Qualities of a Leader

Based on my results, as a leader, I feel I have weakness that I have been affected by and have continuously strived to improve on. Firstly, I have faced the issue of making a problem more complicated than it really is. However, over the years, I have learned to simplify tasks and have thus achieved a far better outcome. Another weakness that I feel I have eradicated is getting defensive. During my transition from a student to a working professional, I learned that getting defensive can backfire on you. Acting defensively makes you lose your teammate’s trust and respect for you. I overcame this weakness by accepting any mistakes that I might have made, and working with my colleagues to find a solution. As a new employee, I had the weakness of not speaking up when my opinions, views, and feelings needed to be heard. This did not put my points on the table, and hence my say in the project was minimal. However, I have learned that if I let my team know my feelings, ideas, thoughts etc; it would not only strengthen the bond with the team, but also assert my role as a leader. Another weakness is getting angry/mad. Things do not always go the way you want it to. Hence, there are chances of being frustrated and angry. It is better to calm down, take a breather, and work with others to come up with a cooperative approach. In an article I read about a year ago, one very helpful tip I learned is that if you are angry with someone, regardless of the person being virtually (email, instant message, text message etc) or physically present, it is a good idea to give a response after 5 minutes. This way, you not only calm your anger down, but also might be able to think of a better solution to the problem. Under such circumstances, it is good to take your time and get back to the person. I have overcome this weakness of mine through this thinking. Always apologizing is one weakness that I am constantly working on. I apologize to my team and subordinates more than required – sometimes