Welcome to my blog on leadership and management. This blog is for people who are new to the position of manager or those who aspire to be there. 

So what type of leader are you or do you want to be? Here are some qualities that I think might help. Happy reading and please feel free to make any comments or get in touch.

Absolute Bravery
How self aware are you and how much confidence do you have? As a leader you need to be able to show that you know yourself and what you are capable of. Even if you may not be feeling particularly brave about doing a particular task don't show that to the group you are leading. They will soon lose confidence in you or respect for you. If you do need to talk to someone about your fears to do with a particular task ahead make sure it is to someone at the same level as you or higher. If there is no one higher than you talk to a strategist or a leadership coach. Show fear and you won't be a leader for long.

Be in control of yourself
There are times when we just want to scream when a task or project isn't going our way. One suggestion would be to go into a room or a large open space by yourself and just scream at the top of your lungs. Or you could leave the situation, count to ten then go back and face what you need to face. Believe me, if you panic infront of your staff they will laugh behind your back or even in front of your face or even worse disrespect you. Think about the image you want to portray of yourself to your team. Do you want to set an example by being cool under pressure, where people may want to be like you, or do you think that by showing how you really feel will get you the sympathy you think you deserve?

Stick to your decisions
If you want to lead successfully be sure of yourself. If you are unsure about making a decision about something then consult with people at the same level as you or higher then make your decision. Don't wobble or waver otherwise it will show that you're unsure of yourself. If you are leading a team and you all have to decide on what is happening when, where and why, the last word or the decision ends with you. The stuff stops at the top so stick with it.

Planning is important
I cannot stress this enough. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. If you have a project to do take the brief, read it, study it then plan how you are going to execute it. Think about who you need, what resources you need, and when you need to complete it. Some people reckon they have the plans in their heads but what would happen if you are leading a project that needs to be completed by next week and you get hit by a car? How will the task get completed? Write it down and share it with whoever you need to share it with. Getting by on a wing and a prayer is like going up Thames without a paddle. You'll soon hit a bank and not one of they monetary kind.

A personality check 
What type of a personalty do you have? Positive, negative, sloppy? If you look at the leaders in the world, particularly those who are in business (Mr Branson is my favourite example), they have a particular type of personality where they show that they love leading and love doing what they do. And, yes, they do it well. They have a pleasing personality, where people are happy to work for them. There are also those who surround themselves with people who are like themselves in order to create success. People who are positive about what they do can successfully lead people.

Have understanding
If you want to lead successfully it helps to be able to relate to people in order for them to relate to you. If the team you lead feel that you understand them and any problems they may have you are more likely to get the best out of them.

Accepting total responsibility 
If you are going to lead and be good at it you need to take full responsibility for mistakes even if it is from someone in your team. Trying to shift the blame can lead to carnage. You will be found out and bang goes your leadership position. If someone in your team makes a mistake you have to look at what happened and work with them to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Collaboration
To triumph in leading a group of people you need to encourage collaborative working. There is a saying that goes "It takes a family or village to raise a child", so if you want success every one in the team needs to be involved in the process. The team also needs to be encouraged to collaborate with each other. No man is an island.

If you would like more information please feel free to visit my website Impact Coaching & Consultancy

Look out for the next blog on: What makes a successful leader?