The Qualities of an Effective Leader

The Law of the Lid. Admittedly, this name sounded foreign and, honestly, a little dumb at the beginning. I had so many different ideas of what it could be referring to, but none of these were as compelling as simply the truth: the 21 traits of a true leader that determined our potential for success and initiative. The North York Illuminate team participated in a coaching call with Richelle, learning about this new component of becoming a leader. While many of the traits were expected, such as being charismatic or having initiative, others were things I hadn’t really ever considered, such as servanthood or generosity.

Figure 1: The growth of effectiveness with leadership

Key Takeaways

1. One’s effectiveness is determined by both their leadership ability and success dedication

2. Leadership is a process of lifelong learning

3. The determination of one’s strength is as important as the focus on one’s weaknesses

In relation to the general applications of this law to one’s life, it becomes evident that it is crucial in enabling us to become better leaders in the workplace and in our own lives. For instance, in the planning of Illuminate’s Regional Conference, I’ve been able to take initiative and develop a lot of the skills I normally wouldn’t have the chance to focus on, such as charisma and communication. The more I worked with my other Regional Leads, the more comfortable I became in my own strengths as a speaker and planner, allowing me to expand my lid in my growing confidence. Yet this experience also put a spotlight on some of the weaknesses in my pursuit to becoming a leader, such as passion or self-discipline, sometimes finding it difficult to commit and remain motivated through every task at hand.

Now, in knowing these specific traits of a leader and what they specifically entail, I am provided a method to not only examine myself through a new lens, but to also have clear steps for self-improvement in future leadership calls and conference planning.