Thread by @SaveYourSons

10 often-overlooked qualities of a leader

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1. Leaders eliminate despair

Despair is a killer. Nothing kills a dream faster than a steadfast belief that it is impossible to achieve. Countless companies, teams, and armies have failed not because of an unsound strategy, but because their leaders allowed despair to take root.

2. Leaders have a vision

You must know what you’re out to achieve. You must fully define the mark you'll leave on the world. Nothing can be accomplished if it isn’t first imagined. So you must construct your vision, and you must be able to communicate it captivatingly.

3. Leaders know talent

A strong leader has an eye for talent and an intimate understanding of what talent they need. Define the traits that will lead to success. Define the shared values that will get you there efficiently. Then find those people, and sell them your vision.

4. Leaders don’t solve problems, they frame them

You’ve recruited the best people. You’ve assigned them their roles. Now you must trust them to do their part. You sabotage their growth if you solve their every problem. Help them understand the problem, then let them be great.

5. Leaders have empathy

And empathy is so much more than understanding feelings. Fully actualized empathy entails a fully actualized understanding of your team. What are their strengths? Their weaknesses? Their fears? Their dreams? What motivates and drains them? A leader knows.

6. Leaders see the future

You are the chess master. You constantly look several moves ahead, masterfully dancing between action and reaction. You must determine what's possible and what's likely. And you must know how you'll react when the future arrives.

7. Leaders leverage

Capital, time, people, and focus. Those are your resources. And as a leader you must leverage them all. Leverage the strengths of your people. Add fuel to their flames. Leverage their focus by iterating. Leverage their time by creating processes and systems.

8. Leaders give credit

Leaders give credit when things go well. And they take responsibility when things don't. This give and take is critical in building your team's trust. It proves to them you have their back, so they'll confidently run through a brick wall for your vision.

9. Leaders allocate resources

Your resources are precious. Capital, time, people, focus: these are the very means by which you’ll achieve your vision. As the leader it's up to you how they will be deployed. So how should you deploy them? With diligence and intention, always.

10. Leaders know what NOT to do

There are always a thousand things you COULD do. Shiny new objects appear frequently to tempt and strain your focus. A leader knows what initiatives will make the largest strides toward their vision. And a leader says no far more often than yes.

The most important team you'll ever lead is your family.

And these qualities apply to that role as well. Save Your Sons is preparing young men for fatherhood. Our vision is to end the plague of fatherlessness currently ravaging our society.

And we can't do it alone. We are far stronger together than apart.

You can join our mission by visiting saveyoursons.com and subscribing to our mailing list. There you'll get updates about what we're working on and how you can help.

Thank you as always for reading.