Top 29 Leadership Qualities
I know being a leader isn’t easy even if you’re leading just two persons and I have listed out 27 leadership qualities a good leader should possess. Qualities are the features or characteristics of a person while leadership, according to ManagementStudyGuide is a process by which an executive can direct, guide and influence the behaviour and work of others towards the accomplishment of specific goals in a given situation. Leadership is the ability of a manager to induce subordinates to work with confidence and zeal.
Of course, I know that you may not have all the leadership qualities of a good leader listed here – don’t panic —leaders are not born but made and there are ways for you to improve and add to your leadership qualities if you’re open to growth. This is possible through experience, continued study, adaptation and self-improvement.
As Inc rightly mentioned, your leadership qualities help you shine through the worst of times. It is these same leadership qualities that employees look up to, respect, and work very hard for. Therefore, it is so important for every leader to work hard to gain the qualities of a good leader.
These are the list of qualities a good leader should have
- Accountability
- Communication
- Confidence
- Cooperation
- Courage
- Delegation
- Diplomacy
- Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
- Empathy
- Empowerment
- Focus
- Humility
- Influence
- Initiative for action
- Integrity
- Listening
- Motivation
- Open-minded
- Passion
- Patience
- Perspective
- Positivity
- Problem Solving
- Purpose
- Resilience
- Strategic planning
- Transparency
- Trust
- Vision
Let quickly take a look at some of these qualities of a good leader
Accountability: One of the top qualities of a good leader is to be accountable for the team’s success or failure. Nevertheless, they give credit where credit is due, and take responsibility for blame when necessary. Being accountable and leading by example is one of the quickest ways a leader can build trust with their team.
Humility: A good leader cannot be accountable without humility. Thus, Humility is a must-have quality if you want to be a good leader. ….with power comes great responsibility. A good leader will never be effective if they’re more concerned with themselves than with the well-being of their team. Being humble and vulnerable with your team members will make you a good leader much more relatable and effective.
Vision: What is the essence of leading without a vision or purpose? A good leader must have a vision… See into the future. This quality in a good leader helps them to have a clear, exciting idea of where they are going and what they are trying to accomplish and are excellent at strategic planning.
Focus: Leaders never lose focus on the company’s goals and objectives. Leaders focus on results, on what must be achieved by themselves, by others, and by the company. This quality in a leader helps them focus on strengths, in themselves and others.
Transparency: Matt Edstrom right said “Being transparent is the most important quality of a good leader. Especially when it comes to working with millennials and the younger workforce, they need to understand the big picture. That is, you shouldn’t just ask (or tell) them to do something without explaining how this task or function integrates within the larger business initiative. When they can see the connection, they often feel much more empowered and motivated to do a better job.
Confident: If you don’t have the confidence to lead, people will spot that quickly; all other leadership qualities you possess will crumble. To be an effective leader, you need to roll up your sleeves and take charge. This includes being confident enough to lead, knowing that your plans and vision are not only viable for the team but the absolute best decision possible.
Cooperation: Lastly, this is one of the top qualities in a good leader because it makes it easy for you to gain the cooperation of others by committing to getting along well with each key person every single day. Mind you, your ability to get everyone working and pulling together is essential to your success. Leadership is the ability to guide and influence the behaviour and work of others towards the accomplishment of specific goals in a given situation.