Successful firms will develop leaders at all levels.

Being the boss doesn’t mean you are a leader. Here are some important ideas about leadership:

• Leadership is about making connections with people. It isn’t about power.
• Understanding what other people are thinking and feeling is key to motivating and inspiring them.
• Leaders are “in the moment.” They are focused on their interaction with people and are not thinking about other things.
• Leaders are aware of what is going on with their people.
• Leaders are confident, and they display it genuinely. They have emotional intelligence. They create trust.
• Leaders don’t have to be charismatic.
• Leaders should not be in the spotlight. They should focus attention on, and give credit to, others.
• Leadership is not about technical competence.
• Leadership skills can be learned.
• Leaders must understand themselves and should be open about who they are.
• By revealing weaknesses and demonstrating how they overcome them, leaders motivate others.
• Leaders express themselves with passion, emotion, and honesty. This inspires people to trust them and follow them.

From Insight, The Magazine of the Illinois CPA Society, March/April 2006. For the complete article, click on the following link: http://www.insight-mag.com/insight/06/03-04/feat-3-pt-1-LeadershipPresence.asp.