Posted on by Max Herrera

15 Qualities of Successful Leaders

In this post we will highlight the qualities of successful leaders. As I’ve commented previously in The 7 Attributes of Leadership, when I have to evaluate someone for hiring, I always try to identify leadership qualities, because people with such traits perform and coordinate a lot better than simple people. In short, what I look for is people with potential, people who is hungry for more, people able to grow and evolve. And these people can be identified because they have the traits or characteristics of leaders. Besides, as time goes by, these traits will also strengthen the leader’s role in the company. Therefore, we have to know that a successful leader is…

1) A hard worker: Leaders must show a strong commitment to work, they should lead by example, work hard (and harder and hardest), and verify that their groups stay focused on the proper tasks and are always moving towards the business’ goals. Leading by example is especially important: leaders can’t request further commitment from their groups unless they lead by example. However, leading by example doesn’t mean that leaders should end up micromanaging and usurping their teams’ tasks. Working hard is the best way to lead by example, but everyone in the organization must work on their level, according to their responsibilities. And you, as a leader, must distribute tasks in a proper fashion. On the other hand, a leader should be able to live a balanced life, to reconcile his professional career with other roles (familiar, social, etc.) Successful leaders must demonstrate to their employees that it is perfectly possible to harmonize a very dedicated professional attitude with a rich private life. The excitement, the energy, the illusion that requires a successful leadership stems only from a rich, entertaining and varied personal lifestyle. In summary, a successful leader is a person who knows how to enjoy life’s pleasures.

Leadership qualities

2) Persevering: True leaders set realistic goals. A realistic goal is accessible and can be achieved in a reasonable time span. Leaders should avoid dispersing their energy: they should focus all of their energy on two or three well-defined and realistic goals. Successful leaders know that higher goals might be difficult to achieve in a short time span, and therefore, they lead their team to advance little by little, step by step, towards the great goal. True leaders know that success stems from sustained effort. Obstacles faced by organizations are numerous: only perseverance will allow to succeed in the long run. Therefore, leaders must also promote resilience within the organization. Resilience and perseverance are intertwined: the idea is to keep going further, no matter the adversities (sometimes, of course, we have to alter our approaches, but the idea is to never give up and go little by little, conquering small goals in each step.)

Success will never be a big step in the future; success is a small step taken just now (Jonatan Mårtensson.)

3) Flexible: Energy flows continually, systems fight against entropy, everything changes. Today’s facts may turn useless tomorrow. Leaders have to be aware of the dynamics of energy and systems around them. Flexibility means adaptation, and adaptation, in turn, means intelligence. Furthermore, employees have their own criteria and sometimes their criteria might be more accurate than the leader’s. Those leaders who are always entrenched in their opinions are doomed to fail, and convey an aura of arrogance that will lose them the sympathy of their groups. Real leaders are not afraid to change their point of view or accept the opinion of a subordinate: that’s no sign of weakness. On the contrary, it would project an image of an open person… flexible leaders will increase their prestige among employees. In this case, though, balance is also a key issue. Being flexible does not mean you will always change your point of view to match your subordinates’ opinion. Being flexible means to listen. Successful leaders listen to everybody, then make a decision. Summarizing, flexibility amounts to sensing your environment (listening, observing, reading), followed by a proper adaptation.

4) Self-controlled: Leaders are the referents of an organization, and as such they should be able to control their emotions, especially in difficult times. Successful leaders must appeal to their resilience, in order to endure and overcome negative events (if leaders fall, the entire organization will likely collapse.) The leader has to be strong, capable of displaying and conveying serenity and tranquility in the hardest times. Remember that leaders largely determine the mood of an organization, and if the leader is optimistic, lively, and energetic, the organization will be in the mood to overcome adversities. If, however, the leader is pessimistic or depressed (and he shows his gloomy mood), the organization will sink. Successful leaders learn (through experience) how to “bounce back” and cope with stress and adversity. This is a skill which should be honed from early stages, and valued as gold.

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Posted on by Max Herrera

Leaders, Energy and Success

It’s an obvious statement that physical energy is required for entrepeneurship. Thanks to such physical energy we are able to demonstrate resilience, willpower and perseverance. On the other hand, intellectual energy fuels the process of discovering solutions to problems and enforcing other shades of thought. It’s also very important to highlight the role of intellectual energy in the support of emotional energy, i.e., our thoughts exert a heavy influence in our emotions (you may want to read Learning to believe in order to review some nuances of the relation between thought and emotion.) On turn, emotional energy drives all of our actions, and also, in a kind of loop, provides feedback for thought and physical systems. For instance, when we are loaded with positive energy, happiness and optimism, we convey our powerful and constructive emotional force to our projects and all the people involved in them. Sound emotional energy boosts our best feelings and opens the door to success.

Leaders radiate their happiness, and convey energy rather than absorbing it. People wishing to achieve success and raising to the top must be full of positive energy, and project it to the things they do. Willpower alone is not enough; it must be accompanied by a good deal of energy to undertake new businesses and projects, and to bear any hurdles along the way. Energy, when effectively conveyed to other people, allows us to lead them positively. Leaders are, in essence, sources of energy, and people will follow a true leader if they feel enhanced, relaxed and supported by their leader’s energy.

Posted on by Max Herrera

Short-term Goals to Enhance your Leadership

As a leader, honing your skills and continually striving for improvement is essential. Previously I explained the 7 Attributes of Leadership. Now here are some practical suggestions and short-term goals you can set to enhance your leadership traits:

  1. Effective Communication: Practice active listening, ask for feedback, and clearly articulate your vision and expectations. Remember that, in essence, effective communication for a leader encompasses the ability to convey messages clearly and unambiguously, actively listen to others, show empathy towards team members’ perspectives, align non-verbal cues with verbal messages to convey sincerity and confidence (this is very important and oftenly overlooked), offer and receive feedback constructively, adapt communication styles to suit different audiences, maintain transparency to build trust and credibility, ensure consistency in messages to avoid confusion, encourage dialogue for open communication and idea sharing, resolve conflicts calmly and constructively, and create a positive work environment that fosters collaboration and productivity through honest, open, and respectful communication practices (you may want to set a goal to hold regular check-ins with your team to foster open communication).
  2. Lead by Example: In short: be a role model for your team by demonstrating the behavior and work ethic you expect from them. Leading by example means showing others how to act and behave by doing those things yourself. Leaders who lead by example are like superheroes who always do the right thing first, so others can see and follow them. Leaders will set a good path for others to follow by doing good things themselves. Thereby make a goal to showcase your values through your actions every day.
  3. Embrace Diversity: Encourage diverse perspectives within your team by actively seeking out input from different team members. This means welcoming and appreciating people from different backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives. It’s like having a big box of crayons with many colors, and each color is unique and special. Leaders who embrace diversity understand that everyone brings something different and valuable to the team, just like how each color makes a beautiful picture. They listen to different ideas, respect everyone’s differences, and make sure that everyone feels included and heard. By embracing diversity, leaders create a team where everyone feels accepted, respected, and valued for who they are, making the group stronger and more successful together. In essence, a great leader will create an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued.
  4. Develop Emotional Intelligence: Work on understanding your emotions and those of others, and learn to handle conflicts with emotional intelligence. Developing emotional intelligence involves understanding and managing your own emotions as well as being aware of and empathetic towards others’ emotions. One way to work on this is by practicing active listening, where you focus on what someone is saying without interrupting and try to understand their feelings. For example, when a friend is sad, you can listen to them and offer support without judging. Another way is to reflect on your own emotions and reactions to different situations. For instance, when you feel angry, take a moment to think about why you’re feeling that way and how you can respond calmly. By being mindful of both your own emotions and those of others, you can improve your emotional intelligence over time.
  5. Delegate Responsibilities: Trust your team members with tasks and empower them to make decisions. You should delegate more effectively by matching tasks to team members’ strengths: effective delegation as a leader involves assigning tasks to team members based on their strengths, skills, and interests while providing clear guidelines and expectations. For example, if you have a team member who excels at graphic design, you could delegate a project requiring those skills to them. Communication is key – clearly outline the task, deadlines, and desired outcome. Check in periodically to offer support and guidance but also allow autonomy and trust in your team’s abilities. By delegating responsibilities effectively, you empower team members, increase productivity, and foster a sense of ownership and accountability within the team.
  6. Continuous Learning: Commit to lifelong learning and stay updated on industry trends and developments. Attend leadership workshops, read leadership books, or take online courses. For a leader, continuous learning involves seeking knowledge and insights from various sources to enhance their skills and decision-making abilities. Studying classics like “The Art of War” allows leaders to gain timeless wisdom and strategic thinking applicable to modern-day challenges. By delving into such seminal works, leaders can extract valuable lessons on leadership, conflict resolution, and decision-making that can be adapted and applied in their own roles. For example, Sun Tzu’s principles in “The Art of War” can offer insights on strategic planning, understanding competition, and the importance of adaptability in leadership scenarios. Wisdom is your goal.
  7. Build Relationships: Invest time in building strong relationships with your team members. You might need to schedule one-on-one meetings to get to know each team member better. It’s also very important to build a powerful network of contacts.
  8. Encourage Innovation: Support creativity and innovation within your team by creating a safe space for sharing new ideas and experimenting with different approaches. As a leader, you can boost innovation in your organization by creating a culture that values creativity, experimentation, and collaboration. Encourage open communication channels where ideas are welcomed and employees feel empowered to share their thoughts. Provide resources and support for innovation initiatives, such as dedicated time for research and development projects, training programs, and access to technology. Inspire your team to think outside the box and drive innovation across the organization.
  9. Provide Recognition: Acknowledge and appreciate your team’s hard work and achievements. Learn to give specific, timely feedback and recognize individual and team accomplishments. Specially, and related to the previous goal, recognize and reward innovative thinking to motivate employees and reinforce a culture of continuous improvement.
  10. Time Management: Improve your time management skills to prioritize tasks effectively and avoid burnout. Set a goal to create a daily schedule that allows time for strategic planning and personal development.
  11. Conflict Resolution: Develop strategies for resolving conflicts within your team. As a leader, developing effective conflict resolution strategies involves several key steps. First, create an open and supportive environment: cultivate open communication within your team to encourage members to express concerns and issues freely. Then listen actively to all parties involved in the conflict to understand their perspectives and feelings. At this point, you’ll have to identify the root cause of the problem: get to the core of the conflict by understanding the underlying issues causing tension or disagreements. An effective approach to solve organizational conflicts is encouraging collaboration, allowing team members to work together to find a mutually agreeable solution. Facilitate discussions and brainstorming sessions to resolve conflicts. A truly great leader acts as a mediator to help guide the resolution process. Encourage team members to focus on problem-solving rather than blame. It’s also important to set clear expectations: clearly outline team goals, roles, and responsibilities to prevent future conflicts arising from misunderstandings. Finally, check in with team members after the conflict has been resolved to ensure that the solution is working effectively. Provide support and guidance if needed.
  12. Lead with Integrity: Uphold ethical standards and be transparent in your decision-making. Consistently act with honesty and integrity, even in challenging situations, in order to build trust. Demonstrating honesty and integrity fosters trust among team members and stakeholders. Trust is essential for effective communication, collaboration, and overall team performance. It also sets a positive example, as leaders serve as role models for their teams. By upholding ethical values even in difficult times, you’ll inspire others to follow suit and maintain high standards of behavior. Acting with honesty and integrity will also enhance your credibility. It ensures that your decisions and actions are respected and trusted by others, even in challenging or uncertain circumstances. Besides, being honest and acting with integrity promotes transparency and truth within the organization. This helps in building a culture of openness and accountability, which leads to better problem-solving and decision-making. Don’t forget that a consistent adherence to ethical principles builds a foundation for long-term success. It helps in creating a positive work environment, retaining top talent, and fostering a strong organizational reputation. Remember, reputation is key and once it’s lost it’s hard or impossible to regain.
  13. Seek Mentorship: Find a mentor who can provide guidance and support in your leadership journey. Seek advice from experienced leaders and learn from their insights. This is related to the sixth goal, Continuous Learning.
  14. Flexibility and Adaptability: Be open to change and ready to adapt to new circumstances. Embrace uncertainty and lead your team through transitions with resilience. Randomness is a fact of an organization’s life. Navigating uncertainty in organizational decision-making involves gathering pertinent information, employing scenario planning to prepare for various outcomes, conducting risk assessments, embracing flexibility to adapt swiftly, engaging stakeholders for diverse perspectives, developing a resilient culture, and emphasizing continuous learning to refine strategies.
  15. Self-Care: Prioritize self-care to maintain your well-being and lead effectively. Practice mindfulness, exercise regularly, and take breaks to recharge.

Finally, as a bonus, learn to visualize goals.

Posted on by Max Herrera

At the core of Leadership

Being a leader and enacting the virtues of leadership implies, mandatorily, that we have achieved success. The converse, however, is not necessarily true: reaching success does not mean we are leaders. Success is tantamount to conquering our goals. In other words, success means we have crossed the goal line.

Leadership can be defined as the will to control processes and events, to understand what is required to focus all of the involved activities in a specific direction, and to yield the power to complete tasks and distribute resources, properly harnessing and directing the abilities of each person involved in the project. Summarizing, leadership is about control, focus, and also about effective management of people and resources.

There are two kinds of leaders:

  1. Nominal Leaders: The main goal of nominal leaders is to establish, between her organization and its environment, a set of relations which allow the perfect execution of a project’s tasks. A nominal leader defines such tasks and monitors them to verify they are carried out entirely.
  2. Concrete Leaders: This kind of leader expresses and represents the perspectives of her group. It might happen that the nominal leader will not properly represent or understand the emotions of her people, and under such circumstances, a concrete leader could emerge and oppose the inpetitude of the nominal leader (and even replacing her.)

This tell us a very important fact: groups follow the person which is able to quickly and clearly connect with their emotions. Leadership is, then, also an emotional journey.

Some leaders are more effective managing small groups, instead of huge organizations. Other leaders are able to inspire great masses, but are little respected by their immediate collaborators. And there is a third group of leaders, the best leaders, whose followers are everyone: masses and close collaborators.

Regardless of the cognoscitive field a leader adresses, they have several interesting characteristic which distinguish them from everybody else. The 3 most visible characteristics of leaders are:

  1. They have achieved incredible success in their work and in their private lives; it’s often said about them that they have the Midas touch.
  2. They seem to own an unlimited luck.
  3. They are rich, and they are getting richer (even right now).

There exists a wrong belief about leadership being a hereditary, genetic issue. And some people think being a successful, real leader is a matter of luck. Nothing further from the truth. Leadership has to be built, has to be shaped, and (very important) has to be mantained. And there’s always room for improvement.

All of we are able to achieve professional success. But we have to study, we have to observe, we have to learn which are the traits of leaders and the keys for success. Obviously, success can be achieved, taught and learnt: we have to reshape a set of our behaviors, and suit them to the profile of a successful person. We have previously touched upon 3 visible traits of leaders. Now it’s time to delve into this point. And now we’ll discuss the two key traits of leaders:

Motivation

Leaders are like tireless motivation machines. Leaders are continuosly motivating themselves, and they renew their motivations easily, almost effortlessly. Leaders communicate and convey their motivation to the people around them. Leader are always motivated, and always motivating their people.

Perseverance

And motivation is the fuel for the kernel of success: perseverance. They are entrepeneurs and innovators. Generally, successful people have faced harsh beginnings. What distinguishes them is their faith in what they are doing, in what they are pursuing. Leaders believe. Leaders insist in their projects, goals and tasks. They set realistic tasks, and they fight over and over until fully completing each one of such tasks. How many times do common people abandon their startups at the first view of difficulties? How many projects are never realized just because of plain laziness? It’s in that initial moment of doubt when leaders raise above the crowd. Leaders keep going forward, because they are relentless fighters. Note that leaders are perseverant in work and effective use of their resources. Perseverance without a rational application of forces and use of resource will only lead to an utter failure.

And what’s life but a struggle against the chaotic forces of the universe? Leaders are the warriors who are able to tame those chaotic trends 😉 If you want to understand more about Leadership, you may also like reading our classic post, The 7 Attributes of Leadership.

Posted on by Max Herrera

Innovation: A Path to Personal Growth

Herman Melville said: “It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation“. I totally agree. Let’s try. Let’s pursue innovation and originality. Most of time, our inner fears lie in failure… the fear to fail. In itself, fear is not that bad. It reminds us of dangers and the possibility of losses, and motivates us to think our actions carefully. But fear should be controlled. Fear should not paralyze us. I’ll try that idea in which I believe. I believe in myself, in my ideas, and thereby, I’ll pursue my goals, my projects. The process of trying is, already, our first reward. Let’s enjoy it.

At the core of innovation lies the courage to challenge the status quo, to question established norms, and to push the boundaries of what is deemed possible. It is a mindset that embraces experimentation, embraces risk-taking, and embraces the unknown, recognizing that true progress is often born out of stepping beyond the confines of familiarity. When individuals embrace innovation in their lives, they open themselves up to a world of endless possibilities, where creativity flourishes and new horizons beckon.

One of the greatest obstacles to innovation is the fear of failure. Our inner fears often manifest as doubts and hesitations, whispering cautionary tales of potential setbacks and disappointments. However, it is essential to understand that failure is not the end but rather a stepping stone on the path to success. Embracing failure as a natural part of the innovation process allows individuals to learn, adapt, and grow, gaining valuable insights that pave the way for future breakthroughs.

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Posted on by Max Herrera

Building a Network of Contacts

There are plenty of available jobs in the market, and there also are a lot companies recruiting right now, but it is possible that those job openings are never advertised or published in newspapers or on the Internet. Further, important or high-rank job openings are rarely advertised. How to approach this hidden job market? Certainly, it’s not enough to investigate listings of job openings. The key is word-of-mouth or networking.

Networking means building a list of contacts. Contacts are people you’ve met during your business or social activities. More often than not, such friends and acquaintances will provide you information about job openings, companies and industry leads. Moreover, they’ll introduce you to other so that you can grow your network. Therefore, it is important not only to inform them about your job search, but also give them some résumés.

This list will provide some hints about the people and organizations we should include in our network:

  • Relatives
  • Friends
  • Recruiters
  • Former Employers
  • Neighbors
  • Professional Organizations
  • Other Job Seekers
  • Academic Contacts (School, University)
  • Business Associations
  • Merchants

Organizing your Network of Contacts

Please, organize your network. Save information about your contacts in a spreadsheet or a database. Include their names, titles, company, address, phone and fax numbers, and email. It’s also important to register a few notes about the way in which any of your contacts is valuable, for instance, what do they know?, who can they refer you to?, and so on. Further, organize their business cards.

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Posted on by Max Herrera

The Winners’ Mind

What is your relation with your money? Money is a necessary thing, and to have and to win money is not a sin (rhyme intended 🙂 ). On the other hand, to live for money is not only a sin but a stupidity. We, as integral human beings, are of much more value than any material concept. This is something I insist a lot in my business seminars: look for money, but never lend your heart to money. In other words, win money, but don’t let money to win you.

Who are the Winners?

Winners are fortunate people, indeed. But except for rare cases, most of their fortune stems from hard work, and more importantly, from a sound and clear mindset. Winners have no time (nor wish) to be moaning about the “harshness of life.” Winners don’t complain about such things, because they understand that life, like a river, exhibits turbulent episodes in some parts, but caress and nourish the surrounding nature, all the way.

Positive Attitude in The Winners’ Mind

Nevertheless, all these years I’ve known a lot of people who are frequently bitching about their lack of money or general misfortune, but what they are indeed lacking is a positive attitude toward their money. Now, what does this “positive attitude” notion mean? Let’s start by answering a few questions:

  • What really are the kind of thoughts that flood our minds when we think of our money?
  • Which are the words we utter when speaking about our money and related things (such as mortgage, bank, expenses, etc.)?
  • In the past, how much success have we attained by spending and investing our money?

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Posted on by Max Herrera

What can I say in a motivational speech for a small group of people?

Here are some ideas for a motivational speech for a small group of people:

Start with an inspirational story: Begin your speech with a personal or someone else’s story that inspires and motivates your audience. The story should be relevant to the topic you are addressing.

Be authentic: Speak from the heart and be authentic in your speech. Convey your enthusiasm and passion for your topic.

Set goals: Help your audience set achievable and realistic goals. Encourage them to take concrete steps to achieve their goals and not give up in the face of difficulties.

Encourage collaboration: Encourage your audience to work together and support each other. Emphasize the importance of collaboration and building positive relationships.

End on a positive note: End your speech on a positive note, focusing on the accomplishments they can achieve if they work together and stay motivated.

Remember that your speech should be personalized and tailored to the group you are addressing. Talk about your specific challenges and goals, and provide concrete examples to help your audience visualize your success.

You may also want to take a look at my post The 7 Attributes of Leadership, to delve into the characteristics of a true leader, and get a powerful insight about leadership and some cool ideas for a motivational speech.

Posted on by Max Herrera

The 7 Attributes of Leadership

The 7 Attributes of Leadership
The 7 Attributes of Leadership

When I have to hire someone for any position in my company, I always pay close attention to the below discussed 7 attributes of leadership, because I always strive to hire people with leadership traits (even when the job is not a key managerial position.) I always want the best people, no matter the size, complexity or responsibility of the job. I know that, as time goes by, groups of workers with leadership traits perform and coordinate a lot better than simple people. And the today new assistant may hopefully become a very important director in a few years.

Furthermore, I prefer the democratic (also referred to as participative) leadership style: in this case, the leader offers guidance to the group, but also participates in the group, and promotes feedback from other members. Note that this style is not inconsistent with the view of everyone in a group acting as a leader! The democratic style is also suitable for the modern dynamic environments because it allows dealing with fast-changing circumstances. Other styles, such as authoritarian or delegative leaderships, are very harmful and obsolete.

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Posted on by Max Herrera

Working in Groups: 10 Keys for Success

Working in Groups
Working in Groups

In the following, I’ll briefly expand on the key points for achieving success when working in groups. As a result of the complex and dynamic nature of human interactions, you may find working in groups a challenging issue. In fact, the coordination and agreement required by groups is a research topic by itself (see, for instance, this research about the effectiveness of work groups in mathematics.) But the powerful rationale behind groups is the divide-and-conquer approach: a bigger workforce may lead to bigger results (but not always, and in some fields, such as software engineering, it may easily be the opposite.) In this respect, I’ll propose 10 aspects we should strive for when working with other people. You may find this discussion useful for the college, the office or life in general.

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