Welcome to the SoPro sofa series

Be optimistic no matter what the circumstances
Value your people. They are the organisation
Treat everyone you meet with respect and dignity

To know when to talk and when to listen. You never get any knowledge from talking. So many times I have been in so called conversations where the other party is simply waiting for me to stop talking, so they can start, all the time they have not heard a single word I have been saying. I find it often suits me to have almost one-way conversations, where I allow the other party to fill the silences.

Very, very few people can handle the truth. It is important to remember this, because sometimes it is in the wider interest to deliver only the version of the truth they can accept.

1. Attentive listener. The truly gifted leader is able to actively listen to what their team is saying, even if what is being said is hard to take, they will welcome feedback and will strive to listen to exactly what is being said to them. A gifted leader works on their listening abilities every day and with every encounter to try to improve.
2. Empathy for other people. If you can truly put yourself in another’s person’s shoes you can help support their growth and give them an environment in which they can thrive. It overcomes the fundamental attribution error and allows the gifted leader to understand the impact and triggers that might be affecting their team’s performance. Without empathy, no trust and no bond can be built.
3. Courage to help people find their place. This is very important in order to provide truthful and accurate feedback to help someone grow as a professional and a person. This trait helps a leader have difficult and necessary conversations with people out of consideration for the individual, the team and the organisation.

Hope this helps!

I am not an expert in this field but below are my three cents:
• Gifted leader knows how to execute and make things happen. They can get jobs done, turning an idea into reality.
• They have the ability to build a team and then hold the team together during difficult testing times.
• Gifted leaders are good listeners. Active listening detects problems and helps with their early resolution. But listening is also caring and caring, provides a healthy work environment.

Put simply, they are resilience, perseverance and belief. Whether or not you are starting a new enterprise or simply are trying to grow an exiting one, obstacles will emerge at different points. How you tackle these will often determine whether or not you are successful A in-built resilience will enable you to be ready for all challenges that lie ahead and alongside a desire underpinned by perseverance, you will be able to drive forward and deliver success. Passion is what makes you stand out and helps you reach for the stars. With it, you stand out from the crowd and bring those with you along on your journey to success,

1) Vision – Be clear on what you want to achieve, what is most important to you.
2) Identity – Be secure in who you are. Often routed in your values. Take some time to consider these. Without this you can be blown around by the wishes of others.
3) Purpose – Apply vision and identity into action. Don’t just think, but do something. Even if you do the wrong thing, you’ll know not to do that same thing next time. It’s still learning.
Apply these top yourself and to those you lead.

Ability to let the team shape your vision into operational reality.

Always be asking the question “how does the customer see this?”

Communicate the strategy into nuggets of wisdom that are actionable.

1. Surround yourself with gifted people and then empower them to use their gifts and skills for the benefit of your organisation

2. Keep learning – “every day is a school day” don’t rest on old knowledge but learn new skills and gain new insights

3. Share conversations with people at all levels in your organisation, you’ll be surprised at what you can pick up, and always remember we were blessed with two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak

1. Have humility – be willing to hire people smarter and better than you, and then make sure you listen to them
2. Create clarity – define the one or two wildly important goals for the business and make sure everybody is working towards them
3. Give space – trust that if you take care of your team, they will take care of the customers and ultimately the business

In my experience, the top 3 traits of a gifted leader are, (i) the ability to not only talk-the-talk but, more importantly, to walk-the-walk; leading by example, (ii) to have a calmness of mind and inspirational outlook that draws others forwards even when the going gets tough, and (iii) to be humble, recognising and praising others rather than seeking glory oneself.