Leaders can guide, influence their team or organization to achieve greater heights, deliver projects, encourage initiatives, build a sense of common purpose, and empower others. Effective leadership can provide clarity to the team and help in guiding the organization to achieve success. But what are the leadership qualities one must possess to become a great leader? Let’s find out.
- Introduction
- What do you mean by Leadership Qualities?
- Why is Leadership an important Skill?
- Ten leadership qualities that make a great leader
- Conclusion
Introduction
If there is one skill that is hard to hone or master, it has to be leadership. An ideal leader needs to be the knight in shining armor for the team while being supportive and sympathetic. He/she needs to balance between nurturing their team and pushing them to reach their goals. Leadership involves multiple skills, and it can take a long time for an individual to develop all of them. So, if you are keen on developing leadership skills and do not know how/where to start, here are some leadership qualities that might help achieve greatness and bring new transformations to the world.
What do you mean by Leadership Qualities?
It might sound a little surprising, but there is no definition of leadership qualities. In a nutshell, leadership qualities are abilities that people should have to lead and deliver projects, encourage initiatives, build a sense of common purpose, and empower others.
Leadership qualities also include the abilities people have to steer employees towards the business goals achievement, inspire them, drive change, and deliver results. One primary thing to note here is that not all leaders have similar qualities. It depends from person to person.
Why is Leadership an important Skill?
A leader has the ability to inspire people around them to follow a particular path. Having qualities of leadership is important because it makes it easier to manage a large group of people who have a unified set of goals.
A leader provides guidance, boosts morale, helps in achieving the long-term success of the organization, creates an environment that fosters growth, and is committed to the success of the team. Although an organization/team may have multiple individuals who are highly capable, a leader harnesses individual efforts towards a particular end goal while supporting the team to learn and grow.
10 Leadership Qualities that Make a Great Leader
From communicating clearly, to respecting your team members and encouraging them to achieve their goals, developing these qualities of leadership can help you manage more effectively—at every level.
1. United Employees Around a Mission
Had there been secret ingredients behind the making of a successful, engaging, and thriving leader, collaboration would be the top-most. A leader must know the strengths and weaknesses of their teams as it allows them to encourage unity through peer-to-peer mentorship, team projects, or cross-training. For a leader, the success of their team is a big-time motivation. A leader tries to create an environment wherein individuals could gather to share their experiences, knowledge, opinion, and ideas. Embracing collaboration helps individuals learn from one another and push them outside their comfort zone to achieve great things.
2. Empathy
Empathy, which means understanding the core needs of their team members and understanding what goes in their minds, is an essential leadership quality that can nurture your team. We live in a world wherein people are hesitant to speak out their minds and do not interact with each other at much ease. Some people do communicate to express their interest but do not understand the perspective of another person. A leader needs to be understanding and must know the feelings and thinking of their subordinates. And being empathetic does not mean that a leader has to agree with others’ views but to appreciate and have a willingness to understand, engage in active listening, and build meaningful working relationships.
Also Read: 8 Ways to Improve your Leadership Traits
3. Resilience
Come what may be the situation, a resilient leader knows how to handle themselves and bounce back from setbacks. They are capable of retaining their energy level under strain and responding to disruptive changes. Overcoming any adverse situation without hurting the other person and recovering from any adversity are some of the traits of a resilient leader.
4. Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence means the capability to identify, manage, evaluate, and understand the emotions of people around us. A good leader is self-aware, takes calculated decisions, and understands other people’s perspectives without being cynical. A leader lacking Emotional Intelligence might not be able to gauge the wants and needs of those they lead.
5. Self-motivated
One of the essential leadership qualities is the ability to motivate employees and boost their morale whenever needed. Moreover, being clear about their capabilities and limitations allow a leader to be an effective communicator. They know how to deal with the most hazardous situations and keep the team motivated. Also, recognize when people are honest with them and when people are too intimidated to ask questions.
6. Delegation
The ability to delegate wisely, effectively, and making the best out of it is a good leadership quality. A person in a leadership role is usually busy. And that is why it is crucial to maximize productivity and drive the performance of their team members. Also, delegation does not mean delegating tasks to others. It also means having the awareness and understanding of who has the necessary skills and expertise to complete the work.
7. Strong Communication Skills
An ideal leader should be someone who should know how to put across their message. They can interact with people in a way that feels genuine. But this does not mean that a leader has to be an extrovert or a people-person to be a leader – many excellent leaders self-identify as introverts! You should be able to demonstrate empathy, engage in active listening, and build a meaningful working relationship with those around you, whether they are a peer or a direct report.
Also Read: How to improve your communication skills?
8. Active Listening
Active listening is an excellent leadership skill that one must have as it helps in the longer run. A good leader always listens to people with great attention and sincerity. It helps them understand people and their perspectives. A good leader communicates with care, focuses on the person and the message. They don’t interrupt and acknowledge what is being said.
9. Flexibility
Let’s face it: None of the projects goes as planned. That’s why you need to be prepared to encounter minor roadblocks or obstacles and determine a new course of action. A good leader always embraces the ever-changing business nature and meets challenges with a flexible attitude. They should inspire and have a willingness to adapt during uncertain times.
10. Patience
Leading effectively, especially during a crisis, takes patience. A true leader reorganizes the importance of patience as it enables them to take stock of the situation, understand what is required, and wait to take effective action. While developing a team, there should always be a scope of improvement. If you lack the patience to provide freedom for your team members and encourage progress, they might consider looking for opportunities elsewhere.
Final Note
If you are reading the final note, I can assume that you have gained a perspective on these critical leadership qualities. The leadership qualities (mentioned in the blog) might act as a foundation for career growth for everyone, even for the person in the corner office of their organization or managing a team of 2 at a junior level. You can also fast-track your leadership growth—and your career—by enrolling in the Future Leaders Programme, delivered by NUS Business School and delivered in collaboration with Great Learning. Click here and learn more about the program.
