10 Qualities That Makes a Good Leader
Are you trying to become a better leader to help take your team to new levels or do you aspire to becoming a leader of a big group of people? Here are 10 Qualities That Makes a Good Leader.
1. Positive
Being a positive leader is one of the most important qualities of a good leader. Your attitude to tasks and challenges plays a huge role in the energy and spirit of your team. If you only see the negative and aren’t spreading positivity and encourage your team, then the odds of people putting in positivity in the workplace themselves are very low.
This point is very important because ultimately, the vibes among your team are decided by you in the first hand. If you are spreading negativity, then people will feel it, and as a result, being at the office or the workspace won’t be something that cheers people up and motivates them to go to work. Let’s be honest. Which atmosphere are you the most likely to be engaged, happy and motivated in? A place where the leader spreads negativity and doesn’t encourage the team or the opposite where the leader is positive and encourages its crew? The answer is quite clear. By being positive as a leader, you can make your team work harder and more effectively while they are happier. Win-win!
2. Self-awareness
Being self-aware as a leader is also a quality that is one of the most valuable to have when leading a team. Being self-aware is being conscious of what you are good at while being aware and acknowledging what you are less good at and could need some practice at. This means that when you don’t have the answer to something, you can admit it without being ashamed about it and also be honest when you have committed a mistake.
By being honest as a leader you can instead ask for help from your team and show your trust and appreciation in them. If you aren’t self-aware and can admit your weaknesses, other people in your team will still see them. So, instead of trying to hide your flaws, it is better to be aware of them because when trying to hide your flaws as a leader, all you’ll do is show them up even brighter.
10 Qualities That Makes a Good Leader
3. Confidence
Leadership is about having the confidence to make decisions. If you as a leader don’t dare to make commitments and decisions, you will have a hard time as a leader of a team. With confidence, you can make tough decisions that will bring the business forward and it will also be reassuring to your employees
4. Decisive
Being decisive as a leader does not necessarily have to mean that you have the ability to make quick decisions, but it means that the leader is able to have dialogues with the team when he/she comes to different tough decisions so the team can help affect the outcome and come with good input and advice. Being decisive as a leader also includes being able to take rational decisions that ensure the company’s best. The most important part of a leader being decisive, is however that a leader doesn’t procrastinate, delay or avoid tough decisions because of fear of making a choice.
5. Big picture thinking
A leader that is big picture thinking can see implications of their decisions, come up with new innovative solutions and unique, groundbreaking ideas to help improve the company and the direction it is working in.
A big picture thinking leader can:
- Build productive relationships
- Make connections among ideas and people who don’t seem obvious
- Reduce labor intensity
- Stay ahead of competition
- Make sense of data
- Avoid or reduce conflict
- Anticipate opportunities and potential problems
As seen above, it is very clear that being big picture thinking as a leader can have a huge effect on a business and how successful it is.
6. Authenticity
An authentic leader holds several qualities. They should be able to understand their purpose, lead with heart, establish connected relationships, practice solid values and demonstrate self-discipline. To achieve this quality, a leader must be able to adopt flexible solutions and leading styles that fit a particular situation and teammates.
An authentic leader is at times a mentor that coaches that is able to lead their team through hard times, important tasks and this without a great deal of supervision. At the same, a leader with authenticity has to be able to make very difficult decisions, go against the majority’s will if needed.
7. Empathy
With empathy means being able to understand the needs of others. It also means that you are fully aware of your team’s feelings and how their feelings have an impact on their perception. Leading with empathy does not, however, have to mean that you fully agree with your team, but instead that you are able to see things from their perspective and is able to appreciate what the other person is going through.
If you as a leader can understand your team, you will also be able to know what they need in order to succeed and perform a great job. Therefore, by creating a better relationship with your team, you can create a better productivity and mood at your workspace.
8. Good listener
On the 8th place of the 10 Qualities That Makes a Good Leader comes being a good listener.Being able to listen to your co-workers, team or other people you are doing business with is extremely important. As a leader, you want to be able to listen to people in an interested way. Asking questions and wanting to hear what they have to say is extremely important. By listening genuinely interested, you make people feel appreciated, important and loved. This has a huge effect on how you are seen as a leader, how well they work and if they thrive in the workplace.
9. Passion & commitment
Great leaders are passionate about the work they are doing and the goals that the company is working towards. By being committed to achieving results, the leader spreads that passion and commitment to the rest of the team. If the leader is negative about the work, there’s a big chance that the team will adapt that spirit and the workplace won’t be a positive one. As a leader, you should show your passion & commitment with body language, mood, and appreciation to the team.
10. Patience
This quality isn’t usually listed Qualities That Makes a Good Leader but it is important enough that it should make it to the list of 10 Qualities That Makes a Good Leader. This is because of many reasons.
Often when there’s a big pressure, people tend to make decisions that they later regret. A leader with patience can avoid these mistakes by giving themselves the opportunity of holding up for a while and thinking through a decision and what affects it will have. A great leader should also know that great things take time. If a leader is impatient, it will spread to the team and it will have a negative effect on how the teamwork and thrive. This is why being patient as a leader made it to the list of 10 Qualities That Makes a Good Leader.
What are your opinions of these qualities? Are they essential in order for a leader to succeed?
