Leadership Exists in All Ranks

Leadership often begins with the simplest tasks, some that we learn at home and others we acquire as we go along in life. It is the essence of growth and forward progression, and will always assist us succeed in our ventures. Though many of us lack the confidence to believe that we are worthy of standing as the head of a table because we have been told otherwise, so what can we do to start being responsible for our narrative?

One may start by asking what qualities or characteristics  leader should embody, and how those characteristics can be developed and honed. 

1. Belief in the cause

No one would ever want to follow a leader that didn't show passion, knowledge and understanding of their organisational culture. This leader chooses an organisation because they resonate with the ethics, morals and beliefs that the company displays, and because of this they find it easy to display confidence and charisma in their service or product offering, This very belief begins to seep into their colleagues and to the minds of those that they lead.

2. Professionalism

This is a term that appears to have many definitions that some how link to each other, it is also a term that can be defined according to a specific profession's moral and ethical code. While professionalism may speak to integrity, honour and respect in the workplace; it also speaks to how one's personal conduct away from the workplace might impact their value, reliability and credibility. 

3. Communication Skills

An excellent leader speaks with their mouth, their hearts as well as their mind. They understand the language between words just as well as that expressed by words and in writing, this leader understand their staff through the subtle notes in office conversation and the way that people interact with each other. This leader understands that part of good communication involves transparency and honesty, the team forms part of decision-making. 

4. Empowerment

All of us want to climb a rank higher, all of us want to be recognised for the hard work that we do, we all want to be leaders one day. By having a leader that makes us believe that we can be at the top of the food chain, that we can inspire others to do the same; we begin to evolve into leaders ourselves. This leader knows the strengths and weaknesses of their staff, and strives to turn the weaknesses around and displays the strengths in  such a way that it builds confidence. 

5. Know when to let others lead

A good leader recognises that they will not always be able to lead effectively in all situations, and has the humility to admit  that they are deficient and allow those better versed to move forward , even if temporarily, for the better good of the team or organisation. This characteristic cannot exist without that of empowerment, these two work hand-in-hand. 

There are many more characteristics of a good leader, but these make the top five of my list and are the core principles for being an effective leader at the PMC Travel Club. We believe that everyone is a leader, this team lives and bleeds self-empowerment and the empowerment of others. No soldier gets left behind, because the glory of one is equal to the glory of all.