Mark Gilbert ATN founder and CEO is one of the best leaders who I have ever worked with and he is one of those people who were just born to lead. I started out as an apprentice under his tutelage and as I grew into the company and up the ladder, I realized just how great Mark is at what he does. I think it is impotent that anyone who wishes to become a leader can learn from those great leaders who have gone before, which is why I want to talk about the way that Mark does things, as an example for what you need to be if you too wish to become a great leader.
Clear Message
As a leader people are looking for you to show your leadership and they are placing their trust in what you are trying to achieve. This is why it is so important that you are able to land your message with absolute clarity, so that everyone in your team knows exactly what is expected of them and so that everyone is moving in the same direction. An inability to do this will result in crossed wires, poor productivity and more conversations than are necessary.
Ability to Motivate
I have never seen anyone motivate people the way that Mark can and he does this with his infectious enthusiasm and his ability to understand the character of each person in his team. Not everyone gets inspired and motivated in the same way, some people need a target to aim for other people need have a fire lit under them. The ability to motivate is about understanding which members of your team can be motivated in a certain way and then tapping into that.
Consistent in Discipline
There are times when a leader has to discipline their staff and when doing so it is absolutely vital that they are consistent from person to person. A failure to do this will result in a loss of respect from the staff. If you treat someone better than you do someone else then you could be accused of favoritism and that never bodes well for any leader. Your staff should trust you and have faith in what you do, that is why consistency is key.
Forward Thinking
Mark used to liken being a leader to being the captain of the ship and how the members of the team should always have confidence that you know where they are going. It is for this reason that leaders should always be able to look ahead to see what is on the horizon. They do this so that they can spot danger and be sure that they are prepared for it and in the world of business they also do this so that they can see future trends and opportunities which are coming their way.
If you want to be a leader like Mark then these are the skills which you need to have.
