Leader

Dare Obasanjo talking about what it takes to be a leader.

Many people want to be managers to grow their careers but in reality being a leader is more important in the long run. A leader is someone whose authority is earned and people choose to follow as opposed to someone people have to follow because it’s their job.

Good leaders are…

• focused on the team instead of themselves. Good leaders want to develop others and help them grow. They are ambitious but it’s for the team’s success not just their own career.
• effective and transparent communicators. They also understand listening is part of communicating
• self aware about their strengths and weaknesses. Self awareness is coupled with a growth mindset. Weaknesses aren’t limitations but opportunities to learn.
• respectful to their team and act with personal integrity. They set positive examples of how people should be treated.
• effective at both short term execution and long term strategy. There is a vision for where we’re going and a path for how to get there.
• effective delegators. Good leaders encourage autonomy and avoid becoming decision bottlenecks while giving the team growth opportunities.