Leadership....what is it exactly?

Over the last couple of years I've been asked by colleagues, what do you think makes a great leader Roberto? I have given it some thought lately and this is what it means to me and thought I would share with you.

A great leader isn't just someone who "shows the way, and leads the way"; there's so much more to it in my opinion. A great leader understands individually each member of his/her team and uses that information to gauge and maximize their career potential. 

Many time, you see managers in leadership positions using what I personally refer to as the "mixed salad" method. Put everyone in the same bowl, treat and manage them the same way. I can tell you from personal experience over the last 20 years of working with different leaders, this way of leading creates disconnection, and poor work morale more often than not.

Do we want to be great leaders? Then, let's always assess individually their strengths and weaknesses, and help them succeed by matching those strengths with the right positions, market segments and tasks. Focus on developing those strengths while coaching them how to mitigate and improve their shortfalls.

That's what makes a great leader to me at the end of the day......as far as I am concerned, I would want everyone on my team to feel they can have my job one day. When that happens, you find yourself with a high performance and engaged team.

Thanks for reading my thoughts on leadership everyone.