5 Qualities All Leaders Needs and How to Develop Them
By Jody Bell
Leadership seems to have become a bit of a buzzword. Every parent wants their child to be a leader, but, very few young people can articulate what genuine leadership is.
Girls With Impact CEO, Jennifer Openshaw, recently spoke with Gunjan Kedia, Vice Chairman of Wealth Management & Investment Services at U.S. Bank, during “A Day in the Life of US Bank's Gunjan Kedia.” During this informative discussion, Kedia delved into the meaning of leadership and more about the exact characteristics of what defines a leader.
In her own words, “Leadership is a mindset, not a title.”
What Defines a Leader?
Curiosity: There is a preconceived notion that leaders know everything; that leaders are preachers of information. This is simply wrong. Leaders are full of wisdom and knowledge not because it is already locked into their brains, but because they are constantly learning. Knowledge is not defined by how much wisdom you currently have, but by how much wisdom you are seeking.
An open-mind: A leader spends time purposely seeking out differing opinions and listening to them with an open minded; constantly searching for new opinions and ideas. It is simply impossible to be a constant learner if you are heavily embedded in your own opinions. Being able to have civil conversations with those who have differing opinions, and truly take these conversations to heart, is key to leadership.
Constantly working for others: Most people view leadership as a pyramid, with the leaders on top and employees working below them. Truthfully, a good leader isn’t defined by this pyramid. They let their employees have active voices in the company, and they spend time working to better the company, their employees, and their shareholders. Essentially, they work for everyone but themselves. As Kedia puts it, “The best leaders bring out the best in others. Let me hear what you have to say and help you make your dreams come true’”
Empathy: The only way to truly work for others is to first understand their struggles. Whether this be your consumers struggling with services offered, or employees having cultural problems within the company, leaders must always lend an empathetic ear towards these concerns.
Grit and Stamina: If you are going to run your own company, or climb the ladder to the top, it will take years of constant overachieving.
As Kedia points out, “Staying with something long enough for you to actually be good and then create goodness in your role is a characteristic we look for in young professionals.”
This ability to create “goodness” in a company is a telling bi-product of good leadership, and one that should be a goal for any young professional aiming for a leadership position.
How Can You Develop These Qualities?
No leader is formed overnight—and with so many different characteristics involved in a leadership mentality it may be difficult to know where to start.
The best launch pad to leadership? Reflection and observation. Take every opportunity to listen to others and learn from leaders who you look up to.
In your professional life, overachieve constantly and try to stick with your job so you can climb the leader to the top. After years of constantly progressing through various grades, changing extracurriculars, and summer jobs/internships, it may be hard to simply settle down in one position for years. Yet, that’s exactly what is crucial to learn and get those leadership roles.
Kedia provided some insight into making the most of your first few years in your position; “the first year is very fun, you’re doing something new you’re learning something new. The second year is more tedious because it is more repetitive, but that’s when you are becoming better at your role, and by third year you make your job better than what you found it.”
So, stick with it! Grow for the first few years in your job—allow yourself to be shaped by this position, and as you learn allow yourself to then shape the position and culture around you. Achieving this balance is truly what leads to leadership roles.
Check out the complete video interview below:
Jody Bell, 19, is Girls With Impact’s Chief Editor and a program graduate. Girls With Impact is the nation’s only online, after-school, entrepreneurship program for teen girls, turning them into tomorrow’s business leaders and innovators.