There is momentum for Powes Parkop's quest for PM come 2012

The National Alliance (NA) boys continue to turn a blind eye on the influx of illegal foreign immigrants in Papua New Guinea. The National Alliance led government and its ill-fated kitchen cabinet continues to turn a blind eye on these illegal foreign immigrants and allowing them to occupy jobs illegally while the unemployment rate in the country continues to rise.

It is absolutely abhorrent, loathsome and totally unacceptable in these times when national and international security and safety is paramount. Job security is even more important especially in Papua New Guinea when people have to seriously bust their butts everyday just to make ends meet.

Our graduates with degrees and masters degrees are roaming the streets simply because this government doesn't care and its okay to allow illegal immigrants with perhaps fake diploma certificates to come into the country and occupy jobs that should go to the Papua New Guinea nationals. Guys, I have attached a link to a recent report on the Post Courier on this issue.

Read it for yourself and make your own individual judgments. And please don't forget, we have to keep the fire going. Forum is picking up great momentum, so keep sending out those invitations. Also be actively involved by posting your opinions, comments, criticisms etc...

The target is to get every Papua New Guinean out there, where ever it may be, Antarctica, Africa, Europe, Americas, Asia, pacific and beyond who has access to Internet through whatever means and is on face book to to join in. For your comments, questions, thoughts, and feedback, click here.

There is momentum for Powes Parkop's quest for PM come 2012

The National Alliance (NA) boys continue to turn a blind eye on the influx of illegal foreign immigrants in Papua New Guinea. The National Alliance led government and its ill-fated kitchen cabinet continues to turn a blind eye on these illegal foreign immigrants and allowing them to occupy jobs illegally while the unemployment rate in the country continues to rise.

It is absolutely abhorrent, loathsome and totally unacceptable in these times when national and international security and safety is paramount. Job security is even more important especially in Papua New Guinea when people have to seriously bust their butts everyday just to make ends meet.

Our graduates with degrees and masters degrees are roaming the streets simply because this government doesn't care and its okay to allow illegal immigrants with perhaps fake diploma certificates to come into the country and occupy jobs that should go to the Papua New Guinea nationals. Guys, I have attached a link to a recent report on the Post Courier on this issue.

Read it for yourself and make your own individual judgments. And please don't forget, we have to keep the fire going. Forum is picking up great momentum, so keep sending out those invitations. Also be actively involved by posting your opinions, comments, criticisms etc...

The target is to get every Papua New Guinean out there, where ever it may be, Antarctica, Africa, Europe, Americas, Asia, pacific and beyond who has access to Internet through whatever means and is on face book to to join in. For your comments, questions, thoughts, and feedback, click here.

There is momentum for Powes Parkop's quest for PM come 2012

The National Alliance (NA) boys continue to turn a blind eye on the influx of illegal foreign immigrants in Papua New Guinea. The National Alliance led government and its ill-fated kitchen cabinet continues to turn a blind eye on these illegal foreign immigrants and allowing them to occupy jobs illegally while the unemployment rate in the country continues to rise.

It is absolutely abhorrent, loathsome and totally unacceptable in these times when national and international security and safety is paramount. Job security is even more important especially in Papua New Guinea when people have to seriously bust their butts everyday just to make ends meet.

Our graduates with degrees and masters degrees are roaming the streets simply because this government doesn't care and its okay to allow illegal immigrants with perhaps fake diploma certificates to come into the country and occupy jobs that should go to the Papua New Guinea nationals. Guys, I have attached a link to a recent report on the Post Courier on this issue.

Read it for yourself and make your own individual judgments. And please don't forget, we have to keep the fire going. Forum is picking up great momentum, so keep sending out those invitations. Also be actively involved by posting your opinions, comments, criticisms etc...

The target is to get every Papua New Guinean out there, where ever it may be, Antarctica, Africa, Europe, Americas, Asia, pacific and beyond who has access to Internet through whatever means and is on face book to to join in. For your comments, questions, thoughts, and feedback, click here.

Papua New Guinea's Provinces and People - New Ireland Province

Map of Papua New Guinea highlighting New Ireland Province

Flag of New Ireland Province

New Ireland Province, formerly New Mecklenburg (German: Neu-Mecklenburg) is the most northeastern province of Papua New Guinea. Kavieng is the capital of the Papua New Guinean province of New Ireland and the largest town on the island of the same name. The town is located at Balgai Bay, on the northern tip of the island. As of 2000, it had a population of 10,600.

Kavieng is the main port for New Ireland, and is both a trading and tourist destination. Several dive companies operate from the town, as the area is known for its diving, both for natural sites and wrecks dating from the Second World War. There are several plane and ship wrecks in Kavieng Harbour itself, as well as several more nearby.

The largest island of the province is New Ireland.
Also part of the province are numerous smaller islands, including Saint Matthias Group (Mussau, Emirau), New Hanover, Djaul, Tabar Group (Tabar, Tatau, Simberi), Lihir, Tanga Group (Malendok, Boang), Feni Islands (Ambitle, Babase) and Anir.

The land area of the province is around 9 600 km². The sea area within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of New Ireland Province is around 230,000 km².

History

There have been at least three waves of migration into New Ireland over the last 40,000 years. The famous Lapita pottery culture was present around 3,300 years ago. Chinese and South-East Asian contact appears to have been longstanding, though evidence is thin.

Dutch explorers made the first European contact in 1616. It was initially believed by Europeans to be part of New Britain, but the British explorer Philip Carteret established in 1767 that the island was physically separate, and gave it the name Nova Hibernia.

In the 1870s and 1880s, Marquis de Rays, a French nobleman unsuccessfully attempted to establish a French colony on the island called La Nouvelle France. He sent four ill-fated expeditions to the island, the most famous of which caused the death of 123 settlers.

Missionary activity did not begin until 1877, and New Ireland was colonised by Germany in 1886 under the name Neu-Mecklenburg, as part of the German partition comprising the northern half of present-day Papua New Guinea.

Blackbirding - the removal, often by force, of local young men to work on plantations in northern Australia and other Pacific islands - was widespread in New Ireland in the late 19th century.

Australia took control in 1914, in the early stages of World War I, and renamed the island as New Ireland. It became part of the Mandated Territory of New Guinea declared in 1921 by the League of Nations and administered by Australia.

During World War II New Ireland was occupied by Japanese forces from January 1941 until September 1945. Australian colonial administration continued until Papua New Guinea became independent in September 1975.

Ecology

In the early days of the French Revolution while in search of a lost scientific expedition the vessel La Recherche passed by New Ireland. On board was the prominent botanist Jacques-Julien Houtou de Labillardière who noted in his journal fine stands of teak (tectona grandis) trees growing at the southern end of the island.

This marks the easternmost occurrence of teak, an important timber tree which extends naturally from India to Thailand on the Asian mainland and also is present on Java in the Indonesian archipelago.

Human geography

The population during the year 2000 census was 118,350 people, the vast majority of whom (ca.90%) live in small rural villages. The population is very young, with a median age of 18.7 years. Over 40% of the population are under the age of 15 years, while only 3% are above 65 years old.

The provincial capital is Kavieng, located on the northern tip of the main island. Namatanai is another small town halfway along the island. The Boluminski Highway runs down the east coast, linking the two towns. Around twenty languages are spoken in New Ireland, and the number of dialects and subdialects totals perhaps 45. All are in the New Ireland languages group within the Austronesian language family, except for one language isolate, Kuot.

Culture

New Ireland, like much of Papua New Guinea, has a mixture of the old and the new: traditional cultural practices ("custom") are widespread and almost universally respected, yet society is changing as a result of church activity, urbanisation, and various aspects of global contemporary culture making their mark.

Probably the most famous cultural system of New Ireland is "Malagan", a Nalik word for an ancient and revered set of practices and ceremonies practised throughout much of the main island, though abandoned during World War II because of the difficulty of providing the considerable investment of resources the rites and ceremonies required.

Malagan is also an art where the dead are remembered through the various depictions that are carved on Malagan masks. The Malagan masks have a symbolic meaning as the dead must be remembered through the masks and ceremonies.

They are the practical means of capturing the spirits of recent dead relatives or clan members. During the colonial era, significant quantities of Malagan masks were collected by European administrators and can be seen in museums all over Europe.

Kavieng town is serviced by Kavieng Airport, with daily connections to Port Moresby. It lies at one end of the Boluminski Highway which runs 193km to Namatanai.

Papua New Guinea's Provinces and People - New Ireland Province

Map of Papua New Guinea highlighting New Ireland Province

Flag of New Ireland Province

New Ireland Province, formerly New Mecklenburg (German: Neu-Mecklenburg) is the most northeastern province of Papua New Guinea. Kavieng is the capital of the Papua New Guinean province of New Ireland and the largest town on the island of the same name. The town is located at Balgai Bay, on the northern tip of the island. As of 2000, it had a population of 10,600.

Kavieng is the main port for New Ireland, and is both a trading and tourist destination. Several dive companies operate from the town, as the area is known for its diving, both for natural sites and wrecks dating from the Second World War. There are several plane and ship wrecks in Kavieng Harbour itself, as well as several more nearby.

The largest island of the province is New Ireland.
Also part of the province are numerous smaller islands, including Saint Matthias Group (Mussau, Emirau), New Hanover, Djaul, Tabar Group (Tabar, Tatau, Simberi), Lihir, Tanga Group (Malendok, Boang), Feni Islands (Ambitle, Babase) and Anir.

The land area of the province is around 9 600 km². The sea area within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of New Ireland Province is around 230,000 km².

History

There have been at least three waves of migration into New Ireland over the last 40,000 years. The famous Lapita pottery culture was present around 3,300 years ago. Chinese and South-East Asian contact appears to have been longstanding, though evidence is thin.

Dutch explorers made the first European contact in 1616. It was initially believed by Europeans to be part of New Britain, but the British explorer Philip Carteret established in 1767 that the island was physically separate, and gave it the name Nova Hibernia.

In the 1870s and 1880s, Marquis de Rays, a French nobleman unsuccessfully attempted to establish a French colony on the island called La Nouvelle France. He sent four ill-fated expeditions to the island, the most famous of which caused the death of 123 settlers.

Missionary activity did not begin until 1877, and New Ireland was colonised by Germany in 1886 under the name Neu-Mecklenburg, as part of the German partition comprising the northern half of present-day Papua New Guinea.

Blackbirding - the removal, often by force, of local young men to work on plantations in northern Australia and other Pacific islands - was widespread in New Ireland in the late 19th century.

Australia took control in 1914, in the early stages of World War I, and renamed the island as New Ireland. It became part of the Mandated Territory of New Guinea declared in 1921 by the League of Nations and administered by Australia.

During World War II New Ireland was occupied by Japanese forces from January 1941 until September 1945. Australian colonial administration continued until Papua New Guinea became independent in September 1975.

Ecology

In the early days of the French Revolution while in search of a lost scientific expedition the vessel La Recherche passed by New Ireland. On board was the prominent botanist Jacques-Julien Houtou de Labillardière who noted in his journal fine stands of teak (tectona grandis) trees growing at the southern end of the island.

This marks the easternmost occurrence of teak, an important timber tree which extends naturally from India to Thailand on the Asian mainland and also is present on Java in the Indonesian archipelago.

Human geography

The population during the year 2000 census was 118,350 people, the vast majority of whom (ca.90%) live in small rural villages. The population is very young, with a median age of 18.7 years. Over 40% of the population are under the age of 15 years, while only 3% are above 65 years old.

The provincial capital is Kavieng, located on the northern tip of the main island. Namatanai is another small town halfway along the island. The Boluminski Highway runs down the east coast, linking the two towns. Around twenty languages are spoken in New Ireland, and the number of dialects and subdialects totals perhaps 45. All are in the New Ireland languages group within the Austronesian language family, except for one language isolate, Kuot.

Culture

New Ireland, like much of Papua New Guinea, has a mixture of the old and the new: traditional cultural practices ("custom") are widespread and almost universally respected, yet society is changing as a result of church activity, urbanisation, and various aspects of global contemporary culture making their mark.

Probably the most famous cultural system of New Ireland is "Malagan", a Nalik word for an ancient and revered set of practices and ceremonies practised throughout much of the main island, though abandoned during World War II because of the difficulty of providing the considerable investment of resources the rites and ceremonies required.

Malagan is also an art where the dead are remembered through the various depictions that are carved on Malagan masks. The Malagan masks have a symbolic meaning as the dead must be remembered through the masks and ceremonies.

They are the practical means of capturing the spirits of recent dead relatives or clan members. During the colonial era, significant quantities of Malagan masks were collected by European administrators and can be seen in museums all over Europe.

Kavieng town is serviced by Kavieng Airport, with daily connections to Port Moresby. It lies at one end of the Boluminski Highway which runs 193km to Namatanai.

Papua New Guinea's Provinces and People - New Ireland Province

Map of Papua New Guinea highlighting New Ireland Province

Flag of New Ireland Province

New Ireland Province, formerly New Mecklenburg (German: Neu-Mecklenburg) is the most northeastern province of Papua New Guinea. Kavieng is the capital of the Papua New Guinean province of New Ireland and the largest town on the island of the same name. The town is located at Balgai Bay, on the northern tip of the island. As of 2000, it had a population of 10,600.

Kavieng is the main port for New Ireland, and is both a trading and tourist destination. Several dive companies operate from the town, as the area is known for its diving, both for natural sites and wrecks dating from the Second World War. There are several plane and ship wrecks in Kavieng Harbour itself, as well as several more nearby.

The largest island of the province is New Ireland.
Also part of the province are numerous smaller islands, including Saint Matthias Group (Mussau, Emirau), New Hanover, Djaul, Tabar Group (Tabar, Tatau, Simberi), Lihir, Tanga Group (Malendok, Boang), Feni Islands (Ambitle, Babase) and Anir.

The land area of the province is around 9 600 km². The sea area within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of New Ireland Province is around 230,000 km².

History

There have been at least three waves of migration into New Ireland over the last 40,000 years. The famous Lapita pottery culture was present around 3,300 years ago. Chinese and South-East Asian contact appears to have been longstanding, though evidence is thin.

Dutch explorers made the first European contact in 1616. It was initially believed by Europeans to be part of New Britain, but the British explorer Philip Carteret established in 1767 that the island was physically separate, and gave it the name Nova Hibernia.

In the 1870s and 1880s, Marquis de Rays, a French nobleman unsuccessfully attempted to establish a French colony on the island called La Nouvelle France. He sent four ill-fated expeditions to the island, the most famous of which caused the death of 123 settlers.

Missionary activity did not begin until 1877, and New Ireland was colonised by Germany in 1886 under the name Neu-Mecklenburg, as part of the German partition comprising the northern half of present-day Papua New Guinea.

Blackbirding - the removal, often by force, of local young men to work on plantations in northern Australia and other Pacific islands - was widespread in New Ireland in the late 19th century.

Australia took control in 1914, in the early stages of World War I, and renamed the island as New Ireland. It became part of the Mandated Territory of New Guinea declared in 1921 by the League of Nations and administered by Australia.

During World War II New Ireland was occupied by Japanese forces from January 1941 until September 1945. Australian colonial administration continued until Papua New Guinea became independent in September 1975.

Ecology

In the early days of the French Revolution while in search of a lost scientific expedition the vessel La Recherche passed by New Ireland. On board was the prominent botanist Jacques-Julien Houtou de Labillardière who noted in his journal fine stands of teak (tectona grandis) trees growing at the southern end of the island.

This marks the easternmost occurrence of teak, an important timber tree which extends naturally from India to Thailand on the Asian mainland and also is present on Java in the Indonesian archipelago.

Human geography

The population during the year 2000 census was 118,350 people, the vast majority of whom (ca.90%) live in small rural villages. The population is very young, with a median age of 18.7 years. Over 40% of the population are under the age of 15 years, while only 3% are above 65 years old.

The provincial capital is Kavieng, located on the northern tip of the main island. Namatanai is another small town halfway along the island. The Boluminski Highway runs down the east coast, linking the two towns. Around twenty languages are spoken in New Ireland, and the number of dialects and subdialects totals perhaps 45. All are in the New Ireland languages group within the Austronesian language family, except for one language isolate, Kuot.

Culture

New Ireland, like much of Papua New Guinea, has a mixture of the old and the new: traditional cultural practices ("custom") are widespread and almost universally respected, yet society is changing as a result of church activity, urbanisation, and various aspects of global contemporary culture making their mark.

Probably the most famous cultural system of New Ireland is "Malagan", a Nalik word for an ancient and revered set of practices and ceremonies practised throughout much of the main island, though abandoned during World War II because of the difficulty of providing the considerable investment of resources the rites and ceremonies required.

Malagan is also an art where the dead are remembered through the various depictions that are carved on Malagan masks. The Malagan masks have a symbolic meaning as the dead must be remembered through the masks and ceremonies.

They are the practical means of capturing the spirits of recent dead relatives or clan members. During the colonial era, significant quantities of Malagan masks were collected by European administrators and can be seen in museums all over Europe.

Kavieng town is serviced by Kavieng Airport, with daily connections to Port Moresby. It lies at one end of the Boluminski Highway which runs 193km to Namatanai.

Top ten (10) Leadership Qualities

By David Hakala

Joel Arthur Barker, one of the worlds most celebrated and leading authorities on LEADERSHIP said that "A vision without Action is only a dream. Action without Vision is a Nightmare. Vision with Action will change the world". I have no doubt this is true.

Below are top 10 Qualities of a true leader. Someone that has vision and direction and is able to make those visions a reality.

1. VISION

A leader with vision has a clear, vivid picture of where to go, as well as a firm grasp on what success looks like and how to achieve it. But it’s not enough to have a vision; leaders must also share it and act upon it. Jack Welch, former chairman and CEO of General Electric Co., said, "Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision and relentlessly drive it to completion."

A leader must be able to communicate his or her vision in terms that cause followers to buy into it. He or she must communicate clearly and passionately, as passion is contagious. A good leader must have the discipline to work toward his or her vision single-mindedly, as well as to direct his or her actions and those of the team toward the goal.

Action is the mark of a leader. A leader does not suffer “analysis paralysis” but is always doing something in pursuit of the vision, inspiring others to do the same.

2. INTEGRITY

Integrity is the integration of outward actions and inner values. A person of integrity is the same on the outside and on the inside. Such an individual can be trusted because he or she never veers from inner values, even when it might be expeditious to do so. A leader must have the trust of followers and therefore must display integrity.

Honest dealings, predictable reactions, well-controlled emotions, and an absence of tantrums and harsh outbursts are all signs of integrity. A leader who is centered in integrity will be more approachable by followers.

3. DEDICATION

Dedication means spending whatever time or energy is necessary to accomplish the task at hand. A leader inspires dedication by example, doing whatever it takes to complete the next step toward the vision. By setting an excellent example, leaders can show followers that there are no nine-to-five jobs on the team, only opportunities to achieve something great.

4. MAGNANIMITY

Magnanimity means giving credit where it is due. A magnanimous leader ensures that credit for successes is spread as widely as possible. Conversely, a good leader takes personal responsibility for failures. This sort of reverse magnanimity helps other people feel good about themselves and draws the team closer together. To spread the fame and take the blame is a hallmark of effective leadership.

5. HUMILITY

Leaders with humility recognize that they are no better or worse than other members of the team. A humble leader is not self-effacing but rather tries to elevate everyone. Leaders with humility also understand that their status does not make them a god. Mahatma Gandhi is a role model for Indian leaders, and he pursued a “follower-centric” leadership role.

6. OPENESS

Openness means being able to listen to new ideas, even if they do not conform to the usual way of thinking. Good leaders are able to suspend judgment while listening to others’ ideas, as well as accept new ways of doing things that someone else thought of. Openness builds mutual respect and trust between leaders and followers, and it also keeps the team well supplied with new ideas that can further its vision.

7. CREATIVITY

Creativity is the ability to think differently, to get outside of the box that constrains solutions. Creativity gives leaders the ability to see things that others have not seen and thus lead followers in new directions. The most important question that a leader can ask is, “What if … ?” Possibly the worst thing a leader can say is, “I know this is a dumb question.

8. FAIRNESS

Fairness means dealing with others consistently and justly. A leader must check all the facts and hear everyone out before passing judgment. He or she must avoid leaping to conclusions based on incomplete evidence. When people feel they that are being treated fairly, they reward a leader with loyalty and dedication.

9. ASSERTIVENESS

Assertiveness is not the same as aggressiveness. Rather, it is the ability to clearly state what one expects so that there will be no misunderstandings. A leader must be assertive to get the desired results. Along with assertiveness comes the responsibility to clearly understand what followers expect from their leader.

10. SENSE OF HUMOR

A sense of humor is vital to relieve tension and boredom, as well as to defuse hostility. Effective leaders know how to use humor to energize followers. Humor is a form of power that provides some control over the work environment.

And simply put, humor fosters good camaraderie. Intrinsic traits such as intelligence, good looks, height and so on are not necessary to become a leader. Anyone can cultivate the proper leadership traits.

Top ten (10) Leadership Qualities

By David Hakala

Joel Arthur Barker, one of the worlds most celebrated and leading authorities on LEADERSHIP said that "A vision without Action is only a dream. Action without Vision is a Nightmare. Vision with Action will change the world". I have no doubt this is true.

Below are top 10 Qualities of a true leader. Someone that has vision and direction and is able to make those visions a reality.

1. VISION

A leader with vision has a clear, vivid picture of where to go, as well as a firm grasp on what success looks like and how to achieve it. But it’s not enough to have a vision; leaders must also share it and act upon it. Jack Welch, former chairman and CEO of General Electric Co., said, "Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision and relentlessly drive it to completion."

A leader must be able to communicate his or her vision in terms that cause followers to buy into it. He or she must communicate clearly and passionately, as passion is contagious. A good leader must have the discipline to work toward his or her vision single-mindedly, as well as to direct his or her actions and those of the team toward the goal.

Action is the mark of a leader. A leader does not suffer “analysis paralysis” but is always doing something in pursuit of the vision, inspiring others to do the same.

2. INTEGRITY

Integrity is the integration of outward actions and inner values. A person of integrity is the same on the outside and on the inside. Such an individual can be trusted because he or she never veers from inner values, even when it might be expeditious to do so. A leader must have the trust of followers and therefore must display integrity.

Honest dealings, predictable reactions, well-controlled emotions, and an absence of tantrums and harsh outbursts are all signs of integrity. A leader who is centered in integrity will be more approachable by followers.

3. DEDICATION

Dedication means spending whatever time or energy is necessary to accomplish the task at hand. A leader inspires dedication by example, doing whatever it takes to complete the next step toward the vision. By setting an excellent example, leaders can show followers that there are no nine-to-five jobs on the team, only opportunities to achieve something great.

4. MAGNANIMITY

Magnanimity means giving credit where it is due. A magnanimous leader ensures that credit for successes is spread as widely as possible. Conversely, a good leader takes personal responsibility for failures. This sort of reverse magnanimity helps other people feel good about themselves and draws the team closer together. To spread the fame and take the blame is a hallmark of effective leadership.

5. HUMILITY

Leaders with humility recognize that they are no better or worse than other members of the team. A humble leader is not self-effacing but rather tries to elevate everyone. Leaders with humility also understand that their status does not make them a god. Mahatma Gandhi is a role model for Indian leaders, and he pursued a “follower-centric” leadership role.

6. OPENESS

Openness means being able to listen to new ideas, even if they do not conform to the usual way of thinking. Good leaders are able to suspend judgment while listening to others’ ideas, as well as accept new ways of doing things that someone else thought of. Openness builds mutual respect and trust between leaders and followers, and it also keeps the team well supplied with new ideas that can further its vision.

7. CREATIVITY

Creativity is the ability to think differently, to get outside of the box that constrains solutions. Creativity gives leaders the ability to see things that others have not seen and thus lead followers in new directions. The most important question that a leader can ask is, “What if … ?” Possibly the worst thing a leader can say is, “I know this is a dumb question.

8. FAIRNESS

Fairness means dealing with others consistently and justly. A leader must check all the facts and hear everyone out before passing judgment. He or she must avoid leaping to conclusions based on incomplete evidence. When people feel they that are being treated fairly, they reward a leader with loyalty and dedication.

9. ASSERTIVENESS

Assertiveness is not the same as aggressiveness. Rather, it is the ability to clearly state what one expects so that there will be no misunderstandings. A leader must be assertive to get the desired results. Along with assertiveness comes the responsibility to clearly understand what followers expect from their leader.

10. SENSE OF HUMOR

A sense of humor is vital to relieve tension and boredom, as well as to defuse hostility. Effective leaders know how to use humor to energize followers. Humor is a form of power that provides some control over the work environment.

And simply put, humor fosters good camaraderie. Intrinsic traits such as intelligence, good looks, height and so on are not necessary to become a leader. Anyone can cultivate the proper leadership traits.

Top ten (10) Leadership Qualities

By David Hakala

Joel Arthur Barker, one of the worlds most celebrated and leading authorities on LEADERSHIP said that "A vision without Action is only a dream. Action without Vision is a Nightmare. Vision with Action will change the world". I have no doubt this is true.

Below are top 10 Qualities of a true leader. Someone that has vision and direction and is able to make those visions a reality.

1. VISION

A leader with vision has a clear, vivid picture of where to go, as well as a firm grasp on what success looks like and how to achieve it. But it’s not enough to have a vision; leaders must also share it and act upon it. Jack Welch, former chairman and CEO of General Electric Co., said, "Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision and relentlessly drive it to completion."

A leader must be able to communicate his or her vision in terms that cause followers to buy into it. He or she must communicate clearly and passionately, as passion is contagious. A good leader must have the discipline to work toward his or her vision single-mindedly, as well as to direct his or her actions and those of the team toward the goal.

Action is the mark of a leader. A leader does not suffer “analysis paralysis” but is always doing something in pursuit of the vision, inspiring others to do the same.

2. INTEGRITY

Integrity is the integration of outward actions and inner values. A person of integrity is the same on the outside and on the inside. Such an individual can be trusted because he or she never veers from inner values, even when it might be expeditious to do so. A leader must have the trust of followers and therefore must display integrity.

Honest dealings, predictable reactions, well-controlled emotions, and an absence of tantrums and harsh outbursts are all signs of integrity. A leader who is centered in integrity will be more approachable by followers.

3. DEDICATION

Dedication means spending whatever time or energy is necessary to accomplish the task at hand. A leader inspires dedication by example, doing whatever it takes to complete the next step toward the vision. By setting an excellent example, leaders can show followers that there are no nine-to-five jobs on the team, only opportunities to achieve something great.

4. MAGNANIMITY

Magnanimity means giving credit where it is due. A magnanimous leader ensures that credit for successes is spread as widely as possible. Conversely, a good leader takes personal responsibility for failures. This sort of reverse magnanimity helps other people feel good about themselves and draws the team closer together. To spread the fame and take the blame is a hallmark of effective leadership.

5. HUMILITY

Leaders with humility recognize that they are no better or worse than other members of the team. A humble leader is not self-effacing but rather tries to elevate everyone. Leaders with humility also understand that their status does not make them a god. Mahatma Gandhi is a role model for Indian leaders, and he pursued a “follower-centric” leadership role.

6. OPENESS

Openness means being able to listen to new ideas, even if they do not conform to the usual way of thinking. Good leaders are able to suspend judgment while listening to others’ ideas, as well as accept new ways of doing things that someone else thought of. Openness builds mutual respect and trust between leaders and followers, and it also keeps the team well supplied with new ideas that can further its vision.

7. CREATIVITY

Creativity is the ability to think differently, to get outside of the box that constrains solutions. Creativity gives leaders the ability to see things that others have not seen and thus lead followers in new directions. The most important question that a leader can ask is, “What if … ?” Possibly the worst thing a leader can say is, “I know this is a dumb question.

8. FAIRNESS

Fairness means dealing with others consistently and justly. A leader must check all the facts and hear everyone out before passing judgment. He or she must avoid leaping to conclusions based on incomplete evidence. When people feel they that are being treated fairly, they reward a leader with loyalty and dedication.

9. ASSERTIVENESS

Assertiveness is not the same as aggressiveness. Rather, it is the ability to clearly state what one expects so that there will be no misunderstandings. A leader must be assertive to get the desired results. Along with assertiveness comes the responsibility to clearly understand what followers expect from their leader.

10. SENSE OF HUMOR

A sense of humor is vital to relieve tension and boredom, as well as to defuse hostility. Effective leaders know how to use humor to energize followers. Humor is a form of power that provides some control over the work environment.

And simply put, humor fosters good camaraderie. Intrinsic traits such as intelligence, good looks, height and so on are not necessary to become a leader. Anyone can cultivate the proper leadership traits.