Courage, conviction, the strength to speak honestly and frankly with people; maturity, a moral core; patience, persistence, the lack of an ego that is counterproductive; a certain empathy and humanness, an ability to listen and delegate and cast a vision, and, as often as possible, an ability to make informed decisions after research, discussion, and evaluation of options.
I’m of course drawing upon our national experience of currently enduring the exact opposite of pretty much everything I’ve mentioned. Different leaders are needed for different settings and scenarios, but certain leadership qualities are more desirable than others, across the board.
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I’m curious, in times of crisis or conflict, which one of those traits do you think actually makes the biggest difference in how people respond and why?
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All of them, including, generically, lived experience, and doing one’s homework. There’s a certain humility involved. Ideally, it’s a distillation.
Not every decision is a life or death one. It may be casting a vision, or floating an idea, asking for a leap of faith.
There may be instances where consultation with trusted associates is limited or not possible, and decisions may be evaluated after the fact that turned out to be wrong. Still, a leader worth his or her salt consults when they can– even as, in certain instances, one may be reminded that it’s lonely at the top, and they’ll have to trust their gut and call the shot.
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