Top 10 Leadership Qualities That Make Good Leaders
Everybody defines leadership differently but I really like the way John C Maxwell
defines leadership, “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way,
and shows the way.” Irrespective of how you define a leader, he or she can
prove to be a difference maker between success and failure. A good leader has
a futuristic vision and knows how to turn his ideas into real-world success
stories. In this article, we take an in-depth look at some of the important
leadership qualities that separate good leaders from a bad one
1. Honesty and Integrity - The 34th President of United States,
Dwight.D.Eisenhower once said, “The supreme quality of leadership is
unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter
whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.”
Honesty and integrity are two important ingredients which make a good leader.
How can you expect your followers to be honest when you lack these qualities
yourself? Leaders succeed when they stick to their values and core beliefs and
without ethics, this will not be possible.
2. Confidence -To be an effective leader, you should be confident enough to
ensure that other follow your commands. If you are unsure about your own
decisions and qualities, then your subordinates will never follow you. As a
leader, you have to be oozing with confidence, show some swagger and
assertiveness to gain the respect of your subordinates. This does not mean that
you should be overconfident, but you should at least reflect the degree of
confidence required to ensure that your followers trust you as a leader.
3. Inspire Others - Probably the most difficult job for a leader is to persuade
others to follow. It can only be possible if you inspire your followers by setting a
good example. When the going gets tough, they look up to you and see how
you react to the situation. If you handle it well, they will follow you. As a leader,
should think positive and this positive approach should be visible through your
actions. Stay calm under pressure and keep the motivation level up. As John
Quincy Adams puts it, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn
more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” If you are successful
in inspiring your subordinates, you can easily overcome any current and future
challenge easily.
4. Commitment and Passion - Your teams look up to you and if you want them to
give them their all, you will have to be passionate about it too. When your
teammates see you getting your hands dirty, they will also give their best shot.
It will also help you to gain the respect of your subordinates and infuse new
energy in your team members, which helps them to perform better. If they feel
that you are not fully committed or lacks passion, then it would be an uphill
task for the leader to motivate your followers to achieve the goal.
5. Good Communicator - Until you clearly communicate your vision to your team
and tell them the strategy to achieve the goal, it will be very difficult for you to
get the results you want. Simply put, if you are unable to communicate your
message effectively to your team, you can never be a good leader. A good
communicator can be a good leader. Words have the power to motivate people
and make them do the unthinkable. If you use them effectively, you can also
achieve better results.
6. Decision-Making Capabilities - Apart from having a futuristic vision, a leader
should have the ability to take the right decision at the right time. Decisions
taken by leaders have a profound impact on masses. A leader should think long
and hard before taking a decision but once the decision is taken, stand by it.
Although, most leaders take decisions on their own, but it is highly
recommended that you consult key stakeholders before taking a decision. After
all, they are the ones who will benefit or suffer from your decisions.
7. Accountability - When it comes to accountability, you need to follow the
approach highlighted by Arnold H Glasow when he said, “A good leader takes
little more than his share of the blame and little less than his share of
the credit.” Make sure that every one of your subordinates is accountable for
what they are doing. If they do well, give them a pat on the back but if they
struggle, make them realize their mistakes and work together to improve.
Holding them accountable for their actions will create a sense of responsibility
among your subordinates and they will go about the business more seriously.
8. Delegation and Empowerment - You cannot do everything, right. It is important
for a leader to focus on key responsibilities while leaving the rest to others. By
that, I mean empowering your followers and delegating tasks to them. If you
continue to micromanage your subordinates, it will develop a lack of trust and
more importantly, you will not be able to focus on important matters, as you
should be. Delegate tasks to your subordinates and see how they perform.
Provide them with all the resources and support they need to achieve the
objective and give them a chance to bear the responsibility.
9. Creativity and Innovation - What separates a leader from a follower? Steve
Jobs, the greatest visionary of our time answers this question this way,
“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” In order to
get ahead in today’s fast-paced world, a leader must be creative and innovative
at the same time. Creative thinking and constant innovation is what makes you
and your team stand out from the crowd. Think out of the box to come up with
unique ideas and turn those ideas and goals into reality.
10. Empathy - Last but certainly not the least, is empathy. Leaders should
develop empathy with their followers. Unfortunately, most leaders follow a
dictatorial style and neglect empathy altogether. Due to this, they fail to make a
closer connection with their followers. Understanding the problems of your
followers and feeling their pain is the first step to become an effective leader.
Even that is not enough until you work hard and provide your followers with the
suitable solution to their problems.
