Leadership as a subject: 10 Characteristics of a true leader

1. Leadership:
a Subject
Ten Mistakes That Every Leader Makes
Loeb M, Kindel S. Leadership For Dummies. For Dummies; 1999.

2. Ten Characteristics of a True Leader
• Eagerness
• Cheerfulness
• Honesty
• Resourcefulness
• Persuasiveness
• Cooperation
• Altruism
• Courage
• Supportiveness
• Assertiveness

3. Ten Characteristics of a True Leader

4. Leaders are Eager
• Embrace responsibility
• Look at every situation like an opportunity
• Willingly take on the dirty work and the
unpleasant tasks

5. Leaders Are Cheerful
• Leaders inspire those they lead
• Maintain a bright outlook no matter what
• Help others face up to the realities of their situation
and make light of the realities no matter how difficult
they might be
• A leader who stays cheerful in the face of adversity
disarms their opponent

6. Leaders are Honest
• Communicate directly and honestly
• Don’t sugar-coat
• Keep people grounded in reality without being
blunt or unduly harsh
• Directness and honesty keep teams and tasks
on track

7. Leaders Are Resourceful
• A good leader makes use of all of the
available resources
• When resources are inadequate, rework the
plan to do what you can with what you have

8. Leaders Are Persuasive
• People need to believe that following you is in
their best interest
• Make people want to go where you want to go
and where you think they need to go
• Physical presence and preparation are key
– Walk straight & tall
– Lean in when talking
– Use silence strategically
– Talk like you’ve won the argument already

9. Leaders Are Cooperative
• Good leaders share information and cooperate
with people
• Being cooperative rather than confrontational
allows you to operate from a position of strength
• What you have to offer people is your bargaining
chip that you can use to make them happy and
more likely to cooperate with you

10. Leaders Are Altruistic
• Place the needs of others above their own
• Willing to sacrifice for a higher cause
• Altruism is a great motivator as it makes
people feel good if they’re working for a
higher cause
• A good leader builds altruistic motives into
each component of a plan

11. Leaders Are Courageous
• You have to be brave to be a leader
• Leading means going into uncharted areas
• Leaders move forward even when scared or
uncertain

12. Leaders Are Supportive
• Leaders are expected to be a tower of strength and
lend emotional, intellectual & physical support to
their team
• Leaders can make their teams into support systems
where everyone lends a hand to everyone else
• Lending support can include stepping outside the
team to support causes the team may want to take on

13. Leaders Are Assertive
• Good leaders nail down their convictions and
stand up for what they believe in
• When a problem is solvable, solve it
• Once people and resources are in place, then act

14. Recap- Ten Characteristics of a True Leader
• Eagerness
• Cheerfulness
• Honesty
• Resourcefulness
• Persuasiveness
• Cooperation
• Altruism
• Courage
• Supportiveness
• Assertiveness

15. Leadership:
a Subject
Ten Mistakes That Every Leader Makes
Loeb M, Kindel S. Leadership For Dummies. For Dummies; 1999.