Basic Leadership

Basic Leadership

Leadership comes naturally to some people while others have to work at building their leadership skills. Leadership has to come from within a person. It's not something that can necessarily be taught. If the characteristics exist within your personality it can be developed and strengthened, but a foundational desire to lead must be present. There are certain qualities that are found in good leaders. Their actions must reflect the passion and dedication necessary to lead. A good leader should hone their leadership skills and learn new methods to bring out the best in their abilities as well as the best in others.

The most important characteristic of a good leader is integrity. Leading a life of integrity and honesty was set in stone for me at an early age. I developed my leadership skills through a working involvement in my community. Early on I discovered that in order to gain respect as a leader I had to have a good character, be trustworthy, and lead by example. Another personal strength I developed early on was a good work ethic. An effective leader isn't afraid to roll up their sleeves and do whatever it takes to get the job done. Coming up in an agricultural environment we didn't have the time or resources to waste. We knew what had to be done and we moved purposefully toward our goals. Sometimes there were decisions I had to make on the spot. My tendency to think analytically has always enabled me to break down a problem into smaller pieces in order to arrive at a solution. I've always pride myself with an ability to keep a cool head and remain focused. It is my nature to be involved and have my hands on a project. I'm not a follower or one to wait on someone to make a step in a given direction. I like to step up to the challenge and take an active role in the outcome of a given task or project.

A hallmark of good leader is their ability to delegate. Delegation comes hard for me sometimes. I'm passionate to a fault about seeing a job done right. I tend to oversee a project generally through my vision of the job.

When I see an area that isn't coming together I'm immediately inclined to jump in and take over. This approach can convey the wrong message and unintentionally create a degree of conflict leaving others confused as to my motives. I've discovered my passions and motives are what drive my weak-nesses. In reality even though my motives and passions drive my weaknesses there are times when certain challenges serve to make me stronger. Having a healthy sense of self- awareness is essential in identifying with one's passions or motives.

After taking the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, the scores revealed my individual personality type. After taking this test I discovered some unique individual characteristics I possess that definitely increased my self-awareness. My personality type revealed introversion, sensing, thinking, and judging. I have a tendency to be drawn into an inner world of thought, reflection, and privacy. My sensing side doesn't get caught up. I'm practical and factual gravitating toward specifics of what is real. I consider ideas, theories, and develop conclusions all while being deliberate and