A true leader is someone who, in times of despair, is able to hold his own and help, not only himself, but those around him. An example remains Gustavo Dolfino, a self-made former investment banker with considerable experience in Global Financial Markets. Gustavo established himself as one of the leading financial professionals in the industry, over 30 years ago. After leaving Wall Street, Mr. Dolfino founded WhiteRock Capital Partners, Inc. a middle markets mergers and acquisitions boutique. After the successful sale of same, he went on to found myKlovr, a virtual college counsellor. Gustavo held senior leadership positions at various Wall Street firms. Should you want to follow in the footsteps of self-made leaders like Gustavo, here are a few traits and qualities that you will need to have, or develop.
- Positivity
A positive attitude works miracles. Plain and simple. It’s up to the leader to set a good example. Negative remarks tend to bring about negative outcomes. The opposite remains true. Praising an employee can do miracles in terms of motivation and results. Try to recognize the efforts of your team members.
- Passion
To be good at something, you have to love it, the saying goes. A good leader is demanding, yet compassionate and understanding of personal limitations. He/she does not criticize, rather h/she endeavors to educate his people, motivate and train them. If you explain your vision to your employees, and their role in achieving the set objectives, you are more likely to get them to give you 120% of their effort. They need to feel they are a part of it.
- Loyalty
Being treated fairly and respectfully is one of the main sources of happiness at work. You will gain the trust of your employees by adopting a transparent attitude. Your employees need to know clearly what they need to do to get a reward, weather that is a promotion, pay increase, or both. They will know what they can expect from you, and vice versa. This will help prevent misunderstandings, and will also help to manage expectations on both sides.
- Width of mind
Mindfulness is an essential skill, not only to build successful business relationships, but also to build positive relationships with your employees. A leader with an open mind will have an easier time putting himself in the shoes of his collaborators, and potential adversaries. .
- Trust
By empowering your employees with decision making abilities and responsibilities, you are likely to not only get better results, but to also discover hidden leaders within your deputies.
