Leadership is not about the position. It is about motivating, inspiring, and guiding people to work together to achieve a specific goal. When you think about leadership, the common misconception is that the main purpose of a leader is to dictate and control people. A leader’s (with a purpose) main goal is to bring out the best in people, and to support them.
Every organization needs a good leader. But what makes a good leader? In this article, we are going to look at the important characteristics and qualities of a good leader. Let us first understand leadership in brief.
Below are some highly relevant quotes from the world’s top leaders.
“The only definition of a leader is someone who has followers.” – Peter Drucker
“Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less.” – John C. Maxwell
“Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want to be done because he wants to do it. “ Dwight D. Eisenhower
“The leader is one who mobilizes others toward a goal shared by leaders and followers… Leaders, followers and goals make up the three equally necessary supports for leadership. ” – Garry Wills
“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” – Jack Welch
To grasp a better understanding of what leadership is, here are seven qualities great leaders consistently possess.
1. Confidence
Confidence is an essential part of effective leadership. It is the key to success. Leaders should have the confidence to ensure that people will follow their directions. A leader who lacks self-confidence and doubts his decisions and qualities will make his subordinates question his capabilities.
Leaders become brave to face difficult challenges with the help of confidence. This allows them to make spontaneous decisions and to not be afraid to commit to conclusions and face consequences.
2. Inspire
Another quality of an effective leader is the ability to inspire others. Leaders display passion, integrity, and hard work. These behaviors that they demonstrate inspire people to act the same way as they do.
When the team is losing hope, or their morale is low, a great leader inspires them by giving a word of encouragement and keeping their spirits high. They infuse passion, energy, and connection into their actions. This creates engagement and commitment within the team.
3. Accountability
Leaders take responsibility for his and everyone else’s performance. They take ownership of the task and willingness to face the consequences when faced with failure. They also prove that they can deliver results and show others that they can be trusted.
When leaders display the desired behavior and teach accountability, their subordinates can see their efforts and desire to achieve success. As a result, their subordinates also take the same action and show a greater level of accountability.
4. Delegate
Although leaders are accountable and take ownership, they also recognize the importance of delegation. Delegating is more than just passing a task to someone else. It is trusting a person to handle the task with their skills and abilities. A big part of delegating is permitting them to make their own decisions and take on responsibilities. Good leaders who recognize delegation promote positive morale in the workplace. Employees will feel appreciated and honored that they got selected and will feel their importance in the team or organization.
5. Transparency
Being a transparent leader is the best way to gain the trust of your followers. They set crystal-clear expectations, keep their followers in the loop, accept honest feedback, and communicate constantly and effectively with their followers.
When you choose to be transparent with your followers, they will feel that you value their contributions and opinions. In return, they will trust you and be loyal to you. Also, since you set clear expectations, employees are able to perform better and become more productive in their jobs.
6. Positive Attitude
Great leaders inspire people and are optimistic about the possibility of shaping the future. They view problems as challenges that offer the opportunity to innovate. Their behaviors are goal-directed and have a sense of meaning and purpose in every area of their life.
According to top leadership courses and leadership coaching, having a positive attitude allows you to see good in every person and situation. Because of this, it creates a personal connection with their followers and allows them to see that you exhibit empathy. As a result, people respond much better to their leader, become much happier and more productive at work.
7. Creativity
Creative leaders have the ability to initiate original ideas, approaches, and think outside the box. They can find solutions right away when an issue arises and sees a unique approach to reaching their goals.
Creativity also inspires employees to work with each other and be open to their ideas. It helps them to become a better problem-solver in work and other aspects of life. People who think creatively are better at dealing with uncertainty because they can adapt to the unknown as they are more open minded and more resilient.
Suggested Online Courses
Leaders are both born and made. There are some who are naturally born leaders. However, it’s fortunate that leadership qualities can be developed and honed. This is where management training comes into play. It offers a strategic approach to enhancing one’s leadership abilities. For instance, Skills Success offers a selection of management training courses that can be instrumental in shaping effective leaders.
Leadership Lessons From The Greatest Leaders In History
Learn the basics of strong leadership, new ways to lead teams, and how some of the greatest leaders in history found great success in this online course.
Essential Leadership And Workplace Skills
Discover in this online course the leadership skills to manage teams and people more effectively and useful workplace skills.
Transformational Leadership: Ultimate Leadership Course
This online course is for you if you are interested in learning the basics of leadership and persuasion strategies, implementing strategies, and gaining new empowering beliefs and values to become a great leader.
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