Leadership constitutes to a major and very important part of entrepreneurship. What sets entrepreneurs apart from normal office going people is their ability to lead a team and still innovate.
However, the common myth is that leaders are born, but a common person can actually become a leader with a certain skill set and qualities. Great leaders like Adolf Hitler, Mahatma Gandhi, Barrack Obama etc possessed these traits which set them apart from the rest.
Qualities required to become a successful leader are:
1. Master the art of delegation
A leader knows that he can’t be good at everything and because he can’t be omnipresent all the time, he needs to learn to delegate tasks to his team. Delegating tasks that one cannot undertake to the right people is a skill because in a way an entrepreneur trusts the person with his visionary of the company. It is very understand to understand one’s potential to able to delegate tasks to the team.
2. Communication
A leader’s forte should be his/her communication skills. S/he needs to communicate extensively with the team to make sure everyone’s on the same page. Hindrances in the communication process can lead to miscommunicated information and internal disputes amongst the employees.
It is always an added benefit if the leader is a motivational speaker and a fluent orator. Mahatma Gandhi was a great leader because through his speeches he could impress the audience and win their confidence.
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3. Confidence
A leader should always be confident about the risks and decisions he takes because if he isn’t sure about them, he can’t convince his team to work towards a single goal. Great leaders are successful because they set their end goal and stick to it no matter what. Also, leaders are self-reliant and look at the distant possibilities and long term goals instead of focusing on short-term fixes.
4. Motivating
It is also very important for an entrepreneur to be motivating because while the team works relentlessly on something, they need constant words of encouragement to keep them going. If someone has done a good job, an entrepreneur needs to praise the employee and if someone hasn’t performed very well, one needs to refrain from venting out anger on the employee and try and motivate him to do better the next time.
5. Empathetic
Great leaders are aware of the fact that at the end of the day, all employees are humans. So, the tendency to make mistakes by humans also holds true. An entrepreneur needs to be empathetic so that there is free flow of communication between the employer and the employees. Being aware of the employees’ problems is important for the growth of the venture as an employee’s personal life could be affecting his work. That is why leaders employee human resource people to take care of the employees.
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6. Problem solving skills
Every problem faces in a business scenario doesn’t have a ready-made solution. The entrepreneur needs to have quick thinking and problem solving abilities. The boss is the one everyone approaches in a crisis; if s/he has no answer or gives up, the employees accept fate. Leaders should simply make use of their business acumen and knowledge of the industry to find quick and fitting solutions.
7. Trend setter
The leader should aspire to be a trend setter for the rest of them team. By being honest and transparent, one can easily gain the trust of the employees and through motivating speeches and words, encourage them to do better. Also, a leader should try and incorporate good habits like punctuality, healthy office lifestyle and hard work to inspire the team to do the same. If the boss is someone who is extremely relaxed, the employees tend to slack off too.
8. Brilliant organisers
It should come as no surprise that entrepreneurs are brilliant organisers because the managerial skills need to be strong to run a business and make quick yet efficient decisions. Most leaders have an eye for detail and an impressive memory which helps them succeed. Also, the organise a whole team and business down to the lowest level which shows their efficiency as an organiser.
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