50 Qualities to become a Great Leader

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RULES FOR BEINGAGREAT LEADER
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• Listen to your team

• Rule one. Always listen to what your team has to
  say, even if you dont like it.

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Communicate as efficiently as possible

• Make your expectations and feelings clear, in the
  appropriate medium as often as possible.

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Talk less

• Sometimes saying nothing is better than saying
  just anything.

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• Be an example

• Be the type of person you want your team members
  to be.

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Be passionate

• If you arent passionate about your business,
  youre in the wrong business.

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Be consistent

• Be consistent in your behaviours so your team
  knows what to expect from you.

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• Make firm decisions

• Dont leave things undecided for long, and dont
  waver about a decision once youve made it.

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Identify mentors and role models

• Find people you can look up to and learn from,
  and follow them closely.

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Interfere only when necessary

• If you trust your team to do good work, dont
  interfere unless absolutely necessary.

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• Know your limits

• Dont extend yourself beyond your means.

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Know your strengths

• If youre good at resolving disputes, step in and
  resolve them as often as possible.

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Know your weaknesses

• If theres something youre not good at, admit
  it, and work on it.

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• Dont make excuses

• If you make a mistake, take ownership of it and
  dont pass the blame to someone or something else.

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Accept the unforeseen

• You cant control or predict everything.

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Choose your partners carefully

• Work only with people you can count on and trust.

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• Do good

• Commit yourself to being a good person and giving
  back to the community when possible.

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Meet new people all the time

• Take every opportunity to expand your network and
  expose yourself to new experiences and
  perspectives.

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Stay in touch with your emotions

• Dont be a robot -- let yourself feel.

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• Temper your reactions

• Hold back your reactions until you have a moment
  to clarify your internal thoughts and feelings.

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Have fun

• Take the time to have fun with your team.

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Research everything

• Before making a decision, know the pros and cons
  -- do your homework.

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• Think everything through

• Never exclusively trust your instincts or first
  reactions.

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Choose your team carefully

• Hire only those you can trust to get the job done
  (and to get along with others, as well).

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Prioritize your team

• Your team is everything. Give them whatever they
  need to succeed.

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• Be humble

• Dont get big-headed about your wealth, influence
  or position as a leader.

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Forgive mistakes

• Everyone makes them.

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Forgive yourself

• Dont beat yourself up too much over anything.
  Move on.

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• Be rational

• Make decisions logically.

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Be reasonable

• Listen to dissenting opinions, and be fair.

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Make time for whats important

• Theres no such thing as not having time for
  whats really important in your life. Make the
  time.

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• Constantly learn

• Read as much as you can, and take classes
  whenever you have the opportunity.

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Improve everything

• Work on improving your approaches, your skills
  and your processes constantly.

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Never give up

• Dont throw in the towel when a little extra
  persistence could put you over the edge.

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• Transform your methods when necessary

• If something isnt working, change your approach.

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Cut your losses when necessary

• If youre fighting a losing battle, retreat and
  start again somewhere else (or in a new way).

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Learn from your mistakes

• Try not to make the same mistakes twice.

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• Ground everything with data

• Back up all your decisions, opinions and thoughts
  with hard, objective facts and evidence.

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Dont ignore signs of stress

• Stress is real and can interfere with your
  ability to lead. If it starts setting in at
  abnormal levels, take action to reduce or relieve
  it.

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Give feedback

• Let your team know what theyre doing well and
  what needs further improvement.

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• Trust, but verify

• Trust your team to get things done, but always
  follow up to make sure the work is completed.

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Be approachable

• Let people know they can trust you, and open your
  door to anybody who needs it.

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Treat everyone equally

• Dont play favorites it breeds resentment and
  makes you appear immature as a leader.

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• Dont pursue close personal relationships with
  the team

• Be on friendly terms, but dont try to be best
  friends with everybody. Youre a leader, first
  and foremost.

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Get the team together

• Use team-building exercises or other excuses to
  get your team members talking with one other and
  having fun together.

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Return favors

• If someone helps you, make it your responsibility
  to pay back the favor -- even if its years later.

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• Dont burn bridges

• Never cut a contact completely out of your life.

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Stay in touch

• If team members leave or change roles, stay in
  contact with them.

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Dont sacrifice your personal life

• Your personal life is necessary to retain your
  own mental health. Never sacrifice it for the
  sake of leadership or professional
  responsibilities.

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• Enjoy leadership

• Try not to stress too much about being a leader.
  Instead, enjoy all the benefits it offers.

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Take advice with a grain of salt

• Even with these 50 rules! Because nobody knows
  everything, and no one piece of advice applies to
  all situations.

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• Follow these rules, trust your instincts and
  continually strive for self-improvement.
  Eventually, through your experiences and your
  efforts, youll become the type of leader most
  people only aspire to be.