In a world where we are becoming more global, more digitally able, transparent, emotionally charged and have faster speeds of innovation, here are 13 questions you need to ask yourself to be an effective leader in the 20th Century. If you don’t adapt…. someone else might take your job…unfortunately whether you give it to them or not.

Leader Traits

1. Are you inspiring and exciting to be around?

Relevant to your audience of course… You can still be introverted or extraverted but do people want to be around you?

2. Are you a good public speaker?

This means can you get your message across whether it is a staff meeting, sales presentation, speech or key note. Being comfortable presenting will be requirement for success.

 3. Do you anticipate change as part of your planning personally and professionally?

Change is inevitable and the pace of change is happening faster and faster. This is a skill set that needs to become part of routines and habits for review regularly. For example, what changes are likely to occur in your workplace, industry, profession or marketplace?

4. Are you positively paranoid?

This is different to being a cynic and a negative nancy pants that no one want as part of their team. Being sceptical can be good to ensure you challenge yourself with details and alternatives ie ‘what if’ or ‘could we do it this way’?

5. Can you read people?

Emotional Intelligence qualities such as reading and connecting with others will be increasingly important critical skill sets of leaders. Do you bond emotionally and have empathy for others? The Golden rule of “treating people how you want to be treated is now well and truly been replaced with “treat people how they want to be treated”.

6. Do you develop and empower your team at the right time?

Can your team make decisions in your absence? Your job as a leader is to take them from having a high dependency to autonomy. Do you change your leadership style to what your team needs (ie high level of detail or supervision only)?

7. Do you have a high diversity measure of your personal / professional stakeholder network?

Do you have different opinions, ideas, locations, generations and styles within your circles? While we are normally attracted to like-minded people, diversity allows us to look at things differently. We should have cross-sections of different input to our information input and decision making processes. Make sure you challenge yourself by ensuring your networking circles are wide.

8. Are you courageous enough to abandon a practise that has made you successful in the past?

Challenging the old saying “don’t fix it unless it is broken” means that you might miss the opportunity to offer continual improvement and development to plan for future changing requirements that may creep up on you quickly.

9. Are you a master of execution?

While you may have a team that help you implement, getting things done, finished and helping transitioning ideas into reality is critical.

10. Can you turn fear into confidence and confusion into certainty?

Is yours the voice that people want to hear when times may be tough or experiencing change? If this is the case, than you are the person who seeks information to answers, simplifies things relevant to audiences and who has a reputation of authenticity – that you will tell it as it is.

11. Are you resilient, adapt quickly and don’t give up?

We all feel like throwing the towel in sometimes when things get tough however effective leaders push through the hard parts even when they are operating outside their comfort zone or don’t know the answer.

12. Do you encourage creativity and innovation?

Thinking differently and looking at ways to improve on a continual basis (personally and professionally) will be critical skill sets. It is important however to also provide yourself and your team with the space/time to think creatively or innovatively. Think about scheduling a monthly creativity meeting or ‘hackathon’ as they are more regularly being referred to.

13. Are you passionate, have a vision and know your why?

Are you a motivational leader (can you mobilise people in pursuit of a better future – do you believe in your team – do you apply daily, consistent motivation and most importantly, CAN YOU TURN YOUR TEAM ON?

 SHIFT OR YOU MIGHT BE REPLACED BY SOMEONE WHO WILL DO THE ABOVE!

Want to learn more….book into our next 1 Day Leadership and Success Program. Dates are below:-
Next 1 Day Leadership and Success Intensive Dates
– Friday 6 March, 2015
– Monday 30 March, 2015
– Monday 13 April, 2015
– Friday 8 May, 2015
– Saturday 30 May, 2015
– Friday 19 June, 2015

Book now to secure you spot. Click here for more information or email paulette@bespokehr.com.au