Leadership means directing. Leadership is the ability of management to induce subordinates to work with confidence.

A leader is a man or woman who inspires people with a vision of what is to be done. He or she is instrumental in guiding the efforts of others in order to achieve individual, organizational or societal objectives.

Still, one wonders what a leader does. But, like I just said the leader guides, directs, proceeds. He gets others to act in the manner he desires- he may use persuasion, rewards, influence, power or threats/force.

All leaders need are followers- people who are willing to accept directions and help define the leader’s status. It involves authority and responsibility, in terms of deciding the way ahead and being held responsible for the success or failure or achieving the agreed objectives.

In leadership, I would say there are some desirable qualities that need to be reflected on the faces of leaders because many count and look up to them for answers.

a) Charisma: This is the special quality that gives one his or her influence, charm or inspiration over large numbers of people. With charisma, no one can easily lay doubts about you decisions.

b) Effective communication: Excellent written, verbal and non-verbal skills are necessary for a leader to enhance while dealing with his or her people.

c) Listening skills: Even though a so-called leader is very brilliant in making decisions or setting standards for his or her followers, he or she must be a good listener. Listening is very important especially when it comes to the diverse problems people face.

d) Decisiveness or intelligence with analytical ability: At times a leader finds himself or herself in a fix where there is pressure coming from both sides, both from the people being led who may think that you are either using "their” money for your own interests or you are not sharp enough to air out their problems to the bosses.

That is why a leader has to be decisive in everything including "small” things like signing documents. (You may sign for cash when you are unaware and the next thing you know, charges are pressed against you for corruption).

e) Integrity: Leaders have to be honest and upright at all times. This does not start when you have already become one, it starts before. Way back in nursery school.

f) Enthusiasm: Friendliness and affection must be shown to all people not minding at all of the different classes of people.

g) Dependable and Responsible: Your people have to able to depend on you for their calls. Keeping time for everything that has to be taken care of is good for your organizational skills. Thus, there will be time to build up the community effectively in all aspects and everyone will be able to count on you for anything.

h) Risk-taker: They say a good leader has to be willing to take risks, otherwise, he or she might end up in the lines, "I wish I did this” or "Why didn’t I allow this?”

i) Ability to adapt quickly to change: Just like the weather varies or the climate with time, ability of a leader has to easily adapt the new changes that come by so as for it to be easy for the people he or she leads.

j) Sensitive to people’s needs: People’s needs at times can be hard to solve or may take some time before they taken care of, but a good leader has to be able to deal with them depending on their sensitivity. In order not to hold any grudges that come along with embarrassment.

If you are aspiring to be one, why not be one? You already got the points!

 Email: benjis07@yahoo.co.uk