The Ultimate Guide to Intelligent Leadership: Actions, Habits, Skills and Mindsets

In this article, you will read about the following

-41 Immutable actions you must take to be an intelligent leader

-27 Leadership Intelligence -You have to Sharpen Strengthen and Master to be an Intelligent Leader – this is a minimum list out of 52 intelligences that I have identified

-26 Mental Habits and Mindset you need to create – to be an intelligent leader

- Few Bad Habits you Need to Give Up + Few Habits you need to inculcate + 11 things you must stop doing + Few Actions You need to take to identify and utilize opportunities + Creating Leadership Gravitas– to be an intelligent leader

-7 types of people you need to avoid + 9 Elements of Self-assured people you need to work on

- Other relevant articles you may want to read

Developing Leadership Intelligence Leadership Wisdom to be a Great Intelligent Leader

Becoming an Intelligent Leader by Sharpening Your Leadership Intelligence & Wisdom

Leadership intelligence is the ability to lead, influence, transform, and create positive disruptive changes.

Leadership intelligence is about developing wisdom and being smart – and is the ability to make sound decisions* and choices* in all areas of your life – for your current goals as well as your future.

Wisdom and Smartness evolve - not only from your experiences - but also from reflecting purposefully on the experiences and how can you improve in the future.

People with high IQ - are not always SMART in the real sense – although they might be called intellectuals.

Real Wise & Smart people have very high levels of EQs* [Emotional Quotient] + SQs*[Social Intelligence] +SpQs*[Spiritual Quotient or Intelligence] and many other traits - with higher than average IQ – along with many of the 49 intelligences mentioned in this article.

Leadership intelligence matures through acquiring - self-awareness, managing emotions effectively, developing empathy, managing relationships, managing self, managing people in your team and in larger peripheries, managing organization, introspection, dealing with other's emotional outbursts effectively, etc.

Leadership intelligence also needs you to develop, practice, master, and APPLY -analytical, critical, design, creative, innovative thinking skills, problem-solving, and decision-making skills

Leadership intelligence needs strong WHYs – of why you are doing something – this comes from practicing strong positive values, discovering your purpose, and finding meaning in what you want to accomplish.

For Leadership intelligence to be in its best form you also need to work on creating exceptional gravitas.

Gravitas fine-tunes your leadership presence - and makes you comfortable in most situations and most people - irrespective of how formidable, powerful, and great leader you come across - it also makes people accept you as their leader and creates Trust in your decision-making authority as it exudes a higher purpose.

Gravitas is the way you carry yourself, conduct yourself, and communicate - which creates power over others and a lasting influence without authority.

Without Gravitas - your potential, talent, and skill may not get translated into real leadership power.

27 Leadership Intelligence -You have to Sharpen Strengthen and Master to be an Intelligent Leader [17 types of Intelligences TAKEN FROM my article on this website - 42 types of intelligence – if add these 7 then it would be total of 52 types of Intelligences I have discovered]

1. Wisdom Intelligence – the ability to make sensible decisions and judgments and the ability to contemplate and act productively using knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense, and insight.

2. Character Intelligence – is about developing a moral compass & excellence

3. Cultural Intelligence - developing the capability to relate and work effectively in culturally diverse situations and integrating this to achieve business objectives effectively

4. Digital Intelligence - is developing abilities to adapt to technological advancements and using that to create unparalleled value for employees and customers alike

5. Adopting Technology Intelligence – this is about exploring how the Latest technological advancement can be used to improve UX/CX/EX magnificently for the Best Outcomes

6. Disruptive Business Ideas Intelligence – the ability to think beyond the current and the ongoing developments – the ability to change the playing field

7. Agility Intelligence – developing the ability to use the moments of radical and disruptive changes to lead their organizations into a new era

8. Social-media intelligence – is developing the ability to use the power of social media to promote your vision and goals

9. Cognitive intelligence – is developing by sharpening your ability to think critically - using analytical thinking, creativity, and innovation

10. Happiness-Intelligence – it is about choosing to create and live a life that makes you feel fulfilled about yourself

11. Relationship-Intelligence – it is about connecting and bonding with all your important relations on a higher platform– in your all personal, social, professional, business, and other networks

12. Possibilities-Intelligence – this is about questioning and challenging your assumptions and beliefs and discovering the positives, the options, the choices, the solutions, the possibilities, the advantages - in every situation – irrespective of how bad that may look to you

13. Solution-Intelligence – this is about focusing your energies on finding/developing/creating simple yet effective solutions- and improvising constantly

14. Learning-Intelligence – this is about learning as a nature by constantly updating, up-skilling, and right-skilling yourself in all the roles that you play in life - The speed at which we learn is most important. Learning abilities are not only a Skill – but also a mental habit and attitude

15. Change-Adapting-Intelligence – this is about being comfortable with changes and pro-actively looking for change and preparing ourselves to be ready to welcome/face any change

16. Problem-Solving-Intelligence – this is about taking action within your area of control or influence to increase your competence in handling bigger and tougher problems in life – through small-small steps

17. Common-Sense Intelligence – this is one of the most profound intelligence that we can inculcate Social Intelligence – to be able to connect and understand people

18. Emotional Intelligence – to be able to understand your own emotions and why people do what they do

19. Leadership-Communication Intelligence – this is about mastering the art of making sassy, deeper, and powerful conversations

20. Financial Intelligence – this is about the ability to create financial independence through creating alternative means – irrespective of the changes taking place in your life and the worlds

21. Asking-Question-Intelligence - this is about the ability to ask direct, straightforward,  meaningful, powerful, thought-provoking, and tough questions from yourself and others

22. Creating-Humor-Intelligence – this is about the ability to laugh at your miseries as well as seeing humor in the most stressful situation AND making people laugh

23. Risk-Taking-Intelligence – this is about the ability to take calculated risks

24. Resilience-Intelligence – this is about the ability not giving up and keep going till objectives are achieved

25. Opportunity Intelligence - this is about the ability to identify the future and emerging Trends and forthcoming changes – before it come in the news or fashion

26. Spiritual and Social Intelligence

27. Conflict Resolution Intelligence – this is about the ability to resolve

26 Mental Habits and Mindset you need to create – to be an intelligent leader – it is a sample list taken from my article in this website - Art of learning new skills – from the sub-heading- 28 Essential Habits & Skills Those We Need to Learn, Use and master to succeed, be happy, grow

1. Habit of discipline

2. Habit of perseverance

3. Habit of Simplifying

4. Habit of sticking with the basics

5. Habit of bouncing back from failures

6. Skill to become a great observer

7. Habit of Assertiveness

8. Habit of Taking Action even if You are Scared and despite your fears

9. Habit of Being Consistent

10. Habit of Letting Go

11. Mindset of Entrepreneurship

12. Mindset of Giving your 100%*

13. Art & Skills you need to Master – to be an intelligent leader

14. Skill of Creativity*

15. Skill of Leadership Communication

16. Skill of Conflict Resolution

17. Skill of Handling Difficult People

18. Skill of Being a Good Observer

19. Skill of being True-Professional

20. Skill of How to Negotiate effectively

21. Skill of how to Sell

22. Art of Listening

23. Art of Asking Questions

24. Art of Storytelling Presentation

25. Skill of How to Learn

26. Art of When to Give up

A few Bad Habits You Need to Give Up – to be an Intelligent Leader – is a sample list taken from my article on the website - Art of learning new skills – from the sub-heading- 57 Bad Habits We Need to Give Up to Be Successful, happy and contented

1. Ineffective Ways of Managing emotions like – anger, frustration, stress

2. Impulsive Financial Habits and Unhealthy Beliefs About Money

3. Habit of Worrying Too Much even for minor insignificant issues

4. Holding Yourself Back – not expressing – because of the concern - what others will think and feel

5. Being Controlling and dominating

6. Using Sarcasm to hurt and control people

7. Talking more than listening

A few Habits you need to inculcate – to be an intelligent leader - is a sample list taken from my article on this website - Art of Learning New Skills –39 Habits of Insanely Productive, Successful and Happy People

1. Facing adversity in the eye and challenging it

2. Being a source of energy that lifts those around you.

3. Understanding your priorities

4. Accepting that relationships are more important than material things.

5. Being happy for someone else's success.

6. Having a positive future vision, no matter how bad your current circumstances.

7. Not letting other people's negativity impact you to bring your motivation down

11 things you must stop doing – to be an intelligent leader - to make people take you seriously and respect you naturally - each of these are independent actions -– it is a sample list taken from my article on this website - Creating awesome gravitas and memorable leadership-presence– from the sub-heading- 19 things you must stop doing

1. Stop competing to get attention

2. Stop looking for validation and approval from others

3. Stop focusing on what others will think or say about you

4. Stop stealing the limelight

5. Stop seeking and taking credit

6. Stop giving excuses

7. Stop blaming others

8. Stop trying to prove that you are smart or the smartest

9. Stop trying to hide your fear

10. Stop trying to be someone else

11. Stop trying to show off

A few Actions You need to take to identify and utilize opportunities – to be an intelligent leader - is a sample list taken from my article on this website - 49 Tips How to Become a Person Who Identifies and Utilize Opportunities

1. Whenever you get a spark of an idea - take action - if it fails - it should not matter to you - as you will be able to develop resilience and a capacity for taking actions and risks

2. Learn to identify trends - for what changes are taking place in your professional, career, and social front - take proactive action to upgrade your skills, knowledge, and expertise to give the competitive edge and competitive advantage

3. Never play politics to gain benefits - instead create a situation that makes you conquer the world on merit

4. Learn to recognize and seize the opportunities - don't worry about taking action on false opportunities - it is about making your psyche tuned to the opportunities

5. Develop the mindset of opportunistic entrepreneur

6. Seek out new problems to solve - even if does not concern you immediately - proactively put yourself in new uncertain situations

7. Innovate more - learn the best practices from the world from different fields than yours and apply them in your situation - read more, learn more, update yourself constantly

8. Create maintain and nurture professional and social networks - which is of very high quality

9. Keep thinking about creating a breakthrough technology or innovative discovery

7 types of people you need to avoid – to be an intelligent leader - it is a sample list taken from my article on this website - 65 Reasons Why Intelligent People Have Less Friends

1. People who accuse and blame others

2. People who make excuses

3. People who throw tantrums

4. People who pass time and waste their time

5. People who show off and display a lot of drama elements

6. People who are not very focused on success

7. People who are not learners

9 Elements of Self-assured People You Need to Work on – to Be an Intelligent Leader - it is a sample list taken from my article on this website - 86 Ways to be Self-assured and 24 Traits of Self-Assured Person

1. Self-esteem

2. Self-confidence

3. Self-aware

4. Self-pride

5. Self-belief

6. Self-acceptance

7. Self-Efficacy

8. Self-image

9. Healthy and Empowering Self-love

41 Immutable actions you must take to be an intelligent leader

1. Learn and Build Alliances - Connect with people on a personal level.
2. Focus on being respectable Don't try to be popular or try to be likable
3.Listen closely and avoid making judgment at that time
4. Always focus on having a great talented team - identify and attract & retain talent
5.Assess your people on 9 Box Grid – which measures potential (future performance capacity) vs. performance (present performance) to identify High Potentials, Stars & High Performers for their leadership development plan
6.Determine the key leadership competencies -Invest heavily on capability building and learning
7.For all the important projects – practice and master the art of creating buy-in from key stakeholders
8. Design a robust leadership development plan – include all tools of learning like - Self-paced micro-learning, Leadership mentoring, Job shadowing, cross-functional, Job rotation, Coaching, Exposure to real-time projects, etc.
9. Learn when to take the lead and when to make a person who is most capable under the situation take the lead
10. Be fully self-aware -Identify your leadership style, and know your strengths and weaknesses
11. Figure out which skills you lack that you will need to develop
12. Know your energy levels – spend this on the most important priorities
13. Be clear about your Big-picture
14. Master the art of enrolling others in your dream
15. Know your value and live them
16. Standup for those who can't do for themselves
17. Speak up – learn the art of saying unpleasant things effectively
18. Make self-reflection in your everyday schedule
19. Mentor others become great leaders
20. Get yourself mentored by people you respect and admire Embrace Reverse Mentoring
21. Master the art of Encouraging Challenging Conversations
22. Learn to Leverage Technology
23. Celebrate big and small victories with your team members
24. Learn to appreciate, complement and praise sincerely
25. Accept full accountability for all your decisions, actions and its consequences
26. Practice making tough decisions in time times of uncertainties and flux by identifying feasible options by weighing the pros and cons and then discard those that are not viable
27. Make people empowered through delegation and handholding
28. Develop task management and project management skills
29. Learn to develop understanding of the financial impact of your decisions
30. Learn about AI, AR/VR/MR/XR, ML, ChatGpT/Google Gemini AND how to use the power these technologies for better value creation
31. Learn and practice Value-Focused Thinking, Decision Tree
32. Learn and master different Business Models
33. Be aware of the global best practices and new development LEARN to use these to your best advantage
34. Differentiate yourself - Lead high-performing teams
35. To the degree we use these intelligences – our lives will be filled with meaningful accomplishments - like happiness, success, growth, wonderful relationships, etc.
36. Focus on and create a balance between the most worthwhile and valuable objectives like happiness*, health*, and relationships* along with achieving what are generally required - the materialistic pursuits
37. Identify the areas of your life – which needs to change and are making you feel frustrated or restless
38. Identify what you need to learn – meaning, which Skills, Knowledge, Habits, Abilities, Attitudes – will create the most profound change that we are looking for desperately
39. Learn how to put into practice IMMEDIATELY – what you have learned in small bytes
40. Learn how to customize and improvise for more effective application for greater effectiveness – all that you have mastered
41. Look for habits or skills - which are Obsolete and are holding you down AND start unlearning, stop practicing

Few of my articles on this website – you may read. Although almost all the topics covered here has separate do-it-yourself article in my two websites and on my Quora page – on varied areas important to you as human-being, a leader, a family person and a social person

1.How to be Smart – to know about 43 traits of Smart, intelligent, wise and great people
2.80 tricks How to deal with extremely smart people
3.Creating awesome gravitas and memorable leadership-presence– to know about - 65 actions you need to take to create awesome gravitas and memorable leadership-presence
4.100 Ways Sharpen Your Learning Skills and Abilities – to know - 18 Ways We Learn and How Learning Takes Place
5. How to Be a Badass Men and Women - 90 Hacks for Confidence, Success and Awesome Life – to know - 21 Qualities & Traits of Badass
6.140 Ways To Kick Ass In Every Area Of Life To Achieve Your Wildest Dreams – to know - 18 Most powerful empowering and positive and meaning of the word kick-ass
7.30 ways improve your adversity-intelligence – to know about - 30 ways to enhance, strengthen, sharpen and develop your Adversity-quotient and adversity-intelligence

#leadershipintelligence, #intelligentleader, #habits&skillsofgreatsuccessfulleaders, #mindsetofintelligentleader, #Intelligentleadership, #Masteringleadershipintelligence, #howtoBecomeintelligentleader, #Sharpenyourleadershipabilities, #enhanceyourleadershipcapabilities

The Ultimate Guide to Intelligent Leadership: Actions, Habits, Skills and Mindsets

Developing Leadership Intelligence Leadership Wisdom to be a Great Intelligent Leader

Becoming an Intelligent Leader by Sharpening Your Leadership Intelligence & Wisdom

Unlock Your Potential: 41 Actions to Become an Intelligent Leader (Clear, actionable, and uses a power verb)

Become the Leader You Were Meant to Be: Master the 24 Essential Intelligences (Emphasizes personal growth and highlights a key element)

The Intelligent Leader's Toolkit: Habits, Mindsets, and Skills for Success (Focuses on providing practical tools and uses alliteration)

Unlock Your Potential: 41 Actions to Become an Intelligent Leader (Clear, actionable, and uses a power verb)

Become the Leader You Were Meant to Be: Master the 24 Essential Intelligences (Emphasizes personal growth and highlights a key element)

The Intelligent Leader's Toolkit: Habits, Mindsets, and Actions for Success (Focuses on providing practical tools and uses alliteration)

Become the Intelligent Leader You Were Meant to Be: 41 Actions + 24 Intelligences (Clear, concise, highlights key points, and uses power words)

Unlock Your Leadership Potential: Master the Habits of Intelligent Leaders (Focuses on self-improvement and uses a benefit-driven approach)

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