The major Attributes of Leadership

The following are important factors of leadership:

1. Unwavering courage based on knowledge of self, and of your occupation.  No follower wishes to be dominated by a leader who lacks self-confidence and courage.  No Intelligent follower will be dominated by such a leader for very long.
2. Self-Control.  The person who cannot control him or herself can never control others.  Self-control sets a high example for a leader’s followers, which the more intellient will emulate.
3. A keen sense of justice.  Without a sense of fairness and justice, no leader can command and retain the respect of his followers.
4. Definiteness of Decision.  The person who wavers in his or her decisions shows that he or she is not sure of him or herself.  He/she cannot lead others successfully.
5. Definiteness of Plan.  The successful leader must plan his/her work, and work his plan.  A leader who moves by guesswork, without practical, definite plans, is like a ship without a rudder.  Sooner or later he will land on the rocks.
6. The habit of doing more that paid for.  One of the penalties of leadership is having to do more than what is required of followers under the position of leadership.
7. A pleasing personality.  A slovenly, careless person cannot become a successful leader.  Leadership calls for respect.  Followers will not respect a leader who does not grade high on all of the factors of a Pleasing Personality.
8. Sympathy and understanding.  The successful leader must be able to sympathize with his or her followers.  He or she must understand them and their problems.
9. Mastering details.  Successful leadership calls for mastery of details of the leader’s position.
10. Willingness to assume full responsibility. The successful leader must be willing to assume responsibility for the mistakes and the shortcomings of followers.  If a leader tries to shift this responsibility.  He/she will not remain the leader.  If a follower makes a mistake, and shows him/herself incompetent, the leader must consider that it is he/she who failed.

Cooperation.  The successful leader must understand, and apply the principle of cooperative effort and be able to induce his followers to do the same.  Leadership calls for power, and power calls for cooperation.