A seminar I attended on leadership, years ago, started with a simple task.  Each participant was tasked with selecting the greatest leader they knew and then writing down all the reasons they were a great leader.

Then the class as a whole reviewed all the identifying traits each person had recorded about their leader.  The purpose of the exercise was not to share thoughts on great leaders by name (historic or otherwise).

Rather the intent was to demonstrate how  leadership traits are a short and distinctive list.  Of the ten things I had noted, all were on others lists as well.

What does it take to be a leader?

Leaders are not distinguished by singular skills or capabilities.  The list of people that can run a mile in four minutes or less is very small.  This is a fabulous skill limited to a few individuals.  It is a great capability and admirable but it’s not a leadership trait.

Perhaps surprisingly, leadership traits are really things anyone can do.  They require conscious effort and motivation, but unlike intrinsic skills you are born with (e.g., musical ability) you can train yourself in the art of leadership.

So what does leaership look like?

Here is the short list of key behaviors uncovered in that seminar based on observation of sucessful leaders from real life .

• Self awareness – understanding yourself and others demonstrating true empathy
• Knowing where you are going – if you don’t know this how can you plan to get there and how will you know when you do.
• Communicating full on both sending and recieving.  Others know what you mean and you know what they mean – “clarity”
•  Both the need forand practice of values is obvious because they are lived by example.  Others embrace them naturally.
• Seeking anwers never thinking the goal has been accomplished or there is no more opportunity
• Unwavering belief, not over-confidence or confidence just for its own sake but showing belief in self.