Hello from Chicago! Before the Emerging Leaders cohort of 2009 wrapped up our projects with a final poster session, we had a chance to sit as a group and discuss traits of leadership–things we want to see in our leaders, and things we hope build in ourselves as we become leaders for the profession. Here are some of our ideas–but I’m curious to know what other traits of leadership do you want to see and achieve?

1. Find a balance that allows you to invest in your team and participate in your team projects without getting bogged down and overloading yourself.
2. Set clear tasks and tangible goals so that your team can see progress.
3. Delegate and allow your team to take ownership of tasks so that they can shine and grow as professionals.
4. Learn to “speak to power”–know what moves people in positions of power (statistics? personal stories?) so you can communicate your causes effectively.
5.Don’t reinvent the wheel! Learn about the great work that’s been done before you so you can build on the best ideas from the field.