When considering the role of leader, many people equate it with management.
Quite the opposite is true; everybody, regardless of rank or title, has the potential to become a leader.
A similar number of managers lack the traits of genuine leaders.
The term “leadership” can refer to a wide range of concepts. One definition of a successful leader is “someone who:
- creates and utilizes inspirational vision of the future
- motivates and inspires people to engage with that vision
- manages the delivery of the vision
- coaches and strengthens a team to be more effective at attaining the vision.
A few characteristics of an excellent leader seem to hold regardless of the context; these are attributes that every successful leader possesses or should try to keep.
Table of Contents
A Great Leader Should Have These Top 10 Traits
1. The Ability to See What’s Coming
The capacity to understand the big picture of where the organization or team you’re working within is headed, what it’s capable of, and what it’ll take to get there is maybe the most essential quality any leader can have.
2. Inspiration
The capacity to inspire people to share your vision is just as critical as having an idea yourself.
In other words, you need to project an image of optimism while keeping everyone on the team grounded in reality so that they can keep working hard without losing sight of the bigger picture.
3. Critical and Strategic Reasoning
To be an effective leader, one must be able to analyze the organization or team they are a part of critically, identifying its strengths, flaws, opportunities, and threats (and how they as an individual can work to support or overcome these).
When appropriate, they can make adjustments and evaluate their work to see how it contributes to the organization’s overarching strategy and objectives.
4. Interpersonal
To lead effectively, one must be able to connect with others sincerely.
That doesn’t imply you have to be outgoing to be a good leader; many great ones are introverts.
Instead, it entails being empathetic, listening actively, and establishing genuine rapport with your coworkers, whether they are your peers or subordinates.
5. Genuineness and Awareness of One’s Own Identity
To develop into a great leader, it’s essential to know yourself well enough to recognize your qualities and areas for improvement and use that knowledge to craft a leadership approach that is genuine to who you are and how you perform at your best.
You shouldn’t compromise your vision to conform to someone else’s ideal of a leader.
If you can learn to appreciate the characteristics that make you unique, you’ll be well on your way to cultivating an authentic leadership style.
6. Ability to Think beyond the Box and Be Creative
To be an effective leader, you need to recognize that there is no one “correct” way to do things and be receptive to alternative viewpoints.
Knowing that success requires being open to altering established procedures, recruiting new team members with clean slates upon which to build, and making every effort to think creatively are all essential leadership qualities.
The ability to listen, observe, and pivot when necessary are critical leadership skills.
7. Adaptability
Being a leader also requires the ability to adjust quickly to changing circumstances.
Nothing ever goes according to plan, so be ready to pause, reevaluate, and plot a new course of action if the unexpected arises.
Leaders that understand and accept the dynamic nature of business are better equipped to respond to change and new problems and instill in their teams a willingness to do the same.
8. Accountability and Dependability
Responsibility and dependability are two of the most valuable traits a leader can possess.
This includes not only exemplifying these characteristics in your own job but also your dealings with others.
Moreover, team members need to know they can count on you to do your share of the work and see it through, stand by them in times of difficulty, and assist in attaining team and individual objectives.
9. Perseverance & Patience
A successful leader can look at the big picture regarding strategy, situations, and even accomplishments.
Patience is necessary for successful leadership in pursuing a personal goal or realizing a larger organizational vision.
10. Always Getting Better
The best leaders are the ones who recognize that perfection is unattainable and that there is always potential for growth, both individually and collectively.
They’ll be eager to offer suggestions for how others on the team may gain expertise in new areas or strengthen areas of weakness, devise plans to advance the company as a whole, and, most significantly, take stock of themselves to determine what it is they need to do better.
Insights on the Art of Leadership Development
A team’s lowest-ranking member can become an influential leader by channeling his or her skills toward the group’s advancement and success (individually, on a departmental scale, and organization-wide).
Furthermore, leadership is not limited to the professional sphere; it may be exercised in any group in which one is actively involved (for example, a religious community, a volunteer community, or a neighborhood community).
However, you can still play a crucial part in the organization’s success even if your influence is limited.
Those at the top of an organization are not the only ones who can lead, and neither are those who possess the traits we usually associate with leaders (an outgoing personality, for example).
It’s also worth noting that although leadership is typically discussed as a single competency, it’s a collection of talents (many of which may be honed via practice and education) shaped uniquely by each leader’s personality and upbringing.
Suppose you stop for a moment to reflect on your own life. In that case, you’ll likely realize that a wide variety of leadership styles are at play among the people you’ve engaged with in positions of authority.
Many likely drew on the same pool of admirable leadership traits.
Regardless of their position in an organization, leadership is a capacity that anybody can access. Anyone can develop leadership abilities through formal training or simply through self-education and on-the-job practice.