Many people are OK with being followers. And while there are some who don’t mind being leaders, and in fact might actually embrace the role, being a leader takes more than just standing in front of people and telling them where to go and how to do something.

At the heart of having leadership, there is the ability to influence, persuade and convince people. A leader is nothing if he or she is not leading, because the followers don’t buy into what he or she is doing. Part of being a leader is not only telling the follower the what they are doing, but the why they are doing it, and making that reasoning compelling.

[Image courtesy of Flickr user Lucky Lynda via a Creative Commons license]

[Image courtesy of Flickr user Lucky Lynda via a Creative Commons license]

Kevin Coughlin wrote an article in a recent issue of Professional Safety magazine about leadership in an organization, and listed the 12 personality factors that go into a good leader. What makes this vital is if you are running a division or an entire company and you are looking for leaders, not just people with seniority to fill “leadership” positions that have a corner office, consider which of your staffers have some or all of these 12 factors:

  1. Motivational. To do this, a person knows that different people are inspired to action by different things. You can’t just yell or give rousing speeches to get everyone to act. Motivations can come from money, time, power or fear, or some combination thereof. A good leader can know quickly what will get one person motivated and the something different will spur a different person to action.
  2. Tolerant. A good leader has his or her views and stands by them, but understands and respects differing views and has open dialogue to communicate the differences effectively so all may understand.
  3. Trusting. This is not only being a person that others can trust, but also as a leader having the ability to trust those who are to follow you.
  4. Purposeful. A leader truly understands why the business exists, why his or her role exists in the company and knows what is driving him or her every day to achieve. The good leader also is able to share those ideas in an effective way to other workers so they are all on the same page and thus working for the same goal.
  5. Visionary. A leader can see the horizon and knows what he or she wants for the future of the company. The leader can then share this vision with others, and will be able to see where trouble may arise – namely, with those with whom the leader does not share the vision or those who do not understand the vision.
  6. Right attitude. A company or organization feeds off the attitude of its leaders, whether positive or negative. The right attitude for that culture or organization from a leader will generate the right following. But a hint is that a positive attitude tends to bring about the best response.
  7. Observant. Being aware of the environment, the workers and even self-awareness of the various identities (including the company’s as a whole) and understanding those – which is what makes them all tick – is the key to good leadership.
  8. Determined. Having perseverance in coming to work every day even if something doesn’t go right or flat-out fails. A good leader never gives up, and always looks for a new way of doing things, a new motivation to go to work and lead.
  9. Self-belief. Faith is hopeful, but if a leader believes that he will succeed, that tends to give a level of constancy and firmness, and that confidence can rub off on the followers who not only believe in the leader, but also believe in themselves to follow the leader and be successful in reaching potential.
  10. Inspired. A good leader knows he or she doesn’t have all the brilliant answers. He or she is willing to look in other organizations or in other industries for ideas that have worked to find inspiration that can move the company along or take a different track if the previous one didn’t work.
  11. Principled. A good leader stands on a foundation and doesn’t let others’ reactions, emotions or opinions affect what the leader knows or believes to be right. What a leader believes is right isn’t always going to be popular; a good leader would rather be respected for principle than liked for being malleable.
  12. Patient. This is “sticktuitiveness.” A good leader understands that success doesn’t happen right away, nd that he or she will stay with an idea or a concept through to the end, even if and when there are obstacles and delays that impede progress. A good leader knows that something will be successful based on the size of the obstacles in the way. The leader faces those obstacles and clears them, bringing the workers along and clearing the path for them to ensure the success comes, no matter how long it takes.

Keeping these qualities in mind, you will surely find a real leader – who nowadays is called a “disrupter.” And what culture or organization can’t use a little shake-up every so often?