How to Identify a True Leader
The success of a business lies in the hands of its leaders. The culture of a business is first established in the workplace, and leaders set the tone. Businesses will crumble under leaders with unattainable goals, a lack of vision, broken communication or big egos. With the right leaders, businesses will soar. With so much on the line, it is critical to be able to identify top leaders.
How to identify leadership skills
1. Observe their character and work ethic.
Before deciding if someone is a fit for a leadership role, you want to determine what you’re looking for in a leader. You need to know what characteristics and work ethic you want your company leaders to have. From that point, you can begin to observe which of those qualities you see inside the workplace and seek out potential leaders.
Marcel Schwantes, principal and founder of Leadership from the Core, talks about ways to identify a leader within a business. He explains that great leaders put the business first and lead by example.
“They are not motivated by power, wealth, status, fame or approval,” Schwantes wrote. “They are, instead, intrinsically motivated and humble enough to always do the right thing.”
A true leader communicates with their team to keep them updated and show that they are valued. Marillyn Hewson, strategic advisor to the CEO at Lockheed Martin, believes that leaders should communicate often to provide stability within the workplace, even during times of change.
“They must motivate their team to perform their best, even when the organization is experiencing uncertainty,” Hewson wrote on LinkedIn. “They help those around them to keep things in perspective, and stay focused on the mission – inspiring confidence that, whatever change the organization is going through now, there’s a bright future ahead.”
True leaders will be the ones driving results, according to Schwantes. They will be the ones intentionally learning more, challenging themselves and others, improving the workplace environment and work ethics, and encouraging teams to achieve goals.