Former eBay CEO and President Meg Whitman (Photo credit: commonwealth.club)
There are many successful women in business – and the majority of them maintain these same 7 leadership characteristics. If you want to be successful in business, you need to focus on these same characteristics – and many of them can be developed over time.
1. Communicative. If you want to be successful, you need to know how to communicate. This is a focus on many levels, including with your peers, your managers as well as those that you manage. Verbal and written communication skills are important because there will be times when you have to communicate in both forms.
2. Outspoken. There will be times when you need to speak your mind – even if what’s on your mind goes against what the others in the room are saying. Some of the most successful women in the world got to where they are today by speaking up and going against what the norm was. You may be able to reach success by doing the same – as long as you pick the time and place to do so.
3. Creative. What do you offer that others don’t? Some of the best leaders, male and female, have reached levels of success because they were able to think outside the box. This goes for being creative with the way you look at your everyday tasks, how you present material and even how you motivate your team.
4. Driven. Be sure that you have clear goals. Every successful woman out there was driven to be where she is today. If you don’t have any kind of ambition as to what you want to do in life, it will be hard to figure out where you want to go or how you plan to get there.
5. Organized. Every good leader is organized. You can’t be expected to lead others – or want others to follow you – if you cannot stay organized. Be sure that your thoughts are organized and you have a clear plan before you present it to anyone. The more organized you are, the more people will want to follow you.
6. Team-oriented. The best leaders are those who are looking to train others to replace them. The motto is always to teach someone how to do your job so it will be possible for you to move up. The most successful female leaders are team-oriented – ensuring everyone on their team is benefiting from things around them, learning and getting credit for what is being done. When you have a good team around you and your focus is on the team, it will ultimately make you a better leader.
7. Competent. Above-all, the most successful women in business are competent. This doesn’t just mean well-educated. It also means knowing the material inside and out. You can become competent within your industry by learning about the trends going on within it and knowing about what the other companies in the industry are doing. Trade magazines and the internet can be helpful for you to improve your level of competency.
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