KNOW YOUR WORTH
Staff Writer editors@ccgmag.com
Three Qualities That All Great Leaders Possess Any great CEO will tell you that leadership is about more than just talent. After all, just being skilled and knowledgeable about your industry doesn’t mean that you have what it takes to lead a team to success. No, to be a great leader, individuals must possess a few other traits. They must have a vision and be able to inspire those around them to pursue that vision. They also need to have a strong set of core values to guide them when the road ahead feels unclear. So, if you’re hoping to climb the ranks of your industry, you’ll need a fair amount of technical know-how. And you’ll have to be savvy to the inner workings of your organization and industry. But if you want to be a truly effective leader, there are a few more traits you’ll have to possess.
The best leaders are people who others enjoy being around. When we enjoy working with someone, we’re far more likely to trust their instincts and follow their lead.
Integrity Good leaders have a solid moral compass. They know what’s right, what’s wrong, and where the lines are that they’re unwilling to cross. They use their values to motivate and inspire the people around them. It’s this sense of integrity that allows great leaders to garner respect from their co-workers.
“When people see that you’re genuine and that you have values, you’re going to get more out of them,” says Brenda JohnsonTurner, director of real estate for the U.S Army Corps of Engineers, “They might not even be your best friend, but they’ll respect the fact that you care.”
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And as she points out, it’s important to have people in your corner if you want to accomplish your goals as a leader. “I have a plaque on the wall of my office that says, ‘People First,’” she says. “The mission is important, but you need people to deliver that mission. Without them, you’ll never get anything done.” Conviction It takes a lot of work to achieve a leadership position. By the time you find yourself in a managerial position, you’ve probably spent years, if not decades, working toward it. So, you should be proud of your skills and have confidence in your abilities, even if there are people around who doubt you. Dr. Kelley A. Peatross, retired superintendent and current regional community affairs manager for Consumers Energy, says that as a woman of color, she’s often felt that the odds were stacked against her. “As a woman, I have to be three or four times better than my counterparts,” she says. “And women of color have to be even better than that. We have to work harder than everyone else.” Yet, Dr. Peatross acknowledges that her three decades of working against the odds have equipped her to lead other women in the same situation. “I’ve spent most of my career working with people who don’t look like me,” she says. “So I’m good at navigating the game, and I can navigate it well. I try to inspire and teach others to go forward and play that same game.” Charisma The best leaders are people who others enjoy being around. When we enjoy working with someone, we’re far more likely to trust their instincts and follow their lead. That’s why charisma is such a valuable quality for leaders to possess—charismatic people can inspire action in the people around them. They’re able to instill a sense of purpose and motivation in the folks they work with. “People need to see that you’re real, that they can touch you,” Dr. Peatross says. “If you build that type of relationship with the individuals around you, there isn’t anything they won’t do for you.” When we think of charismatic leaders, we often picture
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