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Published on April 18, 2008

chantana sukumanont

chantana.sukumanont

@sccc.co.th

The answer is: "Probably not."

Some are born leaders, while others stumble on leadership because of their seniority. A few earn it on the merit of their performance.

Once you are there, however, there are many little tips to becoming a better leader.

Leaders should turn the hierarchy upside down and hold open discussions with employees who give valuable feedback. They must remove boundaries and listen to people who actually do the work.

They must maintain high morale and encourage their team to innovate while helping them stay positive in tough times.

Leaders must confront the consequences of their decisions. They must not hide from mistakes or blame them on subordinates.

Experience has taught me there are two essentials to leadership.

One is the ability to dream.

Ambitions and an expansive vision are the hallmarks of a great leader. While many people have great ambitions and ideas, only a few make their dreams come true. The key to realising one's dream is the other essential to leadership: change.

People change as a result of their own thoughts rather than criticism and analysis from others. Having the right mindset is the most effective path to change. People will come up with optimal performance options, which can be managed in such a way that they feel responsible.

Finally, one must learn and put that knowledge into practice.

Every day brings new lessons. It makes a lot of sense to learn from masters and periodically practice.

Jack Welch, one of the most famous chief executives of this era, said the mindset of managers involves accepting compromise, keeping things tidy and breeding complacency. Leaders, however, raise issues, debate and resolve them. Leaders must rally around a vision of what a business can become.