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Ngonidzashe Taruvinga
First of all how can we define a leader? Can we say that it is a person who is selected by people to lead a certain group, or can we say it is merely a special somebody who is naturally born a leader. A leader can be anyone from any race, society, sex or culture. But there are many types of leaders and all fall either into the good or bad categories in psychological terms, a leader is someone who has social or political influence in which; he or she can enlist the support of others in the accomplishment of a common task.

Daniel Goleman, an American psychologist, science journalist and author, once stated that “effective leaders are distinguished by a high degree of emotional intelligence, which includes self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skill”.

This is very true but not all leaders in the world have these qualities and it is quite rare to find one leader with all of them.
Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions and those of the people around you.

Some say being a leader is one of the most difficult roles. On the other hand, it can be one of the easiest tasks depending on your capabilities. Anyone can be a leader but not everyone can be an exceptional one.

There are certain skills one has to acquire to be an extraordinary leader. You must have good attitude towards your colleagues and/or workers. Imagine yourself being part of an organisation or group.

How do you prefer your leader to talk to you? Do you prefer him or her to talk to you in a sympathetic and respectable way or you are happy when he is harsh towards you.

The answer is you prefer him or her being sympathetic and respectful. That is basically the same way you should address your workers or team.
Communicate often with your colleagues, take time to listen carefully and understand their needs and ideas.

At the same time talk to them clearly in a way they understand and be concerned about their families are or their personal being. When you brainstorm for ideas, consult those you lead and try to reach a conclusion together but remembering that there are times when you make the final decision.

Appreciate what they do and give praise when they have worked hard. Be truthful if they have made mistakes. One important leadership skill is to lead by example in all the things you do.

Practise what you preach. Do not expect people to work hard when you do not even contribute much to the group effort or team. Be influential, lead by example and demonstrate how things are done. Stick to your word and be realistic. Have a good strategic plan. Although most leaders are expected to be strategists, most leaders lack skills in strategic planning. Without skills in strategic planning few leaders will succeed. A good leader must be willing to learn new things from other people. A learning mind will not miss an opportunity to increase knowledge, gain experience and new skills to teach others.

For a leader to import knowledge he or she has to acquire the knowledge first. A good should not be too cosy with those he supposed to lead. Being too cosy and close should not be confused with being too interactive and consultative, two things which are essential in progressive leadership.
Also a good leader should not be afraid to make decisions him or her believes in.

My thoughts are; leaders are not born but are made. Do not just lead, but also strive for excellence.