Top Skills Of Extraordinary Leaders

1. Good Communicator. Extraordinary Leaders are those who can take the vision they have and communicate it in ways that their followers can easily understand, internal, and own. Then, and only then, can they carry it out! So focus on speaking and writing more clearly, and with the passion that you have for the vision you have. Use different ways of communicating, including different ways verbally and non-verbally. Above all, communicate often!

2. "Sees" the End Result Long Before Others. I think the greatest compliment on my leadership skills I ever received came from a gentleman who told me that "you see things about 6 months before the rest of us." Without tooting my own horn (okay, a little bit maybe...), that is a skill of a leader. They are always looking out ahead of themselves and their situations. Followers are worried about what happens today, while leaders are thinking about and strategizing about what they see for tomorrow. Be constantly looking ahead. Practice making projections. Get good at "seeing" the future. When you can do this better than others, they will look to you for leadership!

3. Ability to Define Goals for Self and Others. Do you know what your goals are? Can you define them? Can you articulate them clearly (see number one)? Can you do this for those who follow? Can you define and set their goals? An Extraordinary Leader works at clarity and definition of goals so that they can be internalized and acted upon by others. Work hard at this skill and others will follow!

4. Ability to Set Strategy and Course of Action. What will you do to reach the goal? Many people can say where we should go, but it is the Extraordinary Leader who can lay out a plan for everyone to get there! Work at laying out a plan for you and your followers. Remember that there are people with different skill and passion levels, and take this into account! Get good at this and when people want to get to their goals in a hurry, they will call on you to lead!

5. Ability to Teach Others. One of the greatest leadership development companies in the world has been General Electric. This is because their CEO, Jack Welch, has always emphasized the need for current leaders to teach others. He himself spends what others would consider an extraordinary amount of time in the classroom teaching. But remember, he is an Extraordinary Leader and he is developing Extraordinary Leaders to follow behind him. Work hard at your teaching techniques, and be sure to use as many situations as possible for the opportunity to teach those who would follow.

6. Ability to Inspire Others. You may have a great goal, but if you want to be an Extraordinary Leader, then you will have to put a little oomph under your followers! This is the ability to inspire! Work at helping them to see the big picture, the great end results, and how good it is going to be for them and others. Above all, make it exciting. If it is a good goal, it should be exciting. If it isn't exciting, then dump it and get a goal that others can get excited about!

7. Delegates. An Extraordinary Leader is rarely a person who is doing everything him or herself. Extraordinary Leaders get there job done through others. They figure out the way, communicate the way, and inspire the followers to go that way, and then they get OUT OF THE WAY! Delegate to your people. Empower them! Set them free to soar! This is what an Extraordinary Leader does. Leaders who do it any other way are just extraordinarily tired at the end of the day with very little to show for it!

About The Author:

Chris Widener is a popular speaker and writer as well as the President of Made for Success, a company helping individuals and organizations turn their potential into performance, succeed in every area of their lives and achieve their dreams.

To see Chris "live" at the upcoming Jim Rohn Weekend Event as he speaks on the subject of Secrets of Influence go to http://Chris-Widener.InspiresYOU.com/ or call 800-929-0434.

---

Peek Inside The Heads of Amazingly Successful Leaders

Would you like to know what really goes on inside... Read More

Make The Elephant Jump -- Leading With A Kind Heart

Leadership is not about getting people to do what they... Read More

Leadership ? Push vs. Pull?

At your next staff meeting consider leading your team through... Read More

People or Objects? - - You Decide

"How you think determines how you act. How you... Read More

Lead People...Manage Things

Master The Five Key Facets of High Performance LeadershipMany people... Read More

Managing Monsters in Meetings - Part 2, Multiple Conversations

Side conversations ruin meetings by destroying focus and fragmenting participation.Approach... Read More

Leadership

Webster's defines leadership as : "1. the office of position... Read More

On Being A Born Leader

"Leaders are born, not made." Right? Let me ask you... Read More

Dont be Afraid to Lead!

In most aspects of human activity, the pendulum of fashion... Read More

Leadership Activity: How Leadership Agenda, Strategy, and Behaviors Shape Your Success!

"Forward, as occasion offers. Never look round to see whether... Read More

Top 25 Leadership Quotations

Ponder what it takes to be a true leader with... Read More

Stand Out as a Leader, Do 5 Things Better! Number One: Improve the Quality of Your Decision Making!

The manager administers, the leader improves; the manager maintains, the... Read More

Unleash It!

On airplanes, in restaurants, in the newspaper and on television,... Read More

Who Needs Heroes?

When we were talking the other day we started to... Read More

Seven Personal Characteristics Of A Good Leader

How often have you heard the comment, "He or she... Read More

7 Awesome Leadership Power Generators!

7 Awe-Inspiring Leadership Power-Generating Strategies!Here's a really simple way you... Read More

Getting Things Done, Without the Sweat!

How do you get your people on your side? And... Read More

Partnership: Choose It or Lose It

Charlotte decides to do good. Charlotte is a highly motivated... Read More

Leadership Lessons from Pope John Paul II

"Heroes are rebels with a cause. Rebels because they challenge... Read More

Take the Road Less Traveled

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took... Read More

Character -- Why It Matters In Leaders

"Character is much easier kept than recovered." -Thomas Paine"The best... Read More

Miraculous Leadership

It was a time of turmoil. In November 1979, supporters... Read More

How to Become a Great Leader & Improve Your Leadership Skills

A great leader is able to inspire his/her workers to... Read More

Abraham Lincoln Is Still Alive

Abraham Lincoln Is Still Alive President Jimmy Carter tells in... Read More

Leadership Is Action?Not Position!

People respond to good leadership! Period! It is in all... Read More