Stephen H Baum Leadership

LEADERSHIP TRAITS FOR SUCCESS

A START

I only recently was sent an article on child-raising by of National Geographic, published in October of 2014. In the article, Margaret Del Guidice reports on an educational effort by Angela Duckworth and her team to devise strategies to help students learn how to work hard and adapt in the face of temptation, distraction, and defeat. They seek the connection between traits and accomplishment. Duckworth’s findings are that grit is the key. She and others also cite self-control as a second key. The article link is below:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/10/141015-angela-duckworth-success-grit-psychology-self-control-science-nginnovators/

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In my experience, Duckworth is right, but the list is longer of traits that keep leaders calm under duress, persist in the face of long odds, engage followership and get the job done.

The list includes:

• Grit (the ability to persevere over a long period despite obstacles and setbacks)
• Self- Control (not allowing oneself to be triggered into an emotional state that takes you over)
• Principles (it is a lot easier to find True North in a situation if you have your own)
• Empathy (the ability to understand where others are in their thinking, emotions and what matters most to them)
• Recognizing and avoiding toxic people

There may be others, but these lead the list.

That’s just my view. What’s yours?

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