Are you an aspiring leader? I want you to think twice, because being a leader is the hardest job one would ever do. If you’re going to be a leader, you must possess the following traits:

1. Dreamer

A leader is a visionary. A true mark of a leader must be a dreamer, and that trait would be used as a tool to lead your people. As a leader, it is your job to articulate the vision that you have to your people, and it is also your job to get them enticed, to get them to believe in the vision that you are trying to make them see. And a vision would only be done, with it being properly shared to its people.

2. Resilient

Problems are everywhere! So, as a leader, you should be resilient even though loads of opposition come your way. Having the responsibility of being a leader takes so much of your time and energy that if you don’t have the courage and the resilience, you would give up easily. Resilience is the key to any problem that you are facing as a leader, and it’s not in giving up.

3. Positive

You can’t just be a resilient leader, and not be a positive one. It goes hand and hand. If you’re going to be resilient, that comes with being a positive person. You should not be the first one to think negative just because a certain client backed out; you should not be the first one to think negative just because your favourite employee resigned from you company. Think of positive breakthroughs coming your way, because they’re really on the way!

4. Open minded

A leader should possess a trait called receptiveness. If you’re a close minded person, don’t aspire to become a leader, because a true leader knows the importance of innovation, and you can’t be innovative if you’re not open to new ideas, new technologies, new techniques, and more. You’re the boss, yes, but keep your mind always open to new possibilities; it’ll help your business and you as a leader anyway.

5. Empathy 

You are managing people, not objects. You have to show your employees your care, and this is a rule not only to your favourite employee, but to all of them. It’s not enough to use objectiveness to all of your decision making process, you should also use empathy too especially when your employee is experiencing a certain kind of problem, a loss, a family problem, etc. You should learn how to be considerate from time to time.

6. Always find solutions

If you’re going to cry over a problem or mull over that problem, and not waste time ruminating about it and not doing anything about it, then that’s not a true mark of a leader. A leader doesn’t waste his or her own time thinking about the problem, but he or she spends time thinking about the solution that could be done. If you’re going to be a leader, you have to have the attitude of discretion. Now, what do I mean by this? You have to choose what type of problem would you expend your energy with, your energy is too important and precious, so you need not to waste time on petty little things that doesn’t matter. If you encountered a problem, find a solution, yes, that is the next step. Solution oriented is a must if you’re going to be a leader!

7. Coaching

A great leader knows the art of coaching; a leader of some kind of corporation would not exist without its people. So, it’s important for a leader to coach his/her people. When you are coaching, you developing something in your employees that they can’t learn from anybody else, you are teaching them to become a better version of themselves, you are teaching them how to respond professionally, you are coaching them on how to be a good employee, to excel, etc. If you want to be a leader, don’t forget to incorporate this trait, because the secret to your success is not based on your own strength and talents, but it is in the people that you handle.