What makes a Leader? When you are planning to hire a manager you cannot be sure whether or not he or she will turn out to be a superb leader. After all, the quality of true leaders is made up of five central elements, some of them are innate others can be learned. These factors do not include the characteristics traditionally associated with leadership, such as integrity, intelligence and emotional intelligence. Of course, these qualities build the basis for any success in business, however they are insufficient. True leadership requires five additional personal qualities: Positive Energy and Motivation Skills A successful leader incorporates positive energy and a mission for motivation. He spreads a strong drive to achieve optimism, even in the face of failure. Usually, such energy and the ability to motivate fellow colleagues is innate and, therefore, for have-nots difficult to learn. Both, positive energy and strong motivation skills are main characteristics of a person’s personality. Assertiveness A third characteristic of a leader is assertiveness, i.e. the ability to voice clear statements even in awkward and difficult situations. To say “yes” or “no” instead of “maybe” is a personal quality a manager can learn through personalized trainings and coaching – a specialty of MFB Resultants. In these seminars, the experts of MFB Resultants prepare managers with the necessary groundwork. Each participant is confronted with realistic scenarios in which he can apply and fine-tune his knowledge. Of course, in his daily work the executive has to prove himself. However, professional coaching will strengthen his assertiveness to a level where it will be easier for him to stand the test in his job. Persistence The fourth characteristic of a successful leader is the talent to pursue tasks and decisions until they are met. Like assertiveness persistence can be acquired through specified trainings in which experienced coaches teach the participants how to cope with the demands and challenges of daily work. Through the simulation of realistic scenarios managers learn how to successfully finish a job. Experience shows that in some cases it might be necessary for the coach to support and accompany “his” manager on the job for a limited period of time. Passion True leaders demonstrate passion for their job. They strongly motivate and integrate their team. They are in the front line and they truly believe in their job. Again, such passion is mainly innate. People with a constant desire to learn and to move forward will always be on the winning side. Conclusion Do genes make successful managers or can manager skills be acquired through hard work and specified coaching? There is no easy answer. Most likely, a combination of both is the ideal basis for a successful career in business. Choose the energetic candidate who demonstrates passion for the job and who knows how to motivate his/her fellow colleagues. Then, experienced coaches of MFBResultants can train personal qualities such as assertiveness and the ability to get things done. MFB Resultants - We Create Results