The Essential Qualities Of A Good Leader

I’ve known a number of great managers throughout my career, but not all of them have been natural born leaders. The ones who weren’t, either drove me completely nuts, or made a humongous effort not to drive me completely nuts — which actually worked.

Not everyone has that leadership instinct, but it’s not the end of the world if you’re one of those people; it’s simply an opportunity to grow. You see, you can learn how to be a good leader and — once you do — your employees will appreciate you for it all the more.

Here are a few key qualities that are absolutely essential if you want to become an effective leader;

Confidence

Confidence is an essential leadership trait — especially when the going gets tough. Your team will rely on you to believe in them, in yourself, and in your company. A 2015 study by Dale Carnegie Training revealed that 70% of employees who lack confidence in the abilities of senior leadership are not fully engaged, so it’s vital to gain that trust from your team. Of course, there’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance, but the art of being a leader is treading that line successfully.

Humility

The best leaders know how to stay humble whilst also being decisive and confident in their abilities. A lot of this is down to self awareness; being open to sharing your thoughts and ideas, and a willingness to be corrected if you’re wrong. There’s a quiet confidence that can be found in the leader who realizes that they don’t have all of the answers all of the time.

Good Communication Skills

Great leaders are clear, consistent, and genuine in how they communicate. This is one of the most important qualities that a leader can possess and it’s often what separates a ‘boss’ from someone who can inspire and motivate a team to be the very best they can be. Using an online collaboration platform, such as Buckets, allows teams to keep abreast of everything that’s happening — when it’s happening — especially in a remote work environment.

Vision

As a leader, you have to know what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and what you’re going to accomplish from it. That’s your vision, it’s your motivation, and it’s what will motivate your employees. Not everything is about a paycheck. Your employees want to see the future that you see for your product/service and your company as a whole. They want to see the future you see for them and they want to be as excited about it as you are. But if you want that to happen, you have to clearly develop that vision and share it with your team.

Transparency

According to a 2014 study by the American Psychological Association, 1 in 4 employees don’t actually trust their employers and only half of employees feel that their employer is open and honest with them. That’s a serious issue and it’s one that you really don’t want taking root in your workplace. Transparent leadership is the key to developing trust because it helps employees to better understand the company vision and their role in its success, regardless of how small that role might be.

Passion

Passion is contagious and a truly passionate leader will have an amazing impact on a company’s culture. When your employees see you putting your heart and soul into your work, they’ll be inspired to do the same.

A Thirst For Knowledge

The best leaders never stop learning and they’re not afraid to challenge their own beliefs or assumptions in the process. By continuously improving your knowledge and skill-set, you’ll make an even greater contribution to your company and you’ll encourage your team to do the same.

Flexibility

Following on from the above — a great leader has the ability to adapt and change to any situation. Being flexible is a key part of developing your own skill-set as a leader and improving the capabilities of your team.

Compassion

A true leader will understand the strength of compassion and the importance of being human. If you want to motivate your employees, you have to first understand what motivates them, and that starts by getting to know who they are. What makes them get up in the morning? What do they love about what they do? What do they want out of life? Heck, what’s their favorite type of coffee? You’d be surprised at how effective a free cup of coffee can be on a Monday morning — especially if it’s your favourite!

This Isn’t A One-Size-Fits-All Kind Of Deal

The whole point of developing as a leader is to find the style and approach that feels right for you. There are a million books, ebooks, blog posts (hello!), and videos on the subject, but you’re the only person who can decide what style best fits with your own core values. So, use this list as your baseline — and work from there. You’re going to be great and we can’t wait to see how you get on.

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