TOP 10 LEADERSHIP QUALITIES OF A GOOD LEADER

Great leaders find the balance between business foresight, performance, and character.

Great leaders understand that they are only as strong as their team. This is why many choose to lead by example. In doing so, they earn the respect of their team and followers, and may even inspire others to join the mission. 

To help you become a better leader, here are my top 10 best leadership qualities that you can start putting into practice immediately. Reference them as a tool to help you develop your leadership style.

1. Vision

Great leaders have a vision… one that allows them to plan their moves strategically to reach their goals. They have a clear idea of where they are going and can motivate themselves (and their teams) to reach it. They practice idealization to visualize the long-term goals they hope to achieve and use their vision and strategic planning to advance towards them.

2. Courage

One of the more important leadership qualities and characteristics is courage. Having courage means that you are willing to take risks in order to achieve your goals. While many people can dream big, only leaders and risk-takers understand that taking a risk and failing is still more productive than not taking a risk at all.

3. Integrity

To dive even deeper though and to help you become a great leader, remember that the core of integrity is truthfulness. Having integrity and a reputation of being honest helps leaders gain the trust and respect of their colleagues and their teams. As a leader, your decisions should be based on the betterment of the group, rather than self-gain. People should look to you for inspiration and aspire to follow in your footsteps. They should know that your moral compass does not waver.

4. Humility

Humility gets results.

Larry Bossidy, the former CEO of Honeywell and author of the book Execution, explained why leadership characteristics, such as humility, make you a more effective leader:

“The more you can contain your ego, the more realistic you are about your problems. You learn how to listen, and admit that you don’t know all the answers. You exhibit the attitude that you can learn from anyone at any time. Your pride doesn’t get in the way of gathering the information you need to achieve the best results. It doesn’t keep you from sharing the credit that needs to be shared. Humility allows you to acknowledge your mistakes.” – Larry Bossidy

Being a great leader means raising your team up to succeed. This means admitting when someone knows more than you and giving them the opportunity to take initiative. It means being conscious of your power, but never letting it get the best of you.

5. Focus 

 “Successful people maintain a positive focus in life no matter what is going on around them. They stay focused on their past successes rather than their past failures, and on the next action steps, they need to take to get them closer to the fulfillment of their goals rather than all the other distractions that life presents to them. – Jack Canfield

In order to be a good leader, one must have true focus; focus on their goals, focus on the needs of their team, and focus on the bigger picture. This will allow you to strategize and plan for success.

6. Cooperation

“If your imagination leads you to understand how quickly people grant your requests when those requests appeal to their self-interest, you can have practically anything you go after.” – Napoleon Hill

One of the most important leadership qualities is cooperation. Cooperation is the process of working together to reach the same end. Good leaders have the ability to get everyone on the team on the same page in order to get something done.

7. Clear Communication 

Another characteristic of a good leader is the ability to effectively and persuasively. Clear communication begins with the ability to stop, listen, think, and proceed slowly. Being able to clearly communicate with your team will create an open dialogue that allows your team to ask questions, voice concerns, and problem-solve. When people understand the assignment clearly and can openly communicate about it, there will be fewer errors and issues overall.

8. Honesty

When you ask yourself how to be a better leader, never forget honesty. It allows you to gain trust with your team and keep the focus on the vision. When leaders are dishonest and ingenuine, it becomes difficult to keep everyone moving in the same direction. Your team will lose trust not only with you but with your efforts. This will create a chaotic environment full of gossip and drama.

9. Empathy

Another one of the biggest qualities I’ve found in great leaders is empathy and kindness. As leaders, we may be hyper-focused on our own goals and what’s at stake. But, if we are looking for how to be a better leader, we must also understand that without our team, goals cannot be reached. Knowing that, it’s important to check on your team and make sure they feel understood. A team that feels heard will be much more willing to cooperate and participate.  

10. Ability To Delegate

The ability to delegate is also a strong quality that makes a good leader.

“If you want to do a few small things right, do them yourself. If you want to do great things and make a big impact, learn to delegate.” – John C. Maxwell 

In order for leaders to stay focused on their vision, they must be able to delegate their tasks. Not only does delegating take room off your plate so you can focus on the bigger picture, but it also empowers your employees to take on bigger responsibilities. Delegating tasks shows your employees that you trust them and their work. This will motivate them to produce high-quality work in order to keep your trust and respect.