Leaders are.....

Yea, u r right, this blog is the same old cliche of enlisting the traits of leaders. OK before going to this topic let me define who a leader is in my way ;) (he he i am playing a guru here).

Leader: The following points in entirety define who a leader is:

1. Leaders can be found in every walk and level of life, job and status.
2. Leaders are those who can influence others' thought process, choice or behavior and in some instances their lives economically, spiritually or emotionally.

Now that I have defined "my" leader let me proceed defining him/her further. The following are my observations about what traits/ qualities a leader posseses.

1. They- aren't born, aren't made, are Destined: I am of the opinion that leaders are destined to be leaders. let me be clear. Say, for example, there was an accident in the ship that was traveling from Yemen to India, there was an accidnet in the ship that was traveling from South Africa to India... lots of these events must have stopped the world from witnessing Great leaders. So, I believe that there is a major element of chance that is involved in these people becoming leaders. Also, the opportunities they get, the mentors who nurture them, the right kind of people and situations that inspire them to evolve. These I think are destined to happen.
2. They belong to both the worlds: In short, they can balance extremeties. This also means that they are good negotiators and good at convincing people with their rationale. Let me give you an example, Gandhiji was equally British and Indian. His knowledge of christianity and also his exposure to England at a very tender age helped him to think through the attitudes of the British. And being Indian helped him to convince the other side as well. Similarly, in any walk, leaders have the knack of balancing on the edge.
3. They are Subtle and Strong: Subtle in terms of their demeanor. Against the popular idea of leaders being vociferous. Strong in terms of conviction. This has its roots in their clarity of thought. This clarity gives them confidence to remain calm and strong. Being subtle has its own advantages of not giving a sense to others that the leader is trying to influence their choices. This will help in not getting opposition right up-front.
4. They are true to themselves: This is the most toughest part. Its not easy. It may seem ridiculous on the face of it, however, when your inquire yourself, then you will find out that all the stress in this world is because you are not true to your-self. So, leaders are true to themselves, that gives them a clear focus and sense of direction, then decision is actually binary. This is how they end up making decisions faster and also stick to them strongly because they know they are right.
5. They master the Art of being Happy: This is most important of all. They are happy always. I think this is achieved by being in a constant state of appreciating "present". For them past is sunk and has a lesson and future can be steered given the fact that you live now. (old thing tho however, difficult to practise).
6. They are Good listeners: Now this is not the regular gyan of communication. There is a clear difference between "listening" and "act of listening" saying "hmm" is not regarded that you are listening. Empathising with what others are saying is listening. This is difficult but not tough to achieve. Definitely this will make leaders good persons for others to confide and this is the first step to influence others and also for someone you have become a positive anchor, you are on your way to become a leader.

That is it.. all the above mentioned are strictly my opinions and also subjected to change hehehe... Also these are evolved by my observations and reinforcements from some reading (may be)..