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27 Jun 2020
5 Min Read
Rodric Chan (Guest Contributor)
What qualities do you look for in a leader? The Risers’ ambassador, Rodric writes three essential traits to be a good leader.
Many people seem to think that leadership is confined to those who are outspoken. But, that’s not always the case. Being a content creator and having a company of my own called 'Daily Filmmaker Studio', I definitely took some inspiration from several figures when it comes to leadership.
According to Stephen W.C, the author of ‘How to Become Your Own Boss’, there are three core values a leader ought to have — vision, integrity and compassion.
First things first, I start by having a clear vision. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a soft-spoken or outspoken person, you need to have clarity of mind. Clarity can be observed through means of self-reflection. Try taking some space and time off to express yourself. Things to ask yourself during reflections include how, why, when, who, and where can you get your inspiration from. Figuring these things out will provide you with the clarity of vision.
With that, your bad habits will be set aside and we’ll be motivated to achieve our set goals! This means you will be able to deliver speeches when needed, meet deadlines when requested, and over-deliver when not needed! You get the point.
Back in 2015, I vividly remembered wishing to become an influential person one day. I noticed one of Taylor’s signboards and was inspired by people who are high achievers in life — from winning top spots at Maybank competitions to operating startup companies. I aspired to be one of those people on the billboards, posters, and banners! Why? I wanted to be useful in society and inspire people to achieve greatness together. Fast forward today, I’m now one of The Risers’ ambassadors where I get to share my experiences with Taylor’s community.
Next, you must have integrity. Being honest and true to who you are the best part of being yourself. You need to prove that you’re dependable and reliable through your actions, and before you know it, people will look to you as their role model. It is then our responsibility to guide them and help them however we can. To me, integrity comes when you are held accountable for your actions.
You need to choose what is right for you, or in other words, have a moral compass. Helping people out when they are in need of assistance is an example. Practice helping a few friends first and when you get better at helping others, you will ultimately reach part 3 of leadership which is compassion.
Another aspect that makes a good leader is someone who is compassionate. This is one of the reasons why many leaders are looked up upon.
Generally, I look up to Ellen Degeneres who has shown humanitarian values by helping people in need through charity and massive rapport. Personally, I try to help people to the best extent I possibly can.
I have a friend who struggled with daily tasks including waking up on time to attend classes as she suffers from a form of mental health. I wanted to help her out as a friend and to prevent her from being overly critical of herself. I eventually got her to sign up to join a club at Taylor’s to keep her motivated! It makes me happy knowing I’ve personally moved someone in life and that motivates me to be better.
I’ve also taken great admiration towards the works and content from a motivational speaker, Grant Cardone. He is a tycoon sales expert who specialises in the real estate industry. He practices discipline and self-control by owning a few liabilities but maximises on his assets. His success as an acting CEO of his company, Cardone Enterprises, proves that having vision, integrity, and compassion is fundamental in building yourself as a leader.
His passion to motivate and educate people beyond his company shows as you may often find snippets of his work on Youtube or on his Facebook page.
“Success is your duty, obligation, and responsibility.” (Grant Cardone, 2012)
His work on ‘The 10X Rule’ and ‘Sell Or Be Sold’ are prominent goal-setting based books that help put into perspective the financial aspect of life. I love his style of presentation and I would recommend anyone who is in need of a role model to try looking into his Facebook or Instagram content!
Knowing the theory behind leadership is the first step towards becoming a better version of yourself. Once you are comfortable with the process, you can set long term goals and work towards the type of leader you want to be. Everybody deserves a chance to make their life better and always remember to enjoy the process!
