On this day July 12th 100BC, Julius Caesar was born. A controversial character with some positive traits and many negative ones. But one thing for sure he left a lasting legacy in history.
Asking whether Julius Caesar was a good leader would rather be a loaded question - and I am no historian – but I will venture an answer … yes and no.
For all his faults and negative character traits - his dodgy alliances, he was power-hungry, became arrogant and ignored the Senate to name a few - Julius Caesar had natural leadership abilities and strong aptitudes as a governor and general. He rose through the ranks quickly and commanded armies at a young age. He also passed a number of good reforms through the Senate such as giving land to poor Romans and laws against extortion.
But his best qualities as a leader was his ability to connect with his men and winning their trust. He knew his centurions by name and made the effort to develop personal relationships with them. He also had exceptional communication skills, so much so that his men were aware of his vision, his goals, and his tactics for achieving them.
So, what makes a great leader?
John Quincy Adams, 6th President of the United States said "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."
We can’t all be a great leader of armies and reform Rome like Julius Caesar – or can we? – but we can be great leaders by acquiring some crucial skills and qualities; I will focus on 6 here:
Being a visionary
Great leaders can think long-term and design clear objectives and goals in order to achieve their vision. They are also
able to inspire people and take them through the journey.
Effective communication
They are able to communicate clearly and concisely with other. They are direct and open, but respectful of their interlocutor, and actively listen. They communicate their vision and goals with clarity.
People skills
Great leaders empower their teams and have the confidence to delegate to them. They also motivate, support and inspire their teams, are empathetic and encourage a team culture in their organisation.
Emotional Intelligence
A set of skills great leaders possess. They are able to recognise, understand and manage their own emotions in positive ways, allowing them to communicate effectively, empathise with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflict.
Confidence and self-motivation
Great leaders are able to make difficult decisive decisions, take risks, and lead with authority; in turn inspiring their teams. They are also strong minded with great self-motivation which allows them to see projects through and reach their goals. They keep learning and improving themselves.
Passion
A great leader doesn’t have a job – they have a passion. I remember reading this somewhere a long time ago. Passion is the driving force of great leaders, much more than money. When you are passionate about what you do, you are fully engaged and motivated to achieve your objectives and your vision. That passion rubs off on your teams, helping them to reach their own goals.
For me, great leadership is essentially about people. Without teams, leaders can’t achieve anything. And in order to keep an engaged, motivated and high performing happy team, leaders have to demonstrate the above skills among others. These skills are acquired over the years, through experience but also through on-going learning; reading, mentoring, self-learning and training courses. Leaders must keep on learning.
As J.F. Kennedy once said "Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other."
