What Makes a Successful Leader

Inspiration, Passion, Confidence, and Communication

What is a leader? According to the Oxford Dictionary, to lead, “is to direct the actions or opinions, and guide by persuasion or example.’” But, the act of driving and what makes a good leader are not always the same.

We ask each of our mentors what qualities make someone a successful leader? Are they innate, or can they be learned? Can anyone become a great leader, or is it just for the chosen few?

The first thing we need to do is knock down the images that emerge when we think about great leaders. Sure, George Washington is undoubtedly marked as one of our nation’s greatest leaders. He was an excellent general and was able to secure our nation’s freedom by working with others to create the foundation of our constitution. But great leaders are everywhere we look, and are not necessarily the people who have ultimate authority.

Being a leader doesn’t require having a title; having a title doesn’t make you one.

Whether you are a gig employer, a CEO of a large company, or an owner of a cafe, leadership skills are necessary to move your business or career forward.

Experts believe that inspiration is one of the critical components of being a great leader. Inspiring people to follow your vision allows them to feel like they contribute to something bigger than themselves; however, inspiring people is not always an easy task.

If you are not passionate about what you do or what you are leading, you will never get others to follow you. You must have faith in your beliefs and convection to motivate and inspire others to make your vision succeed.

In our sit-down with Michael Brown, co-founder of City Year, he talks about becoming passion struck.

He says, “You have to get so passion struck by something that you basically don’t care about other consequences. Such as failure, how you are going to come across, or how you are going to raise the money.”

Communication is also key to being a great leader. If you have a clear mission, you need to effectively communicate your vision so that you can direct people toward reaching those goals.

Our mentor, Sylvia Acevedo says, vision and communication are essential leadership skills. Understanding where you want to go, why and your intent is the foundation, but it’s necessary to have clear, concise communication to get your team marching in that direction. You need to provide them with clear goals, and then give them the skills they need to accomplish them.

Learn more from our mentors on how you can up your game in your leadership skills. Watch their videos on how to dream big, motivate, and inspire everyone around you, so you can make your vision a reality.