TRAITS OF GREAT LEADERS . PART 1 Cont'd

4. Able to Solve Problems

“Self-actualized small-business owners know they can accomplish just about anything," says Gregg Weisstein, co-founder and COO of BloomNation, a company that works with local artisan florists to hand deliver flowers in more than 3,000 cities “Self-aware leaders know they can be and do anything, and they realize that no problem is too big as long as they’re willing to put in the hard work to solve it.”

5. Realistic

Self-actualized leaders are fully aware of their personal faults and the weaknesses of their businesses. Because of this, they can address those faults far faster than leaders who choose to overlook the tough stuff. They have no problem revealing issues about their businesses, and this attitude results in creating better businesses.

6. Spontaneous

When an interesting idea or suggestion is made, self-actualized leaders aren’t afraid to put tradition and schedules aside to try something new. They know that some of the world’s most ground-breaking discoveries came out of trying something unique and even unheard of.

7. Independent

While self-aware leaders work well with others and aren’t afraid to ask for assistance, they're also more likely to be autonomous. This means they'll gather the opinions and ideas of their employees and associates, then retreat in order to process and synthesize the information into a useable and workable format.

8. Grateful

Self-actualized leaders view the world with a perpetual sense of wonder and appreciation. They enjoy simple experiences and are thankful for employees and others who help them run their businesses. And they freely share their appreciation with acknowledgements, thank-yous and rewards for jobs well done.

If you think you still need to work on developing some of the attributes mentioned above before you can say you’re a self-actualized leader,

Becoming self-actualized is similar to a recovery program [for addiction]: First, you have to admit you’re in need of improving yourself as a leader and your business overall. Then, and only then, can you believe that the power to become a better leader lies in understanding that the issue is not you but that it lies within your business sphere.

Once you delegate to the appropriate people, you can improve your awareness of which things need work and let that evolve over time into a deep understanding of the kind of businessperson you are.

If you're hoping to become a more effective leader, examine your leadership style and see if there's some room for self-actualization