Strong people skills. Most emerging sage leaders believe they have very strong people skills in the areas of communications, relationship-building, and collaboration. They regard careful listening and presentation skills as the most important:
I am willing to be influenced by those I interact with, and I am open to change. I am not overly concerned with who or what organization is credited with any success that we might be associated with, only that the effort itself is successful. I have had many experiences in a multitude of arenas, which allows me to bring forth new ideas and initiatives that potentially can benefit our community.
While I think I’m more analytical than creative, I also seem to have a way with words. The creative side, due to the demands of my job, atrophies sometimes—although I am a strong believer in the idea that infinity is in a grain of sand, and opportunities for being creative exist everywhere in the day-to-day world. Perhaps because of the combination of word- smithing and analysis, I am usually able to keep groups on track, hopefully without losing creative vision.
Building collaborative relationships. Emerging sages also place great value on their ability to build and sustain collaborative relationships. This has to do with establishing mutual bonds, valuing teamwork, finding common ground, bringing people together to have fun, meeting new people and making friends, and creating trust:
I’ve worked hard to develop connections and relationships with people, and over the years I’ve delivered what I said I would do. I think I’ve built credibility with people where they say, “If she says she’s going to do this, it will be done.” I’m very forthright in the work I do. Being a good public speaker and running a good meeting are also strengths that have served me well.
I am really passionate about what I do. That’s probably my biggest strength. I absolutely believe that we can make a difference. I think my passion comes from my personal style, but I also believe it is how my organization is set-up. To me, leadership seems to be all about building relationships. Without this, you cannot be a leader.
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