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Good leadership is essential today more than ever. Weather for business or life, leaders are wanted, celebrated and emulated. We all want to be influential and likable. We all want to be charismatic, self-confident and highly resolutive. We are all in a more or less aware search for the key to self-improvement and success.
Leadership is complicated to define. Honesty, integrity, confidence, ability to inspire and engage, excellent communication skills, passion, vision, accountability or strong decision-making capabilities are just part of a long list of desirable elements to be individually strengthened. Despite its numerous denotations, the dorsal spine of a leader is its authenticity and genuity. As unique and non-repeatable beings, personal leadership responds to individual characteristics and traces that, combined in each specific case, shape the material for an exceptional forerunner. There is one leadership style for each person investing in to become a leader. But there is one common element that every single outstanding leader has to master for their climb to the peak: consistency. Considered to be one of the most important characteristics of success, there are five top areas to be developed by every highly conscientious leader:
1. Decisiveness
Conscientiousness can be defined as the action of being thorough, careful and vigilant, with the desire to do things well. Consistency is based on the ability to apply discipline to the concrete behaviors that could drive us to the desired outcomes to develop habits for success out of them. Conscious leaders are decisive about creating those habits that will encourage them to success.
Consistent people thus act dutifully, exhibit self-confidence and are generally systematic, careful, thorough and thoughtful. Through their conscientiousness, they have developed great habits that deliver excellent results and the right and appropriate strategies for care, discipline, efficiency, achievement, planning, organization and measurement. Is exactly consistency what has helped them to acquire a certain predisposition to work for success and consequently, achieving success.
Successful leaders understand the power of their habits, and they are ready to assess and modify them to ensure that their goals and objectives can be achieved. Driven by individual beliefs and values, habits are formed when thoughts, words, and actions are put in place enough times as to become consistent and automatic. Conscious leaders know that is just positive habits what leads to peoples' positive perceptions.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit" (Aristotle)
2. Punctuality
"Punctuality is the first step toward success" (Nishtunishaa)
Being on time is not just a fair symbol of respect toward others. Apart from showing the humility of respecting people's time and efforts, it also has an unforeseen positive impact on self-development and self- confidence. Being punctual is a key indicator of personal integrity. It not just prove to others that you are dependable but most important, it proves you that you can depend on yourself. Punctuality relies on the self-discipline needed to deliver according to plan without excuses. It demonstrates organization skills, attention to detail and it ensures you are always at your best. By being punctual, you assure you are in control of your own time and your own schedule no matter the circumstances. It makes much easier and effective your collections of thoughts warranting that you are always in shape as to look ahead without putting the focus on bringing your breath back. Successful leaders are conscious planners. They envision what and when and they are able to perform accordingly. This gives them the framework to be fully committed to looking ahead instead of wasting efforts on continuously sorting out the present.
3. Appreciation of formality
"There is no respect for others without humility in one's self" (Henri Frederic Amiel)
Formality matters. Defined as the nature of the relationship between people and one’s attitude to the conduct of things around him or her, formality defines human interactions toward people, events and things. It should not be conceived as a simple list of traditional forms of etiquette. Formality goes beyond this, and it has an added value on setting the frameworks for a clear and straight strategy to the achievement of desired outcomes. Successful leaders think outside the box while understanding and respecting the game that it is played inside this box. Successful leaders approach formality as a booster to create trust, confidence and solid relations. Appreciation of formality requires a flexible mind able to adjust to cultural and generational differences easily. Is by showing respect and understanding towards others ways that we manage to join the efforts and get it done.
4. Clear values
"When your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes easier" (Roy E. Disney)
Conscious leaders have developed a strong sense of identity that allows them to focus with clarity on the best choices and decisions to achieve their desired success while been always themselves in the process. This strong sense of identity is the element providing with a robust framework that avoids a continuous struggle and confusion with regards to the best path to take. This sense of identity is consequently, the defining component of personal choices ensuring that achieved successes do never feel like fraudulent. There is a direct correlation between your degree of success and the degree of clearness of your values and mission in life. Science is clear about it when explaining how the Reticular Activating System (RAS) is a bundle of nerves at our brainstem that filters out unnecessary information, so the important stuff gets through and we are able to focus on what really matters to us. In other words: you need to know what you want from life, to actually get it.
"The man who has no inner-life is a slave to his surroundings" (Henri Frederic Amiel)
5. Demonstrating virtue
Successful leaders are followed because they are truthful. There is nothing more desirable, contagious and attiring that integrity and transparency. Human beings tend to believe in what makes them feel cared about, safe and secure. And the way to success is never an isolated road. Human as social beings needs others to achieve and develop. Thus, a confident leader should adhere to the highest possible level of moral, legal, ethical, and performance standards to bring others in. Integrity and truthfulness is the state of being holistic, wholesome and complete. Without honesty and integrity, whatever is built will not last forever.
"The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves." (Ray Kroc)
