Success

10 Traits of Masterful Leaders

The success of a company or organization depends on a lot on its leader, and masterful leaders know very well how to take their team from nowhere to somewhere. They have the ability to lead them to the right direction and they do so almost naturally. So what does it take to be a masterful leader? We took it from what masterful leaders said about leadership.

Here are the 10 Traits of Masterful Leaders:

1. They take accountability.

Setbacks and failures are inevitable. While some bosses usually put the blame in others, masterful leaders know they are accountable for whatever results their people achieve, which in turn encourages loyalty and excellence. A masterful leader takes accountability, finds solutions and encourages his team.

I’m responsible for this company. I stand behind the results. I know the details, and I think the CEO has to be the moral leader of the company, … I think high standards are good, but let’s not anybody be confused, it’s about performance with integrity. That’s what you have to do.
– Jeffrey Immelt, CEO of General Electric

2. They focus on growth more than just success

Success has many definitions, and success can be very challenging to achieve. However, masterful leaders do not only focus on success, they focus on growth. It is easy to put pressure on your team and blame them if they do not succeed in meeting the team’s goals. A masterful leader, however, focuses on growth for growth’s sake.

“Success is not sustainable if it is defined by how big you become or by growth for growth’s sake. Success is very shallow if it doesn’t have emotional meaning.”
– Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks

3. They are passionate about what they do

Masterful leaders succeed because they love what they do. They believe in doing what inspires you and ignites your passion. They work on what they love to do and they are passionate about it.

A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position.
– John Maxwell

4. They are visionaries

A masterful leader knows where to take his team. They are visionaries first and lead their people to that vision. The very essence of leadership is that you have to have a vision.

It’s got to be a vision you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion. You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet.
– Reverend Theodore Hesburgh

5. They have the ability to influence

One of the greatest qualities a masterful leader must possess is the power to influence people. He knows how to positively influence his team to meet their goal, and they do so without feeling any pressure or fear.

Become the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily; even if you had no title or position.
– Brian Tracy

6. They encourage others

Challenges can be very daunting, it can cripple some of the best people and steer them away from the vision. A masterful leader acts to encourage his team and pull them back to the team’s vision. They know how to encourage and do it well.

My own definition of leadership is this: The capacity and the will to rally men and women to a common purpose and the character which inspires confidence.
– General Montgomery

7. They attract great people

Masterful leaders attract great people and help them become leaders as well. They can hold the team of great people together and achieve their vision.

A great person attracts great people and knows how to hold them together.
– Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

8. They are full of wisdom

Masterful leaders have learned a lot from years of experience and they use it to share their wisdom to their team. They know how to make the best decisions for their organization’s sake and they know how to utilize them when challenges arise.

Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate, and doubt to offer a solution everybody can understand.
– General Colin Powell

9. They know how to appreciate their people

When people feel appreciated, they give their best and become more motivated. While some bosses take credit for their people’s achievements, leaders know how to recognize and appreciate their team and their effort, and they let them know how great they are. Masterful leaders do not take the credit themselves but instead give credit to whom it is due.

The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.
– Max DePree

10. Their purpose is to serve

People think that leaders want people to serve them but it’s actually the other way around. Masterful leaders know that their purpose is to serve more than anything else – that their end goal is to be of service and encourage his team to meet that purpose to serve.

The true leader serves. Serves people. Serves their best interests, and in doing so will not always be popular, may not always impress. But because true leaders are motivated by loving concern than a desire for personal glory, they are willing to pay the price.”
– Eugene B. Habecker in The Other Side of Leadership

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