leaders are learners.

Leaders are always learning. They pursue knowledge and keep an open mind, even when they're already successful. This can be as simple as reading a book or attending a conference, or it could mean taking on a new project at work that challenges your skill set.

Leaders take responsibility for their actions and the actions of their teams.

Leaders take responsibility for their actions and the actions of their teams.

• ●You are responsible for what you do, but also how your actions affect other people.

• ●It’s important to take responsibility for yourself, but it's just as important to take responsibility for others' mistakes as well. No one is perfect—not even you!

• ●Good leaders make sure that everyone on their team is working towards achieving the same goals in a timely fashion and doing so safely (or at least trying to). They hold themselves accountable for this by making sure everyone knows what they need to do and when it needs to get done by (and then checking in frequently with each member of their team). If something goes wrong because one person didn't follow through on his or her responsibilities, it's up to the leader to step up and fix the situation—lest they risk losing credibility among those who depend on them most.

Leaders praise in public and criticize in private.

A true leader is always gracious and generous in his or her praise, even if it’s not deserved. Leaders must be careful to avoid undermining their own authority by publically criticizing staff members. Criticism should be given privately and constructively, at the right time, and in a fair way that encourages growth.

Leaders ask great questions.

Leaders ask great questions.

Asking questions is a great way to learn. Asking questions can help you understand the needs of your team, your customers, and your company. It also helps you get to know people better, which builds trust and respect between you and those around you.

Great leaders have a lot of qualities that make them successful

There are many qualities a great leader must possess: integrity, vision, selflessness and humility to name just a few. But there are also some specific traits that make leaders different from other people.

• ●Leaders are learners: A great leader is always learning new things about themselves and the world around them. They don’t let their past experiences define who they are today (and if they do, then it’s time for some soul-searching). Great leaders seek out knowledge whenever possible because they know it will help them actually be better at their job—and if you want to become successful in any way shape or form then this is an incredibly important trait for you too!

Conclusion

So, what does all this mean for you and your leadership? Leadership is an important part of our lives. It affects us every day, from the people we interact with at home or at work to the leaders we look up to as they make decisions that affect us all. The best way to learn about leadership is by practicing it yourself! So take a look at how these five principles apply in your own life and think about how they could help you become a better leader. You’re sure to see some positive results.

• RUCHI RATHOR Founder & CEO Payomatix Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

• FOUNDER AND INVESTOR | PAYMENTS PROCESSING EXPERT | MERCHANT ACCOUNT SOLUTIONS | WHITE LABELLED PAYMENT GATEWAY | Dreamer, Creator, Achiever, Constantly Evolving

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