Characteristics of a Leader

Today I have the opportunity to speak at the North Carolina Association of Student Councils Western District Conference. It is being hosted by Union Academy in Monroe, NC with middle and high school students from across Western North Carolina in attendance. I was asked to speak on the topic of “Leadership in the School.” Understanding that leadership comes from within, I spent some time researching leadership traits. I came across the following list of Leadership Traits that was put together by the United States Marine Corps. It is sometimes referred to as “JJDidTieBuckle” with the letters in the acronym coming from the first letter of each trait. This is one of the most comprehensive (and succinct) lists that I have come across. Are there any character traits that you might add to this list?

JUSTICE

Justice means being fair. Treat others equally. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you and so forth.

JUDGMENT

Judgment is the ability to effectively assess the situation. You must be able to accurately understand the implications of the situation you are in so that you can make good decisions. Judgment is also known as common sense.

DEPENDABILITY

Dependability is nearly self explanatory. People must be able to depend on you to provide support, accurate information, guidance and motivation. People must be able to trust in your honesty as well as your competence.

INITIATIVE

Initiative is your tendency to approach your responsibilities in a proactive manner. A leader with initiative will not wait for direction before taking action. If you see something that needs to be done, do it.

DECISIVENESS

Decisiveness is the ability to make solid decisions quickly. With sound judgment, you will have enough information and with confidence in your information, you can make the decision now without hemming and hawing about.

TACT

Tact is a skill that enables you to communicate with people in a direct and effective manner without spurring conflict. This goes back to people skills. You need to be able to give direction without making people angry. Tact will help you inspire confidence in your leadership abilities and gain trust and loyalty.

INTEGRITY

Integrity is essentially honesty, which is crucial to being able to lead people effectively. Without honesty, there is no trust. Without trust, others will not truly follow you and support you’re motives or efforts.

ENTHUSIASM

Enthusiasm deals directly with your ability to motivate. It is about maintaining and putting forth a positive attitude. Enthusiasm expects success and drives us closer to achieving it. It fosters optimism and inspires others to follow your lead.

BEARING

Bearing is a trait that is often not discussed in civilian organizations but is none the less critical for good leadership. Bearing is the way you conduct and control yourself. It is your appearance, your posture and your manner that reflects self-confidence and self-control. Stand straight and exude a demeanor of leadership and authority. Bearing lets people know that you take your role seriously. Do not slouch about or goof off. These things do not inspire confidence in others that you can lead them.

UNSELFISHNESS

Unselfishness is another that is self-explanatory. A good leader is looking out for the good of the team. A leader is not selfishly seeking his or her own best interest. Leaders have no ulterior motives.

COURAGE

Courage is the trait that is paramount in all good leadership. You must first have the courage to lead, to expect success, to accept responsibility and to face challenge. Leaders do not fear failure, they embrace it and learn from it in order to minimize its impact and the likelihood that it will occur again. Look fear in the eye and grin. Courage is the chariot that carries us to victory.

KNOWLEDGE

Knowledge is another important component of good leadership. You must have the experience, training and information necessary to see the operation to a successful end. Without knowledge, we are merely guessing our way through life. Without knowledge, there can be no judgment or sound decision making.

LOYALTY

Loyalty involves being devoted to the task or the goals of the organization that you are a part of. It means that you make the goals of the team your own. The loyal leader stands behind his people and supports them. He truly believes in what he is doing. Loyalty in leadership promotes a loyal following.

ENDURANCE

Endurance what keeps us going when the going gets tough. Endurance encompasses our dedication and tenacity to see the job through to completion regardless of obstacles or challenges along the way. It embodies both our mental and physical stamina as well as our will power.

Source:  http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/usmc/leadership_traits.htm