six qualities of a leadership DNA

Leadership can be different from person to person depending on their leadership make up. Each one of us has a leadership DNA that consists of our experiences (leadership learning), attitudes (philosophies) and how we want to make a difference in the lives of others. (Relationships).

I thought about six universal leadership qualities that remain almost part of every leader personal development. 

Why development? Because every leader is on a journey to expand their leadership make up throughout their lifetime.

It’s a process that never stops as long as you are committed to relationships, big dreams and significance. 

If you are continuously working on your leadership DNA, you can always make an improvement.

So what are the six qualities of a leadership DNA?

Be committed to personal growth

As a leader you have to be the very best that you can be, because you can’t lead anybody if you can’t lead yourself. So you have to be honest with yourself about your good qualities, your bad qualities and the things you need to work on. 

Notice I mentioned the word committed. Many people get excited about starting to create a plan for growth, but only a few stick it out for the long run.

Make a daily commitment to your dreams and potential. Jim Rohn said, “If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.”

Be committed to other people’s growth

The true mark of a leader is how committed they are to the growth and development of their team. Peter Drucker once said, “There is no success without a successor.”  

If someone asks, “who made an impact on your leadership DNA?” you will probably think of someone that mentored and believed in your potential. I think the day you developed someone and they advanced their career is the day you need to celebrate the impact your leaderships has made on another person’s career.

Lead with your heart

Leading with the heart is difficult for many leaders. Some think it’s too soft and it comes across as the “nice guy finish last” attitude. It doesn’t mean that you don’t set expectations and standards. But if you lead with your heart, people figure out whether you’re genuine, whether you’re real.

Leading with your heart is what I call authentic leadership. You have to be authentic and genuine in your relationships with other people. Leading with the heart means you care about those relationship and you want to bring the best in others.

Trust the people you lead

This is another difficult quality that many leaders struggle with. It’s really about letting go, and allowing people to grow into leadership roles. At the end of the day, it’s O.K. if they make a mistake or if they fall down. Because as leaders, it’s your job to pick them back up.

Be part of something memorable

People want to be part of something memorable. People want to feel they are working toward a big dream. As a leader, you must have a relentless vision that has a story to tell. Great leaders want people to join them in their journey to make the vision a reality.

Serving the people you lead

It’s about putting the cause before yourself, and a willingness to see it through. It’s the way we live each day. My job is to lead and to make a difference. We have to be the catalysts for change, to create an environment where people can grow and prosper. It begins with a servant’s heart.