Integrity

“The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.”

-       Dwight D. Eisenhower

I consider integrity to be one of the most critical qualities that a leader must possess in order to be considered successful. Integrity drives everything we do, from the companies we work at to the people we interact with; our perception of that entity is based on their integrity. I personally strive to have a high integrity, in both my personal and professional lives, because people are more inclined to be comfortable working and associating with a person who they believe to have high integrity. Overall, integrity can be seen to be critical to the success of any leader, and in striving to become a positive leader, I place a high level of importance on this value.

Communication

“Developing excellent communication skills is absolutely essential to effective leadership. The leader must be able to share knowledge and ideas to transmit a sense of urgency and enthusiasm to others. If a leader can’t get a message across clearly to motivate others to act on it, then having a message doesn’t even matter.”

-       Gilbert Amelio

Communication is the driving force behind every social interaction we have, both verbal and non-verbal. It is for this reason that I place a high value on the importance of communication. I think that in order to be successful in life communication plays a significant role. I feel that in the past communication was an area I struggled in, but through my involvement in various positions on campus I have worked on my personal communication and I feel that it has come a long way. To me the basis of all leadership lies in communication, and it is for this reason that I view it as a crucial value to possess if one desires to be successful in their endeavors.

Generosity

“No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave.”

-       Calvin Coolidge

I think generosity is a highly undervalued asset to leadership. Generosity can come in many ways, but at its most basic level it makes someone else’s day better through a gesture. This can have a tremendous impact on people’s lives, no matter how small you believe the gesture to be. This value is closely tied to the leadership theory of servant leadership. In this theory the leader shares power and responsibilities and puts others first which helps people to develop and perform better. Simple compliments or a “job well done” can go a long way in making someone feel appreciated for the work that they do. To me this is a highly effective model for leadership and by putting other people first you get a greater level of engagement among your followers. To me generosity is a crucial element for a successful leader to possess.

Initiative

“Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.”

-       Conrad Hilton

Initiative is what separates successful people from the rest of the pack. I believe it to be important to seek out opportunities and get involved to your fullest potential. By having a strong initiative you are able to accomplish more and consequently learn more than others around you who are lacking initiative. By taking an initiative as a leader you will find more success in your endeavors. Initiative can be seen to be critical to a successful leader as it motivates a leader to avoid complacency and always strive to be bettering themselves and those around them.