(Eight Attributes Of Leadership Cont. 2)

B. Heart (includes EQ or emotional intelligence)

5. Humility (this means understanding and gracefully acknowledging your limitations, weaknesses, etc; appreciate differing views to you own; mistakes are regarded as learning experiences; being authentic; able to set aside personal interest for the benefit of others, ie able to focus on the needs and aspirations of others, rather than of yourselves;
"...have the humility to know we don't know everything and admit others might know more than we do..."
Kirsten Ferguson, 2023a

NB Failure can teach you humility, ie you don't know everything.

Leaders also have the
"...courage to share your mistakes and acknowledge what we all know - that humans make mistakes. The more a team follows this behaviour, the faster it corrects mistakes and increases its contribution..."
Jillian at LeaderFactor, 2023a

Humility is a
"...mindset we want to adopt so we don't get arrogant or complacent..."
Jillian at LeaderFactor, 2023a

Shift from 'tell to ask', ie
"...too much telling breeds dependency and learned helplessness. Shift as much as you can to the ask side of the spectrum and lead through questions more than answers..."
Jillian at LeaderFactor, 2023a)

6. Self-awareness (know your strengths and weaknesses and how to handle them effectively; able to self-assess; valuing feedback is a way of improving, continually learning, reshaping yourselves, etc; have a sense of humour and be willing to laugh at yourself; be authentic, ie being yourself and not trying to be someone else; linked with courage and empathy, etc).

7. Courage (have a positive impact through words, actions and behaviours; willing to stand up for what you believe in; willing to have the difficult conversations; having the strength to be vulnerable, ie you realise that you don't have all the answers, solutions, etc and are willing to seek out alternative views that could be contrary to yours; willing to do the right thing and not necessarily the most popular thing, eg understand and support marginalised groups, ie
"...it is at the margins where interesting things happen; the new ideas are forged and where actual, real leadership happens, because that is where the status quo is challenged and new ways of being and thinking about the world are modelled and discussed..."
Yves Rees as quoted by Kirsten Ferguson, 2023

By responding constructively to disruptive ideas and bad news, you will send a clear signal that you encourage candour and will protect people who dissent.

8. Empathy (understand how others feel; genuinely care about other people's well-being; put people at the centre of your decision-making; treat others with respect; ability to build trust, respect, etc; focus on others' best interests; demonstrate care for others; able to accommodate many different points of view; , etc)
NB It is about getting the balance right between the mind and heart; there is no one way suitable to all situations; being aware of your limitations, ie
"...Being aware of your limitations