This is not one of the qualities of a successful leader. What qualities does a true leader have? Basic Skills for a Successful Leader

Everyone who aspires to take the place of leader in a team must have a number of leadership qualities. Exactly leadership skills and define the role of a leader, explain why some become such and are ready to captivate and lead, while others are not accepted in this capacity and do not enjoy authority.

is a set of psychological qualities, skills and abilities to interact with a group that can ensure the successful implementation of leadership tasks and functions. It is impossible to single out one or two qualities that characterize a leader. There are many more of them. On the other hand, you can list qualities for quite a long time and interpret them as leadership qualities. And the longer the list becomes, the less practical use it has, and the easier it is to get confused.

This article will present the main leadership qualities, the development of which can make a real leader out of any person.

Personal qualities of a leader

KNOWING YOURSELF, YOUR FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS

To know yourself, to feel what is happening inside yourself, to be able to listen to your emotions and feelings, to your intuition, to clearly and clearly imagine what you want is an integral quality of a leader. This helps you navigate life and understand other people; it helps you not to miss your chance by recognizing the right opportunity. A true leader cannot be led astray from his intended path; he is difficult to manipulate, because he knows exactly what he wants.

RISK WILLINGNESS

This is one of the leadership qualities that many modern leaders have. For example, Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Corporation, which today controls more than 300 different companies around the world, is the image of a leader who is always ready to take risks. He often risked everything, both in business and in everyday life (take, for example, a trip around the world in a hot air balloon).

The reason why true leaders are not afraid to take risks and change your life, is the understanding that sometimes you have to pay a considerable price for not showing initiative. Therefore, people who strive to anticipate events are always ready to take risks.

Today there are many business owners and managers who strive to build a significant “business” without taking risks, but by working in the style of “the slower you go, the further you will go.” As John Kennedy said: “ There are costs and risks inherent in any action plan, but they are significantly less than the long-term costs and risks generated by comfortable inaction».

SELF CONFIDENCE

Tall and adequate level of self-esteem A leader, together with self-confidence, helps him take risks when necessary, and increases courage and determination in critical situations. Self-confidence allows a leader to expand the limits of his capabilities and gain new life experiences. This theory was substantiated in 1981 by B. Bass, who analyzed leading research in the field of leadership qualities and confirmed that the feeling self confidence, the leader is an order of magnitude higher than those who follow him.

RELIABILITY, REGULATION AND CONSISTENCY

A leader is the bearer of the norms and values ​​of an association of people, therefore his worldview and his actions must be consistent with universal human moral standards - honesty, justice, reliability, responsibility and consistency in actions and deeds.

ACTIVE LIFE POSITION

For adequate orientation in the situation, the leader must have an active life position. This is necessary leadership quality, which allows the leader to always be in the thick of things, learn about everything first-hand and be more informed.

INITIATIVE AND ABILITY TO MOTIVATE YOURSELF

Initiative and active people do not wait for someone else to make them want to work. They know that only they have the responsibility to convince themselves to leave their usual comfort zone. And they make self-motivation a regular practice. This is what Theodore Roosevelt, one of the proactive and greatest people of the 20th century, endowed with a lot of leadership qualities, said: “ There is nothing outstanding or brilliant in my biography, except that I really did what I was convinced needed to be done... And when I had a clear opinion about the need to do something, I acted».

Managerial and organizational leadership skills

ABILITY TO BUILD A TEAM

Ability to attract people ideas and thoughts, ideals, skills convince a person) and create a team of followers and like-minded people - a quality that determines the success of an individual becoming a leader. Setting shared goals and values ​​and monitoring followers' commitment to these goals are among the core leadership qualities.

ABILITY TO ORGANIZE A TEAM TO SOLVE SET TASKS

This is one of the fundamental organizational qualities of a leader. It consists of the ability to distribute responsibilities among team members, the ability to inspire and motivate a group to perform tasks and functions, coordinate work, etc.

VISION OF PERSPECTIVE

The person who leads the group simply must know where to go. Observation, vision of the prospects for the activities of his group, the prospects, the team that follows him is one of the most important organizational qualities of a leader.

Leaders cannot get so bogged down in minutiae and detail that they lose sight of what is truly important. The writer Alfred Montaper wrote: “ Most people see obstacles in front of them, only a few see goals, history celebrates the successes of the latter, while for the former the reward is oblivion».

FLEXIBILITY AND SENSITIVITY TO THE SITUATION

Leaders are often participants in complex processes; they are in an “arena” where a large variety of various forces operate, which are sometimes beyond the boundaries of their knowledge and control. Therefore, an organizational leader must feel the situation, be able to quickly navigate it and make the only correct decision.

WILLINGNESS TO SUPPORT IN DIFFICULT MINUMENTS

The reluctance of a leader to provide his like-minded person and follower with support in cases where it is very necessary and he is able to provide it, in most cases, deprives his followers and the status of a leader.

People respect a leader who never forgets their interests. If you focus on what you can give to your followers rather than what you can get from them, they will respect and love you, and this will make your relationships lasting and stronger.

As one General Motors executive said: “ The fields of the most diverse industries are strewn with the bones of enterprises, the leadership qualities of whose leaders were thoroughly saturated with rot and moral decay, where they firmly believed that you only need to take, instead of giving... where they did not understand that the only asset of the company that cannot be quickly replacement - these are her people».

Remember! The ability to thank and reward qualities that help a leader successfully perform organizational and managerial functions.

Psychological and socialleadership skills

COMMUNICATION

Important quality of a leader is communication skills, the ability to quickly establish contacts with people and feel confident in a team. It is difficult to imagine a leader who is shy when communicating.

JUSTICE

The leader coordinates relationships in the team, therefore, in assessing the actions and actions of other people, he must be fair, objective and unbiased.

ABILITY TO REPRESENT AND DEFEND THE INTERESTS OF THE COLLECTIVE

A leader represents common interests, so the ability to defend them in external authorities and take full responsibility for corporate activities is an important quality of a leader.

ABILITY TO CREATE CONDITIONS FOR SELF-REALIZATION OF ITS FOLLOWERS

This leadership quality is the basis for building followers' trust in the leader and willingness to follow him.

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MENSBY

4.6

American leadership expert John Maxwell, who helps maximize personal and leadership potential, identified 21 qualities required for a true leader.

The book 21 Essential Qualities of Leaders analyzes the qualities and character traits that all great leaders possess.

The 1st quality of a leader according to John Maxwell is to be as solid as a rock.

Character determines how a leader acts in difficult life situations; a crisis will not necessarily shape character, but will reveal and reveal it. A misfortune that befalls a leader is a turning point that forces a person to make a choice: either show character or compromise. Followers stop trusting leaders if they find out they have unstable personalities and never follow them again.

The 2nd quality of a leader according to John Maxwell is to become a charismatic leader.

To become a charismatic leader, you need to have charisma. However, many people think that charisma is given or not given to a person; if he is deprived of it, then it is not given to him. Charisma is the ability to attract people to you, it can be developed. To become a person who attracts others to you, you must: Love life, Give every person an A, Give people hope, Share yourself and your strengths.

The 3rd quality of a leader according to John Maxwell is dedication.

People do not follow leaders who lack commitment. This quality can be manifested in a wide variety of actions: the amount of time you devote to work, the effort you expend to develop your abilities, and the personal sacrifices you make for your colleagues. True commitment to duty inspires and attracts others. It shows them that you have conviction. But they will believe in you only if you yourself believe in your business.

The 4th quality of a leader according to John Maxwell is the ability to communicate

It is absolutely essential for an effective leader to develop top-notch communication skills. He is able to share his knowledge and ideas with others, as well as instill in others enthusiasm and a sense of urgency of any action. If a leader is unable to clearly convey an important idea to others and motivate them to action, then the fact that he has such an idea does not matter at all.

You can become a more effective communicator if you adhere to these four basic principles: Simplify your thoughts, See the individual, Show people the truth, Get a response.

The 5th quality of a leader according to John Maxwell is competence.

Competence goes much further than words. It means a leader's ability to articulate what is needed, plan what is needed, and do what is needed in a way that makes it clear to others that you know what to do and it is clear to them that they want to follow you. If you want to truly develop this quality in yourself, you must do the following: Show your competence every day, Never stop improving all the time, Bring everything to a successful end, Do more than is expected of you, Inspire others.

The 6th quality of a leader according to John Maxwell is courage.

When it comes to difficult decisions in your life that challenge you, remember the following truths that define courage: Courage begins with the battle within you, Courage means doing the right thing, not just doing it smartly, The courage in a leader inspires his followers to be dedicated to your cause, your life expands in breadth and depth in proportion to your courage.

The 7th quality of a leader according to John Maxwell is insight.

Insight represents the ability to find a solution to an existing problem. With the help of insight, it becomes possible to achieve several important goals: Identifying the roots of emerging problems, improving your ability to solve problems (If you are able to see the roots of the problem facing you, then, therefore, you are able to solve it), Evaluating available options in order to make a choice maximally effective, Multiplying their capabilities (leaders are the creators of their own “luck”, which is the result of their insight, which means the willingness to use their experience and follow their instincts).

The 8th quality of a leader according to John Maxwell is focus.

Focus is essential to becoming an effective leader. Priorities and concentration are key. A leader who has priorities but lacks focus knows what needs to be done but never gets around to doing it. If the situation is the opposite - the leader has concentration, but does not have priorities, then he will mark time without moving forward. How should you focus your time and energy? Be guided in this matter by the following principles: Concentrate 70% of resources on your strengths, Concentrate 25% of resources on new things, Concentrate 5% of resources on your weaknesses.

The 9th quality of a leader according to John Maxwell is generosity.

Nothing calls out to others louder and convinces them more than the generosity and magnanimity of a leader. A one-time manifestation of this quality cannot be called true generosity. It comes from the heart and permeates every aspect of a leader's life, touching closely his time, money, talents and possessions. Effective leaders who truly lead act primarily in the interests of other people, and not solely for their own goals. Cultivate generosity within yourself and cultivate it as an integral part of your life. To do this you need to: Be grateful for what you have, Put your people first, Don’t let the desire to possess control you, Treat money as a resource, Develop the habit of giving.

The 10th quality of a leader according to John Maxwell is initiative.

Success is associated with specific actions. Successful people never stop moving. They make mistakes, but they never quit the game. What properties should leaders have in order for certain important events to happen according to their will and desire? Properties of an effective leader: Leaders know what they want, Leaders motivate themselves to action. (Initiative people do not wait for someone else to motivate them. They themselves know that they and only they have the responsibility to force themselves to leave the usual zone comfort.), Leaders are willing to take more risks, Leaders make more mistakes. If you lack initiative, the first step is to realize that the origins of the problem lie within you, and not in those around you.

The 11th quality of a leader according to John Maxwell is the ability to listen.

A good leader encourages followers to tell him what he needs to know, not what he wants to hear. As you consider how to use your time to listen to others, keep in mind that listening to people serves two purposes: to connect with them and to learn. For these reasons, you must keep not only your eyes open, but also your ears when faced with the following people: Your followers, Your clients, Your competitors, Your mentors (No leader is so advanced or experienced that he can afford to do without mentor). Don't limit yourself to just capturing the bare facts. Start listening not only to words, but also to feelings, hidden meanings and undercurrents.

The 12th quality of a leader according to John Maxwell is passion.

Let's look at 4 important points about passion and what it can give you as a leader: Passion is the first step to achievement (Everyone whose life goes beyond the ordinary has some kind of great desire), Passion builds your willpower (If you If you want something badly enough, you can find the willpower to achieve it. The only way to have that kind of truly burning desire is to develop passion within yourself. Passion will change you (If you follow it). If you follow a path that is dictated by passion, and not by any other feelings or considerations, you will likely become a more dedicated and more productive person, and this will lead to an increase in your ability to influence others), Passion makes the impossible possible (People are designed this way). that whenever something ignites their soul, the word “impossible” disappears for them. The fire in the heart elevates literally everything in your life).

The 13th quality of a leader according to John Maxwell is a positive attitude.

A successful person is one who knows how to build a strong foundation from the bricks that are thrown at him. If you truly want to become an effective leader, then you simply need a positive attitude. Not only does it determine your own level of satisfaction as an individual, but it also has a significant impact on the way other people interact with you. To better understand what it means to be positive and how to become one, think about the following things: Your attitude is your own choice, Your attitude determines your actions, Your people are the mirror of your attitude, Maintaining a good attitude is easier than regaining a lost one.

The 14th quality of a leader according to John Maxwell is the ability to solve problems.

No matter what field a leader operates in, he will face challenges. They are inevitable for three reasons. First, we live in a world of ever-increasing complexity and diversity. Secondly, we interact with people, and with very different people. And thirdly, we are not able to control all the situations with which we have to deal. Leaders who are good problem solvers exhibit the following 5 characteristics: They anticipate problems, They accept the truth as it comes, They see the big picture, They get things done in order, They stay focused on the main goal when they find themselves in a downturn.

The 15th quality of a leader according to John Maxwell is learning to get along with people.

The ability to work with people and develop relationships with them is absolutely essential to being an effective leader. People really want to be around people they think highly of and enjoy doing business with. What can a person who is a leader do to strengthen and cultivate good relationships with people: You need to have the head of a leader - to understand people, You need to have the heart of a leader - to love people, You need to extend the hand of a leader to people - to help them.

The 16th quality of a leader according to John Maxwell is the ability to bear responsibility.

Major success requires you to take responsibility... Ultimately, the only quality that is inherent in all successful people is the ability and willingness to take responsibility. Good leaders never adopt a victim mentality. They realize the following: they themselves are responsible for who they are and what place they occupy in life, and not their parents, spouses, children, the government, superiors or co-workers. Characteristics of people who have a sense of responsibility: They know how to get things done, They are always ready to go further than necessary, They are driven forward by the desire for excellence, They achieve results regardless of the situation.

The 17th quality of a leader according to John Maxwell is confidence.

Insecure leaders are dangerous - to themselves, to the followers they lead, and to the organizations they lead, because leadership exacerbates personal shortcomings. Any negative baggage that carries you through life becomes even heavier when you try to lead others. Insecure leaders have several characteristics in common: They do not make others feel confident and secure. They take more from people than give, They constantly limit the capabilities of the best of their people, They constantly limit the capabilities of their organization.

The 18th quality of a leader according to John Maxwell is self-discipline.

Self-discipline holds the power to achieve your goals. Without self-discipline it is impossible to achieve success. A leader will be able to develop the talent within him to the maximum only by having self-discipline. It is this that allows a leader to reach the highest achievements and is the key to long-term leadership. If you want to be one of those leaders whose asset is self-discipline, adhere to the following line of behavior: Set priorities for yourself and never forget about them, Make a disciplined lifestyle your goal, Don’t give in to possible self-justifications, Don’t think about rewards, Until the job is done, Stay focused on results.

The 19th quality of a leader according to John Maxwell is willingness to serve others.

Willingness to serve is not related to social position, position held, or skill level. It is associated with a psychological attitude. You've undoubtedly met people whose job title is supposed to serve others, but their attitude towards this is purely negative - for example, a rude government employee. What does it mean to embody the quality of being willing to serve others? A leader who is truly committed to serving others: Puts others ahead of himself in his list of priorities. Has the self-confidence to serve others. Serves others on his own initiative, Does not focus on his position, Serves for reasons of love.

The 20th quality of a leader according to John Maxwell is the ability to self-learn.

Leaders always face the danger of being satisfied with the results achieved. After all, if a leader already has influence and respect, why should he continue to pursue his own growth? The answer is simple: The degree of your growth determines who you are. Who you are determines who you attract to you; Who you attract determines the measure of your organization's success; If you want your organization to continue to grow, you must maintain the ability to learn. five guiding principles that will definitely help you maintain and develop a mindset of constant readiness to learn: Heal the disease of complacency, Overcome your success, Vow not to walk in straight lines and not to cut corners. Give up your pride (Readiness to learn requires us courage to admit that we don’t know everything, which is why we may not look very beautiful), Never pay twice for the same mistake.

John Maxwell's 21st quality of leadership - Long-term vision

A long-term vision is literally everything for a leader. It is absolutely necessary. Why? Because it leads the leader, colors the goal in bright colors: A long-term vision comes from within, A long-term vision comes from your past, A long-term vision of a leader satisfies the needs of other people, A long-term vision helps you concentrate all your resources.

"Private Correspondent"

Each person has his own prototypes for inheritance, idols, or simply people whose life stories motivate them to act. In world history there are more than one example of biographies of famous people, after reading which you are inspired to do absolutely anything. Often these are people who lived centuries ago, but there are also our contemporaries. For some they are athletes, for others they are politicians, for others they are successful entrepreneurs. But they all have one thing in common - they are leaders. And even today, when the world is changing rapidly, sometimes several centuries after the death of such figures, their ideas continue to remain relevant and contribute to the unity of people. Isn't this the task of a real leader?

Political leaders

Professional politicians and skilled statesmen have given history the largest number of famous leaders. The reason for this is the specificity of the area, where such people quite often decided the fate of the world, and their names were constantly heard. In addition, success in politics requires charisma, grit, and usually excellent public speaking skills.

Winston Spencer Leonard Churchill(1874-1965) - British statesman, political and military figure, Prime Minister of Great Britain in 1940-1945 and 1951-1955. Journalist, writer, scientist. Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. The greatest Briton in history, according to a BBC poll in 2002.

W. Churchill is a man of extraordinary energy and erudition. He worked in many ministries and had direct influence on the development of military action plans during the two world wars. Reading his “The Second World War,” you never cease to be amazed at the detail with which the author describes the diplomatic vicissitudes of the late 30s, and on the next page he gives a full technical description of the magnetic mine. As a leader, Churchill took an active part in everything and was interested in everything that directly or indirectly related to government. He was an excellent speaker - his radio speeches during the war (for example, the famous "It was their best time") attracted huge audiences, instilling optimism and pride in Britain. Many of the British politician’s speeches remain examples of oratory, and some phrases have become catchphrases.

« Success cannot be guaranteed, it can only be earned»

Franklin Delano Roosevelt(1882-1945) - American statesman and politician, 32nd President of the United States, the only president in the history of the country to be elected to the highest public office 4 times in a row. The author of the New Deal economic program, which helped the United States emerge from the Great Depression, as well as one of the consistent inspirers of the idea of ​​​​creating the UN.

F. Roosevelt is an example of a leader capable of uniting a variety of people in difficult times to achieve a common goal. Confined to a wheelchair due to an illness, this politician managed to assemble a team of many specialists and achieved support in Congress for reforms aimed at improving the economy. The Roosevelt administration gave refuge to many Jewish refugees from Germany after the Nazis came to power there. Possessing extraordinary courage, determination and strong character, this figure had a huge influence on international politics in the 30s - the first half of the 40s. XX century.

« Happiness lies in the joy of achieving a goal and the thrill of creative effort»

Nelson Rolilahla Mandela(1918-2013) - 8th president and first black president of South Africa, a famous fighter for human rights and against apartheid. He was convicted for his activities and spent 27 years in prison, from 1962 to 1990. Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 1993, honorary member of more than 50 international universities.

N. Mandela is a great example of transactional leadership. Having devoted his life to the idea of ​​achieving equal rights for the black population of South Africa with whites, he advocated peaceful transformations, but did not hesitate to prove himself right by carrying out acts of sabotage through the efforts of the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC). After winning the presidential election in 1994, N. Mandela appointed his main political opponent from the National Party, F. de Klerk, as first deputy, wanting to complete the settlement process that began in the 90s. Today this politician is one of the most authoritative fighters against HIV-AIDS.

« If you have a dream, nothing will stop you from making it come true as long as you don't give up.»

Margaret Hilda Thatcher(1925-2013) - Prime Minister of Great Britain in 1979-1990. The only woman to hold this position, as well as the first female prime minister of a European state. Author of tough economic measures to improve the economy, called “Tet-cherism”. She received the nickname “Iron Lady” for the tenacity with which she pursued her policy and for her constant criticism of the Soviet leadership.

M. Thatcher's leadership style, which best characterizes her leadership qualities, was close to authoritarian. She is a typical businesswoman: reasonable, logical, cold to emotions, but at the same time having a feminine perspective on the problem. The determination with which the Falklands War was fought marks her out as a confident politician, and the letters she herself signed for the family of each victim mark her as a mother. The conflict with the IRA, casualties, attempts on the lives of the prime minister and her husband, difficult relations with the USSR - this is an incomplete list of what M. Thatcher had to face. How she dealt with these challenges, history will judge. Only one fact is interesting - the Iron Lady was indifferent to feminism, trying with her whole life to show that there is no discrimination, and in order to achieve something it is enough to be better than everyone else.

« If you want something to be said, ask a man about it; if you want something done, ask a woman»

Examples of Business Leaders

Business, unlike politics, this is an area where the word “success” is used in relation to famous people much more often. Everyone wants to be successful, and this partly explains the popularity of books written by famous businessmen. Leaders in the economic sphere are often bold innovators, risk-takers and optimists who can captivate people with their ideas.

John Davison Rockefeller(1839-1937) - American entrepreneur, philanthropist, the first dollar billionaire in human history. Founder of Standard Oil, the University of Chicago, the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research and the Rockefeller Foundation, which was involved in philanthropy, donating huge sums to fight disease and education.

J. Rockefeller was a competent manager. In the early days of his oil company, he refused to pay salaries in cash, rewarding employees with company shares. This made them interested in the success of the business, because everyone’s profit directly depended on the company’s income. There are many not very pleasant rumors about the further stage of his career - the takeover of other companies. But turning to the facts, we can judge J. Rockefeller as a religious leader - since childhood, he transferred 10% of his income to the Baptist church, donated to the development of medicine and Christian communities, and in his interviews he repeatedly emphasized that he cared about the welfare of his compatriots.

« “Your well-being depends on your own decisions.”»

Henry Ford(1863-1947) - American inventor, industrialist, owner and founder of the Ford Motor Company. He was the first to use an industrial conveyor for car production, thanks to which Ford cars were for some time the most affordable on the market. He wrote the book “My Life, My Achievements,” which became the basis for such a political economic phenomenon as “Fordism.”

G. Ford, without a doubt, was one of those people who had the greatest influence on the industrial development of the world in the twentieth century. O. Huxley in his dystopia “Brave New World” connects the beginning of consumer society with the name of Ford, whom the world of the future considers to be God. G. Ford's management decisions were largely revolutionary (an increase in wages almost doubled allowed him to gather the best specialists), which was dissonant with the authoritarian leadership style, which was manifested in the desire to make all decisions himself and completely control the work process, confrontation with trade unions, as well as anti-Semitic worldview. As a result, the company was on the verge of bankruptcy by the end of the industrialist's life.

« Time doesn't like to be wasted»

« Everything can be done better than it has been done so far»

Sergey Mikhailovich Brin(b. 1973) is an American entrepreneur and scholar in the fields of computing, information technology and economics. Developer and co-founder of the Google search engine and Google Inc. A native of the USSR, he now ranks 21st on the list of the richest people on the planet.

In general, leading a modest lifestyle and not being a public figure, S. Brin is known as one of the world's most respected experts in the field of search technologies and IT. Currently managing special projects at Google Inc. S. Brin advocates for the protection of the right to public access to information, freedom and openness on the Internet. He gained particular popularity among the Internet community after speaking out against radical anti-online piracy programs initiated by the US government.

« It doesn't matter whether I'm rich or not, I'm happy because I enjoy what I do. And this is actually the main wealth»

Stephen Paul Jobs(1955-2011) - American entrepreneur, developer and co-founder of Apple, NeXT and the animation company Pixar. Led software development for iMac, iTunes, iPod, iPhone and iPad. According to many journalists, Jobs is the “father of the digital revolution.”

Today, the name Steve Jobs is as successful a marketing symbol as a bitten apple. Biographies of the Apple founder sell millions of copies, thanks to which the company's products also benefit. This, to some extent, is what Jobs is all about: the success of his company and products is a merit not only of quality, but also of a set of actions planned to the smallest detail in marketing, sales, and support service. Many criticized him for his authoritarian management style, aggressive actions towards competitors, and the desire for total control of products even after they were sold to the buyer. But is it not because of this that “Applemania” became a real cultural trend of the early 21st century?

« Innovation distinguishes the leader from the catch-up»

Leadership in culture

Without going into a philosophical debate regarding the influence of mass culture on the civilizational development of mankind, we note the fact that it is the leaders in this area who most often become the subject of adoration and inheritance, understandable and simple, the same as an ordinary member of society. The reason for this is the very mass nature of the concept of pop culture and its accessibility.

Andy Warhole(1928-1987) - American artist, producer, designer, writer, collector, magazine publisher, film director, cult figure in the history of the pop art movement and modern art in general. Warhol is the world's second best-selling artist after Pablo Picasso.

The influence of E. Warhol with his works as a hymn to the era of mass consumption had a huge impact on the development of culture in the 60s. and remain so to this day. Many fashion designers consider his services to the fashion world simply titanic. The artist’s name is strongly associated with such concepts as a bohemian lifestyle and outrageousness. Undoubtedly, even today, Warhol's works do not lose their popularity and remain very expensive, and many cultural figures continue to inherit his style.

« The most beautiful thing in Tokyo is McDonald's. The most beautiful thing in Stockholm is McDonald's. The most beautiful thing in Florence is McDonald's. There is nothing beautiful in Beijing and Moscow yet»

John Winston Lennon(1940-1980) - British rock musician, singer, poet, composer, artist, writer. One of the founders and member of The Beatles. Political activist, preached the ideas of equality and brotherhood of people, peace, freedom. According to a BBC study, he ranks 8th in the ranking of the greatest Britons of all time.

J. Lennon was one of the most famous spiritual leaders and inspiration for the hippie youth movement, an active preacher of the peaceful resolution of any conflicts existing in the world. A large number of young musicians admired his talent and work. Lennon was awarded the Order of the British Empire for his contribution to world culture and social activities. The group’s work, as well as their solo career, had a huge impact on the development of the culture of the twentieth century, and the songs rightly occupy places in the list of the best works ever written.

« Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans.»

Michael Joseph Jackson(1958-2009) - American entertainer, songwriter, dancer, composer, choreographer, philanthropist, entrepreneur. The most successful performer in the history of pop music, winner of 15 Grammy awards and hundreds of others. Listed in the Guinness Book of Records 25 times; About a billion copies of Jackson's albums have been sold worldwide.

M. Jackson is the man who took the music industry and choreographic performances to a whole new level. The number of fans of his talent is measured by millions of people from all over the world. Without exaggeration, this man is one of the most significant personalities of pop culture of our time, who largely determined its development with his life and work.

« You can have the greatest talent in the world, but if you don't prepare and work according to plan, everything will go to waste.»

Sports leaders

Sport- one of the spheres of mass culture. To achieve success in this area, you need to have talent, stand out with physical or mental abilities, but there are often cases when success was achieved by those who persistently pursued the goal through exhausting training and complete dedication. This makes sport a subject of idealization, because it knows most of all examples when a boy from the Brazilian slums or a person from a family of disadvantaged African emigrants reached the top, becoming an idol for millions of the same children around the world.

Edson Arantis do Nascimento(better known as Pele) (born 1940) – Brazilian football player, entrepreneur, football functionary. Participant in four FIFA World Cups, 3 of which Brazil won. The best football player of the 20th century according to the FIFA Football Commission, the best athlete of the 20th century according to the International Olympic Committee. He is one of the 100 most influential people in the world according to Time magazine.

The success story of the football player Pele most closely matches the title description of a boy from the slums. Many of the Brazilian’s achievements remain unique to this day; almost all children who kick a ball in the yard know his name. For admirers of his genius, the example of Pele is not only an example of one of the greatest football players, but also a successful businessman and public figure who turned a childhood hobby into his life’s work.

« Success is not an accident. It's about hard work, perseverance, training, study, sacrifice and most of all, love for what you do or learn to do.»

Michael Jeffrey Jordan(born 1963) is a famous American basketball player and shooting guard. One of the best basketball players in the world at this position. Multiple NBA championship winner, two-time Olympic champion. Today he owns the Charlotte Bobcats bookmaker. Especially for M. Jordan, Nike developed the Air Jordan shoe brand, which is now popular all over the world.

According to research published in an article titled "The Jordan Effect" in Fortune magazine, the economic impact of the brand called "Michael Jordan" was estimated at $8 billion. M. Jordan is a cult figure for basketball, American and world fans of this game. It was he who played a huge role in the popularization of this sport.

« Boundaries, like fears, most often turn out to be just illusions»

Muhammad Ali(Cassius Marcellus Clay) (born 1942) is an American professional heavyweight boxer, one of the most famous and recognizable boxers in the history of world boxing. Sports personality of the century according to the BBC, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, philanthropist, excellent speaker.

One of the most famous boxers of the “golden era of boxing,” Muhammad Ali is an example of how a talented person, even after losing everything, continues to work hard on himself, again reaches the top. His three fights with Joe Frazier are among the best boxing matches of all time and, without a doubt, are known to all fans of this sport. Even after his career ended, Muhammad Ali remained one of the most recognizable athletes of the 20th century; many books, newspaper and magazine articles have been written about him, and more than a dozen films have been made.

« Worrying all the time about past mistakes is the worst mistake»

Military leaders

Today, thanks to the rapid development of technology, including military technology, there is not much room left in history for a military genius. But even a century ago, the fate of individual states and the world as a whole sometimes depended on commanders and military leaders.

Alexander III the Great of Macedon(356-323 BC) - Macedonian king from 336 BC. e. from the Argead dynasty, commander, creator of a world power. He studied philosophy, politics, ethics, literature from Aristotle. Already in antiquity, Alexander gained the reputation of one of the greatest commanders in history.

Alexander the Great, whose military and diplomatic talents are beyond doubt, was a born leader. It was not for nothing that the young ruler gained love among his soldiers and respect among his enemies at such a young age (he died at 32): he always kept himself simple, rejected luxury and preferred to endure the same inconveniences in numerous campaigns as his troops, did not attack at night, was honest in negotiations. These features are a composite image of the characters from books and films that we all loved in childhood, heroes idealized in world culture.

« I owe it to Philip that I live, and to Aristotle that I live with dignity.»

Napoleon I Bonaparte(1769-1821) - Emperor of France in 1804-1815, great commander and statesman, military theorist, thinker. He was the first to separate artillery into a separate branch of the military and began to use artillery preparation.

Individual battles won by Napoleon were included in military textbooks as examples of the art of warfare. The emperor was far ahead of his contemporaries in his views on tactics and strategy of war, and government. His life itself is evidence of how one can develop a leader within oneself by making this a life goal. Not being of high origin, not standing out among his peers at military school for special talents, Napoleon became one of the few cult personalities in world history thanks to constant self-development, unprecedented hard work and extraordinary thinking.

« A leader is a merchant of hope»

Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov(1802-1855) – Russian naval commander, admiral. He circumnavigated the world in the team of M. P. Lazarev. Defeated the Turkish fleet in the Battle of Sinop during the Crimean War. Recipient of many awards and orders.

The leadership qualities and skills of P. S. Nakhimov were most fully demonstrated during his leadership of the defense of Sevastopol. He personally toured the front lines, thanks to which he had the greatest moral influence on the soldiers and sailors, as well as the civilian population mobilized to defend the city. The leadership's talent, multiplied by his energy and ability to find an approach to everyone, made Nakhimov a “father-benefactor” for his subordinates.

« Of the three ways to influence subordinates: rewards, fear and example - the last is the surest»

Reviews, comments and suggestions

The above list of outstanding leaders from various fields is only a small part of the material in this direction. You can express your opinion or write about a person who is an example for you using the form below.

Depending on the mentality, field of activity and characteristics of the community of people, the leadership traits in demand may differ. What qualities does a true leader have in the universal sense, regardless of whether he is endowed with formal authority as a leader or has informal authority in a group or team?

Leader and Leadership

What is leadership? A leader is a person who, thanks to his authority, the community gives the right to decide basic issues for everyone. Leadership is a set of qualities that allow one to gain this authority, a way of organizing influence.

From the time of Plato to the 19th century. it was believed that only individual and innate personality traits allow one to become a real leader. For example, Charles Darwin's cousin, Francis Galton, believed that leadership is an inherited talent.

Later, theories were put forward that it is quite possible to educate a leader, but only if one has the ability. The modern approach takes into account individual properties to a lesser extent, shifting the main emphasis to behavioral strategy. Now he is a person with the ability to inspire action.

How to identify leadership potential? The potential of a true leader is determined by:

1. Innate individual traits.
2. Purchased. Thanks to upbringing, training, self-education, experience.
3. Psychological attitude (vocation). Feelings, beliefs, ideas, self-images.

Being a leader is not a position, but a character.

Traits of a True Leader

The innate qualities of the owner themselves do not automatically make them a leader, but they help them become. The acquired qualities can turn you into an effective leader. But, without some individual qualities, it is difficult to become a real leader that people will voluntarily follow.

1. Character. Determined in relation to oneself and people, to things and activities. The character trait that immediately reveals a leader is will. The ability to consciously form a goal and concentrate on it. Self-regulate your own activity to achieve results. Basic volitional qualities:

• Determination. A leader sees the main thing and does not lose it in many problems and trifles. The ability to concentrate on the expected result is also the ability to plan the path to achievement, as if watching a movie from the end. John Maxwell, who has written dozens of books on motivation, calls this property long-term vision.
• Self-control and courage. A leader's behavior depends on his decisions, not his circumstances.
• Independence, determination, perseverance. Ability to make decisions. Take full responsibility and complete what you start, regardless of failures.
• Proactivity, initiative, curiosity. Be in the center of things and one step ahead of everyone else.
• Performance. Oddly enough, diligence is also a trait of a true leader. After all, in order for the decisions made to lead to the achievement of the goal, it is necessary to work on them diligently and systematically.

1. Charisma. Exclusivity and personal appeal, inspiring unconditional faith in others in the capabilities of the owner.

1. The desire to manage people, expressed in organizational skills:

• Ability to quickly find a solution to a problem.
• . The ability to express oneself correctly and accurately.
• A true leader will easily create a team. Can select the necessary personnel, find application for their abilities in the context of the assigned tasks, understands the psychology of people. Reveals their talents.
• Ability to organize. Give instructions and commands or otherwise influence others. Including manipulating them.
• Able to bear responsibility for the actions of subordinates.

1. Emotional competence. The ability to create an emotional microclimate in a community or team that is most suitable for quickly achieving your goals. Atmosphere is achieved through persuasion, suggestion or contagion. This is helped by:

• Faith and passion.
• Positive attitudes.
• Energy.
• Listening skills.
• Fairness and rigor.
• Ability to punish and reward.
• Flexibility of behavior.
• Generosity.
• Sense of humor.
• Eloquence. The gift of persuasion.
• The ability to appreciate people.

1. Competence. It is not necessary to have the highest IQ, but to be effective and successful, you need to have some experience in troubleshooting problems and finding solutions.
2. Willingness to take risks. Inextricably, the ability to think analytically.
3. Reliability and consistency.
4. Knowing yourself, your strengths and weaknesses. And the ability to work on shortcomings and organically replace them with advantages.
5. Ability for self-learning and self-education. The desire to develop, not to stop developing. Striving for ideal.

A leader and a manager are not the same thing. The leader is endowed with formal, official power, and the leader is endowed with the ability of psychological influence. Ideally, these two roles coincide.

You can try to cultivate real leadership traits in yourself, because it is not for nothing that the view is widespread that leaders are made, not born.

How to awaken the leader within you?

There are situations in life when latent (hidden) leadership qualities are activated in an ordinary person in a dangerous or tense situation. He takes responsibility and solves some vital issue. Such cases suggest that anyone can become a leader under certain conditions.

How to create the necessary atmosphere for awakening your leadership potential?

1. Develop abilities to.

• In order to evaluate yourself, keep a notebook in which you write down your own positive and negative qualities, in your opinion and the words of your loved ones. Learn not to react painfully to criticism. Learn to logically refute every critical remark. Develop self-confidence. But don't confuse it with selfishness.
• Make it a habit to make a plan for the next day. Every evening, describe what you managed to do. Celebrate your successes. Such a “diary” will allow you to identify your weaknesses and outline the path to eradicate them.

1. Develop leadership behavior in the team and family.

• Start small: organize interesting and active leisure time. Offer the best, in your opinion, solutions to problems at work. The main thing for a leader is to organize people.
• Communicate more. Develop your communication skills at every opportunity. Know how to listen and hear others, and then draw your own conclusions.
• Accept people for who they are. This will help to find the best use of their qualities. A true leader is not one who asks the question: “How can the team help me achieve my goal?” He asks himself, “How can I help them achieve our goal?”
• Mentally play out dialogues to motivate fictitious interlocutors.
• Practice self-control.

1. Learn to take initiative and responsibility.

• Fear of criticism and failure is natural. But developing the ability to deal constructively with mistakes helps you grow. Be optimistic about failure. Fight the fear of failure.
• Without patience and perseverance, success is impossible. Learn to concentrate.
• A true leader chooses his own job: one that he likes or develops.
• not only to others, but also to yourself. Train your will by giving up.
• Show concern for others, but do not live with other people's problems.
• Try not to accept imposed roles. Be yourself.

1. Set goals, make plans. Go towards achieving results. From less to more.

• Set goals that are beyond your capabilities. They should not be vague, but only crisp and clear. Don't set unrealistic deadlines for implementation. Learn patience and perseverance.
• Learn to plan. First write down the day, then the week.
• “Laziness” and “leadership” are incompatible concepts. Be active. Make every effort to achieve the desired result.
• Read more, find out. After all, to own the World is to own information.
• Perform your duties as responsibly as possible.
• Record your achievements.

Malcolm Gladwell, in his book Geniuses and Outsiders, notes that passivity is often a quality of people from poorer classes who are reluctant to take the initiative for fear of vulnerability and self-doubt. How to awaken the leader within you? Squeeze “a slave out of yourself drop by drop,” as Chekhov said.

External manifestations of leadership qualities

A dominant person in a community is not always active. But it is quite easy to identify it by external manifestations of leadership qualities:

• They dress well. They take care of their appearance, but without extravagance in their appearance. They have their own style.
• They surround themselves with people.
• They look straight into the eyes and shake hands confidently.
• Direct the conversation when communicating.
• They always listen to the speaker to the end and do not rush to answer.
• Quite polite and tactful.
• In the classroom they are placed at some distance from everyone in order to have an overview and not allow strangers into their personal space. But they don't hide behind their backs.
• Characterized by a confident gait with swinging arms.
• They themselves volunteer to perform duties from which the majority remain silent.
• They immediately grasp the essence of the problem.

It is very important to consider the implicit leader in the team in order to direct his activities for the benefit of the entire organization.

Woman leader

It is difficult for the weaker sex to dominate, especially in a male team. What special qualities of a real leader, besides the basic ones, should women cultivate in themselves in order to achieve success?

• Control your emotionality. Social intelligence helps a woman feel relationships in a team, but emotions should not control reason.
• Learn to build long-term perspectives.
• Formulate thoughts clearly and specifically.
• For a woman leader, an authoritarian management style is not always effective. It is best to use democratic.
• Be prepared to take risks. Women's intuition is great for this.
• Take criticism adequately.
• Don't be afraid to use charm to win yourself over. But always separate work and relationships.

Leadership allows you to develop personally and experience the fullness of life. But only if you realize the uniqueness of your qualities. Simply adopting behavior and imitating qualities in order to feel elevated above others is unlikely to help you become a real leader.

You need to be yourself, find your talent, abilities, energy and devote all your time and energy to it. After all, being a leader is not only a reward, but also a heavy burden.

A leader is a person of any group, organization, team who has recognized authority and has influence, which manifests itself in the form of control actions. It is in every group or community of people. The qualities of a leader are not only innate, they can also be formed and developed, and we will consider this in our article below.

Key Leadership Traits

Society changes - leaders change. Each of the human groups requires special qualities from the leader. Some character traits are needed by the captain of a football team, others by the captain of a ship. But you can also find common leadership qualities. These character traits that are in demand in our society are:

• honesty;
• openness to new knowledge and willingness to change;
• imagination;
• self-confidence;
• sense of humor;
• enthusiasm;
• rationality and rigidity;
• readiness for change;
• the ability to see and hold a target;
• the ability to quickly find the necessary means to achieve a goal;
• interesting appearance and charisma.

Developing leadership skills is a daily endeavor and will require all of your strength.

What does a leader look like?

Who is a leader externally? Look - a successful person is always noticeable. If you are determined to develop leadership skills, work on your appearance. Charisma is a set of external characteristics of a person as a leader that attracts people. You must have:

• good stylish clothes;
• neat hairstyle and well-groomed appearance;
• clean shoes;
• stylish accessories – briefcase, watch, diary, gadgets.

Decide what kind of leader you are or what kind of leader you want to become

• formal and informal. This is a familiar situation to everyone - the formal leader is the official head of the company, but the informal one sets the tone;
• leader - an inspirer who generates ideas and organizes a group around it, or a leading performer who knows how to best complete a task;
• business - the organizer and inspirer of the production process, who knows how to correctly distribute work tasks;
• emotional – the heart of the group, evoking sympathy and trust;
• situational - manifesting itself at a critical moment and taking leadership to solve a specific problem;
• a universal leader who combines all these qualities.

Try to become one of these leaders, use your innate characteristics. Decide what you do best - organize work, generate ideas, or masterfully conduct business meetings. Achieve perfection in this and climb one more step up on the path to your goal.

Leadership qualities, such as the ability to motivate people, allow group members to reveal their potential and push them to do more than they could before. His energy allows you to unlock the hidden resources of others - the personal properties of a person, the hidden capabilities of a group or company. A leader is a beacon that marks the path for others and is followed voluntarily.

What needs to be done to develop leadership qualities

What qualities should a leader have in order to lead others?

A leader is someone who can identify and keep in mind the ultimate goal, retains the ability to lead a group towards it even under the most unfavorable conditions, and infects others with his faith, energy and passion to achieve it.

Whether a person is born this way or whether the necessary leadership qualities develop throughout life is a question open to debate. But their formation with focused work and perseverance is possible. This is constant work, the work on oneself of a person who is ready to be responsible for others.

• Vision of the goal

Define your goal, know clearly where to go and what you want to get at the end of the journey. Be able to build a strategy to achieve your desired goal. To develop this trait in yourself, you need to study the biographies of historical leaders and successful people of our time, get acquainted with classical literature on business building strategy, and observe those who have clearly expressed these qualities.

Plan your every day, analyze in the evening the effectiveness and correctness of your actions. Gradually lengthen the planning period.

• Ability to make decisions quickly and accurately

Don't be afraid to make difficult and responsible decisions. To learn how to make decisions, start where the mistake will not be critical and will not violate your confidence in your abilities. Even if it is wrong, this is an excellent reason to learn a lesson about how not to do it. Learn to defend your point of view while being confident that your decisions are right.

• Ability to take risks

Don’t be afraid to act in undefined situations; be prepared for the fact that a good result may be unattainable. Be adventurous and ready to take risks. To correctly evaluate a decision, learn to weigh the situation, clearly identifying the pros and cons of all possible scenarios on a five-point scale.

Then you should evaluate your options, recognizing that all decisions are imperfect and you can lose. But every mistake is always an opportunity to learn something new.

• Ability to inspire team members

A leader is able to create a team with which it is much easier to achieve goals. It unites people to achieve it and is able to motivate them to work at a level that was previously unattainable for them.

To learn this quality, learn to manipulate people, study the motives that move them. To do this, learn to listen to a person. Listening and hearing are two different things. When talking, you need to fully concentrate on the interlocutor, let him understand that you are listening to him: with gestures, a smile, nods. If necessary, write it down. Learn to initiate discussions among team members, critically evaluate all points of view and extract sound grain from them. Such attention to everyone will unite the team.

• Active work on yourself

Be honest with yourself and others in assessing the negative and positive aspects of yourself, be prepared to change if necessary, because there is no limit to perfection.

Learn consistency, be able to restrain fits of rage and outbursts of hysteria - by doing this, set an example for team members. Be prepared for criticism. To do this, don’t be afraid to ask what you can improve in your leadership style, keep a diary - it helps you critically evaluate your actions. Provide feedback to team members to help correct behavior.

• Don't try to please everyone

Remember that there are no ideas that suit everyone. Don't try to please. Developing leadership skills is about not being afraid of constructive criticism and being afraid of unfair praise - it slows down progress. You should learn to find the positive sides of events.

• Improve your health

Working on yourself is hard work. Excellent physical fitness and health are also leadership qualities. To stand out in the crowd:

1. dedicate at least an hour a day to exercise and sports. Daily physical activity should become a necessity;
2. get enough sleep - a person who sleeps four hours a day loses clarity of thinking and speed of reaction. Following a daily routine with mandatory good sleep will help you maintain an attractive appearance;
3. eat regularly - haggard appearance, bags under the eyes do not decorate the leader;
4. consult a nutritionist and choose the right diet for you. This will ensure high performance;
5. a mandatory day off, at least once a week should become the norm.

Violation of the diet and diet will immediately affect your appearance and health. Constant fatigue syndrome is a daily companion for violators of these rules.

How to speak, move and listen correctly

Appearance is only a component of a leader's characteristics. The development of true leadership qualities is complemented by:

• good manners;
• clear, competent speech;
• restrained gestures;
• good posture and ability to move;
• confidence.

Learn proper manners - published a large number of business literature of this kind. Observe the leaders and their behavior. You also need to learn to speak correctly. For this:

To learn how to move well, enroll in a dance school. This will help combine physical activity, emotional relaxation and learning the correct movements. Communication in a new team is the development of communication skills as leadership qualities.

There are people who are born leaders, but do not realize their potential. But there are also those who are capable of becoming one, having developed the necessary leadership qualities. Developing a leader is hard work. But without it you cannot talk about achieving success in life.