For all of the personal characteristics that indicate a great leader, there are also some more practical skills which separate "leaders" from Great Leaders. One of those skills is the willingness and the foresightedness to stay informed on all pertinent and ongoing issues.
Stay informed on all pertinent ongoing issues
A leader who has clearly informed him or her self on pertinent topics, will not only sound logical, but will also make better decisions. Meetings are more likely to stay on point and budgets will be better spent. A well informed leader will appreciate the value of well informed staff.
Important information will come from the media, social media, talking with and listening to colleagues, reading books and ensuring participation in professional development. A leader will not allow political persuasion or personal gain to sway his or her direction. He or she will understand that all media and social media has a personal perspective and it must all be put into context.
Pertinent issues may be directly and indirectly connected to the topic at hand. An example is a leader working in the area of security and emergency management needs to be aware of severe weather warnings, terrorist events, legislation and local trends in crime and quality of relationships with other agencies such as police and fire.
Being fully informed is not a difficult or time consuming task. Keep your eyes and ears open at all times and, even more important is to keep your mind open. The brain is a muscle....exercise it.
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