Leadership is a difficult quality to put a definition to. Is it charisma, confidence, intelligence, or a willingness to take on responsibility? It’s all of those, I’m sure but I think it goes much deeper than that. I’ve known many people that had all of those traits and still weren’t good leaders.
Leaders have an inherent sense of right and wrong. Their moral compass is always pointed in the right direction no matter what the circumstances. They know that their ability to lead successfully depends entirely on the team they are leading and they must treat those people with respect and loyalty. They recognize when there is a wrong and they make it right but if there is no wrong, they will stand their ground and fight for what they believe in.
They say that integrity is doing the right thing when no one is looking and I believe that, but true leaders understand that someone is always looking, even if it’s just themselves. They understand that everything they say and do is magnified, scrutinized and emulated by their team. If not today, then tomorrow or the day after but their actions will always be remembered. One slip up of emotion over value and it’s like starting again from scratch. A leader knows if they do “slip” they have to openly recognize it, say that it was wrong and that they will do everything in their power to not let it happen again.
It helps to have the charisma and confidence but without integrity, it won’t matter if you own a business, manage a division or are the captain of the high school football team, no one will follow you for very long.
