How To Be A Leader, Redux

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/happiness-in-world/201304/how-be-leader-redux

An excerpts (Extract) from an article by Mr. Alex Lickerman, M.D.

Alex Lickerman, M.D., is a general internist and former Director of Primary Care at the University of Chicago and has been a practicing Buddhist since 1989.

How To Be A Leader, Redux

In my view, then, to be a great leader you must:

1. Be confident. Requiring an entire post unto itself, suffice it to say for the purpose of this post that a world of difference exists between saying, "I don't know" nervously and uncertainly and saying "I don't know" confidently. To say "I don't know" nervously and uncertainly communicates incompetence. To say "I don't know" confidently not only communicates competence but also that it's perfectly acceptable that you don't know the answer to the specific question you were asked. I listen to medical students say "I don't know" all the time. The ones who say it confidently do tend to be more competent than those who say it nervously and uncertainly. Not knowing something doesn't make you a bad leader. Allowing that lack of knowledge to sap your confidence, or worse, not having confidence in the first place, does.
2. Be kind but firm. Being a leader means having to set boundaries, but boundaries can be set angrily and condescendingly or gently and compassionately. Do it gently and compassionately and people will not only respect the boundaries you set but you as well.
3. Be an expert. However long it takes, whatever you have to do, know what you're talking about. Don't ever try to fake content knowledge. If you don't know what you need to know, find it out.
4. Be decisive. A great leader listens to a diversity of opinions, asks probing questions, debates issues, challenges positions---but when the time to discuss and debate is over, makes a decision and moves on.
5. Be willing to have people disagree with you. If you're setting appropriate boundaries and taking strong positions, some people may not only disagree with you but actively dislike you. But that's more about them than it is about you. Don't take it personally.
6. Know when to spend time building a consensus and when to make an executive decision. Sometimes everyone (or almost everyone) involved needs to agree before progress can be made. Other times waiting for a consensus risks failure. Learn to recognize when it's time to take over.
7. Have a vision. A vision that excites the people who follow you, that inspires them in such a way that they perform (or want to perform) at a level they didn't know they could.
8. Care about the people you lead. Genuine concern is always perceived and appreciated---and far more motivating than any punitive measure could ever be.
9. Mentor people. Great leaders always have people who want to learn from them. Someone is always watching you, whether you realize it or not. If you're ever unsure about what decision to make, think about what each of your choices will teach the people around you. Try to pick the choice that demonstrates the greatest virtue.
10. Fully visualize every repercussion of each of your decisions in advance. Plans often fail because of unforeseen consequences. Follow the predicted results of your decisions into every nook and cranny and take a 360 degree look around in your mind. The more concretely you can do this, the more likely you'll be able to predict results no one else can.