"Leadership is the art of getting someone to do what you want done, because they want to do it."

Dwight Eisenhower

 

Good leaders do the following:

1. They don’t issue instructions.

   Instead, where appropriate, they take charge.

   Taking charge means to take responsibility and direct the steps that the team needs to take to achieve the task/objective.
   
   

2. They exude passion and confidence.
   
   
3. They are good at motivating people, inspiring people to take their lead and getting the most from existing resources.
   
   
4. They have the energy, determination and resilience to overcome obstacles and bring initiative and competitive drive to the team.
   
   
5. They recognise the skills of each team member and how they can be best used.
   
   

"It is better to lead from behind, and put others in front, especially when you are celebrating victory...You take the front line when there is danger. Then people appreciate your leadership."

Nelson Mandela

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Leading a team takes patience and expertise

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Everyone in the team can lead by inspiring the others by their hard work and motivate by their good humour and enthusiasm.

1. Leadership skills
   
   
2. Ten fundamentals of leadership
   
   
3. Leadership attitudes
   
   
4. Five leadership lessons from the film "The Godfather"
   
   
5. Leadership skills from Dale Carnegie
   
   
   
   

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Eight core principles to follow

Use these eight core principles to develop and retain a specialized yet complete, driven, and innovative team:

1. Skill diversity
2. Clear communication
3. Decisive leadership
4. Sharing credit
5. Conflict resolution
6. Accountability
7. Goal-oriented progress
8. Celebrating team success/improvement
   
   
   

Examples of evidence if asked in an interview or on a job application

• Taking responsibility for a specific project in work or other context
• Clubs or student societies (e.g. motivating by taking a lead in problem-solving, clarifying tasks and facilitating).
• Coaching and mentoring
• Organising an activity – producing a play; co-ordinating a team; editing a paper
• Working with young people – summer camps; running/organising a youth activity
• Leading a team – sport’s team captain;
• Teaching or training others e.g. at work; teaching music/art/gym etc.
  
  
  

Key words to include on your application form, CV or cover letter:

Motivator; capable; dynamic; assertive; approachable; decisive; proactive; responsible; inspire; motivate; integrity; take responsibility 

Leadership style, method or technique options include:

1. Action centred leadership
2. Situation leadership
3. Management style leadership continuum
4. Providing strategic leadership
5. Transactional leadership
6. Transformational leadership

Steve Jobs, founder of Apple

 

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See also:

How to be 'strategic'

See also cost leadership