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4 qualities that make you a great leader

July 02, 2014 09:48 IST
What are the qualities that distinguish a great leader from an average one?

Great leaders are not born, they are made -- through hard work and years of experience.

After you've spent a sufficient number of years in the corporate world and gained the relevant experience, you'll be promoted to an important role in an organisation -- that of a Team Leader.

And once you don this role, till you become the chairperson of a multinational company, this role will stay with you.

Whether you are leading a small two member team of coders or a multinational organisation, you are and will always be the Team Leader.

What are the credentials that'll make you a remarkable leader? Find out!

1. Technical competency

Whether you are designing a mobile application or crafting a new insurance policy you should have in-depth demonstrable knowledge about your domain.

If the team leader is not technically competent, s/he will lose the respect of the team members very fast.

It could be coding, marketing, sales or communication skills -- whatever your organisation expects from your team or department.

Pramod Kumar Srivastava is CEO of PKS Management Consultants, a generalist business consulting company based at Bangalore.

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Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

2. Trustworthiness

July 02, 2014 09:48 IST
You must be able to win the trust of your co-workers.

As a leader, you should be able to command trust from your team members.

It's not a virtue that tags along with your title, but it is something you earn courtesy your actions and for the various beliefs you stand by.

Once you have the trust of your team members, you will gradually have followers who believe in you and the work you do.

The day you lose the trust of your co-workers, you will cease to be a leader.

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Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

3. A caring attitude

July 02, 2014 09:48 IST
As a leader you must be able to care for your team mates' personal and professional growth.

Team members will easily identify themselves with a leader who cares for their personal and professional growth and flock to them for advice. 

It's like a glue that binds the leader to his/her team.

If the leader doesn't take interest in his team mates, they will continue doing their job but will never put their heart into it or aspire for bigger things.

It's up to the leader to mould a good employee into a great employee.

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Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com

4. Ambition

July 02, 2014 09:48 IST
A good leader should be ambitious to chase new goals and inspire others as well.

All of us aspire to chase our life goals and move up the career ladder.

Most of the time, individual aspirations are directly proportional to the ambition and growth of their respective leaders.

A good team leader should be ambitious and upwardly mobile.

If you are not ambitious, the team members will start to lose interest and will eventually desert you and your team.

It is important to keep your team mates all charged up and motivate them to achieve higher results.

Depending upon the experience level of the team leader, type of organisation and industry, the ratio of these qualities will vary.

But it is these very qualities that will make you stand apart from the crowd.

Do you have these qualities in you?

If yes congratulations! Nurture them. If not, please acquire them.

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com