Who Paves the Way? Qualities of Leaders

It is often that we ponder upon what it means to be something. As if we are expected to have an exact definition of a title that we put on ourselves or others. Let’s take a moment to forget about this concept. Forget that there is a need for an exact Webster definition.

Now think about a few people that you consider a leader in your life. Are they exact replicas of each other? No way! We guarantee their qualities, their approaches, and their demeanors differ greatly dependent on the environment and people involved. This is the beautiful thing about human beings and our ability to be individualistic. Every person, every leader, will paint a different picture.

This is reassuring for us all! This means we will all have qualities of strengths and qualities of weaknesses. This also means that we can never do or lead alone. It requires a group effort to hold each other accountable to be our best selves so others may do the same.

RISE Mentor Elizabeth Beisel makes a great statement as she mentioned in the latest RISE video on leadership… “It takes a lot of bravery to stand up to an enemy, it takes even more bravery to stand up to a friend.” TRUTH. She goes on to say that you must be able to give and receive constructive criticism. In a team or group setting, this is inevitable, there will always be conflict needing to be resolved. Although there may be one elected team captain, everyone plays a part in creating an atmosphere that is conducive to pursuing excellence daily.

We would recommend rereading the below quotes from RISE Mentors Elizabeth Beisel and Ian Crocker a couple of times. Let it sit and simmer.

“If you are somebody that’s coming to practice every day on time, you’re working hard every single day, you’re doing all right things. You bring people up, you’re there for your teammates after a race, YOU are a leader.” – Elizabeth Biesel.

“Commonly, people think of a leader as someone who gives direction to a group. While this is true, I feel that one of the most important qualities a leader can have is listening to those they are trying to lead. We can all point to the top of a mountain and say, “go there”, but through listening to your flock you can best understand the way they need the message delivered. This has a profound effect on motivation throughout the journey. – Ian Crocker

Doer, empathy, selfless, indomitable, passionate, strong-hearted, bold, respectful, honest, genuine, outspoken, intentional, grace, open-minded, example.

Think about what these qualities mean to you and how you may resemble these as your version of a leader and the next time you get the opportunity to practice embodying these key qualities do it with confidence and pride.

By: Jess Rocheleau, RISE Blog Contributor

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