There are many aspects to being a great leader.  We believe that every leadership is  defined under only two main categories which are either skills or behavioural. This means that respect, loyalty or trust are not asked for but earned. Suffice it to say that there are no short cuts, for great leaders have integrity and truly value their people.
It is behaviour that differentiates a manager from a leader. “Leadership is a combination of strategy and character. If you must be without one, be without the strategy.” – General H. Norman Schwarz. Getting people to “Walk over hot coals for you” is simple but I did not say it was easy. It requires unswerving dedication to the task. It requires truly valuing people as people, not as a commodity. It requires trusting people. It requires empowerment of people. It requires an understanding that if people are stretching themselves they will sometimes make mistakes.
It requires coaching and supporting them to learn from their mistakes. You might be reading this and questioning the validity of what I am saying. True leaders really are in the service of their people. True leaders act with integrity and in doing so they establish trust. True leaders genuinely value their people and in doing so they create loyalty. True leaders are in the business of assisting people realise their full potential and in doing so they inspire excellence. Every one of us is a leader in our own right.
Whether we lead an entire company, or a team of people, or a group of friends, or our families, or just ourselves, we are all leaders in some form or fashion. Whatever size our circle of influence may be today, if we work to improve as leaders, that circle of influence will enlarge.
True leaders know who they are and what they stand for. They know their values and the rules they will abide by, regardless of the circumstances they face. They allow their people to understand the values they are committed to uphold, which lays a foundation for the rules their people will be expected to adhere to.
True leaders both know and communicate their values openly with the people they lead, creating an atmosphere of certainty and trust. True leaders have integrity which is the very core of their influence. Living the values they profess to believe is what gives them credibility and allows others to place their trust in them. They are able to say “do as I do” rather than just “do as I say”, because they lead by example.
They work right alongside the people they lead in order to get to know and care about the people they are leading. Working with people allows leaders to lift and inspire their team, listen without being condescending.
They are willing to hear what others have to say without rushing to judgment. They are patient and genuine in their desire to understand the thoughts and feelings of the people they lead.True leaders are forthright with their people. They communicate openly and often.
True leaders take the time to communicate often to their team in order to show that their team is valued and important to them. They understand that they have an obligation to communicate directly with their people so they never allow a void that someone with mal-intent can fill. True leaders reprimand their people from a place of love and a genuine desire to help them improve.
They reprimand without anger, and they relay feedback in a direct, yet kind and respectful way. Even when they see a bad behaviour needing to be corrected, they do not view the person doing the behaviour as a bad person. They listen and attempt to understand what led to that person making the mistake or exhibiting the bad behavior in order to understand the underlying cause that needs correction.
True leaders understand that when persons  feel valued and cared for by their leader, they will be far more willing to take the feedback and implement the needed changes. They understand that no value comes from the use of sarcasm, beating around the bush, or sugar coating things that need to be communicated. They understand that using those things breaks people’s trust and leaves them feeling uncertain or belittled, which ultimately lead to harbouring bad feelings toward their leader, none of which inspire a desire to change or improve their own behaviour.
True leaders do not control their people, they inspire them to do great things. They give them the values and rules, which set the boundaries to operate within. Then they encourage people to go out and make choices on their own.
True leaders understand that employees cannot grow and progress until they are given the freedom to make choices, to try things, and yes, even to make a few mistakes so they can learn  and improve. Effective communication is important, but it requires more than just a basic oral or written transaction between two people.
Good leaders facilitate genuine conversations, meaningful human -to -human connections and bring people together to work and gain agreement in order to achieve goals. Quite simply, strong leaders walk the walk and talk the talk. In other words, they model the same behaviour they expect from their teams.
It is important for leaders to be aware of their own strengths, weaknesses, tendencies, preferences and other personality traits  because these characteristics have a significant impact on how they behave and interact with others. Leaders with high levels of self-awareness can consciously influence situations and positively affect the people.
Leaders that are not self-aware make decisions and behave in ways that can lead to undesirable or negative consequences. True leaders delegate. They give important and specific tasks to their people that will allow their people to learn and grow in their positions.
Often times it would be far easier for the leader to simply do the task themselves. They could get it done more quickly, effectively, and exactly to their liking. However, true leaders understand that doing so allows no growth for the people they are leading, and therefore they see their greatest role as a delegator and a teacher to the people they lead.
They  are not afraid to make demands from  the people they lead,  understanding  that it is a mistake to be too soft, just as it is a mistake to be too harsh. They have the courage to direct people in the work that needs to get accomplished, expressing their belief in the people’s abilities, delegating duties, and teaching and correcting their people along the way. They help people grow by making reasonable but real demands.
They do not assign people tasks that are beyond their ability, but only assign such tasks that cause people to stretch themselves. They recognise the possibilities of what their team can accomplish and they motivate each person to recognise their potential. True leaders use their time wisely. That does not mean they can not take time for leisure and fun, it simply means they do their best not to waste the time they have.
They are selfless and they work tirelessly to help make their team a success. “True leaders understand that leadership is not about them but about those they serve. It is not about exalting themselves but about lifting others up.”  –Sherry Dew. We all have room to improve as leaders, but our ultimate goal should be the same: To be leaders who are loved, admired, and respected by the people we lead as we motivate and inspire  people to achieve their full potential.

Harry writes from Port Harcourt.