Most people believe that management and leadership are interchangeable when discussing the concepts. The opposite is true: a leader can be anyone who wants to be one, regardless of their status within an organisation. Similar to managers, many managers do not genuinely exhibit the leadership traits necessary to qualify as great leaders.
1. Vision
The capacity to understand the big picture of where the company or team they are working within is headed, what it is capable of, and what it will take to get there is perhaps the best quality any leader can possess.
2. Strategic & Critical Thinking
A strong leader will be able to analyse the group or team they are leading critically and gain a thorough awareness of its advantages, disadvantages, opportunities, and threats (and how they as an individual can work to support or overcome these). When necessary, they will be able to make course corrections and evaluate their work to see how it fits into the wider corporate strategy and goals.
3. Inspiration
The capacity to share and inspire others about your vision is just as crucial as having one yourself. This entails continuing to be a positive yet grounded presence within the company in order to support the team members’ retention of their goals, motivation, and engagement.
4. Genuineness & Self-Awareness
Being self-aware enough to recognise your weaknesses and strengths and developing a leadership style that is authentic to you and how you perform your best job is one of the keys to becoming a successful leader. Instead of trying to fit into a template created by someone else, you want to be the best leader you can be. Try to embrace the characteristics that make you unique; doing so will inevitably result in the development of an authentic leadership style.
5. Interpersonal Communication
Effective leaders must be able to communicate with others in a way that comes out as sincere. There are many exceptional leaders who self-identify as introverts, therefore being a leader doesn’t necessarily need you to be an extrovert or people-person. Instead, it entails being able to show empathy, practising active listening, and developing strong working connections with everyone in your immediate vicinity, whether they be a peer or a direct report.
6. Open-Mindedness & Creativity
Being a successful leader entails being receptive to novel concepts, opportunities, and viewpoints as well as realising that there is no one “correct” approach to carry out a task. Knowing that change is necessary for success, being open to new perspectives that can spark innovation, and doing your best to think beyond the box are all characteristics of effective leadership. Leaders need to be able to observe, listen, and be flexible when necessary.
7. Tenacity & Patience
Whether it’s a plan, a circumstance, or a goal, a strong leader understands how to take the big picture into account. Patience is a quality that is vital to successful leadership—from little tasks to corporate vision—being able to handle any bumps on the road and persist on without getting irritated or defeated is key.
8. Flexibility
When necessary, leadership also entails being flexible and fluid. Nothing ever goes as planned, so be ready to pause, reevaluate, and choose a new course of action if you come across small setbacks or significant hurdles. Good leaders will embrace the constantly-evolving nature of company and handle obstacles with a flexible mindset; they will also be able to inspire others to be equally adaptable.
9. Responsibility & Dependability
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A sense of accountability and dependability is among the most vital traits a leader can possess. This entails showcasing those qualities both in your own job and in your dealings with other people. Your teammates need to know they can count on you to do your fair share of work and follow through, to be there for them in difficult times, and to assist them in achieving both team and individual goals.
10. Continuous Improvement
There is always space for development on all levels, from the individual to the team to the entire business, according to true leaders, who understand that perfection is a fantasy. They’ll be able to recognise and put into practise strategies for assisting the organisation as a whole to grow, and, perhaps most importantly, they’ll be able to look inward and identify the areas they would like to work on – and then act on them. They’ll also always be willing to assist team members in finding ways to develop new skills or improve upon a weakness.