Every good leader has a series of characteristics that are great for business and even better for their employees. Looking through each item, it’s easy to see which characteristics are already present in us, and which ones that should be worked on and cultivated via leadership development.
Honesty
Every leader must be honest with their employees, charges and themselves. The honest leader admits when they are wrong, helps people by being honest about how things are going in the office and allows for people to be honest with them in return.
Delegation
A great leader delegates responsibilities to their employees and then allow those tasks to be completed. Poor leaders think they have to do everything themselves effectively shutting out their employees. Without delegation, nobody grows in the business and the business suffers at the same time.
Communication
Great leaders are able to communicate their ideas and work with people. Leaders who know how to communicate with their employees or charges tend to get more done and allow for people to feel comfortable and grow. For leaders who frequently deal with the press, it’s highly advisable to invest some time into media coaching classes because the reputation of a company can be greatly influenced by their statements.
Sense of Humor
Every good leader is able to laugh at themselves and take a joke. The person that is too serious causes stress in the office while the leader who has a sense of humor can help to keep levity in the office and morale high.
Confidence
Every good leader is confident. The line between confidence and arrogance is thin, but that line helps to keep leaders inspirational and authoritative when working with their employees. While leaders must be confident, they must be confident in themselves and their ability to get the job done. Self-belief helps to show employees that they can believe in themselves, too.
Commitment
Leaders are committed to the cause of their business or their organization. Without the commitment that comes with true belief, the leader loses sight of why they are doing the job and employees tend to see the leader as weak of uninspiring. The leader that is committed is inspiring to their employees and allows their employees to believe in themselves, as well.
Positive Attitude
Negative leaders may get tasks done, but those types of leaders tend to drain their employees of all energy. Positive leaders who are consistently complimentary and offering kind words to their employees tend to have happier and more productive employees. Everyone wants to work for or with someone who is kind rather than someone who is rude.
Also, a positive attitude helps leaders to push through tough times and gives employees the confidence to push through and get work done. Even when the business is struggling or the business is not performing as expected, a leader with a positive attitude can help employees to stay positive and get great work done.
Creativity
Creative leaders are able to put out new ideas on a consistent basis so that their company or cause can move forward and keep up with the times. A creative leader also knows how to solve problems in ways that many people would not imagine. These types of leaders get more done because they are willing to use their creativity to be productive and problem solve so that their employees can be more productive and efficient.
Ability to Inspire
Every good leader is charismatic and knows how to inspire their employees. While inspiration comes in many forms, the inspiring leader knows how to use words, action or their presence to inspire their employees on a daily basis.
Intuition
Finally, great leaders have an intuition for their business or cause. Great leaders can point employees in the right direction, know when the tide will turn for their company and are willing to wait for their intuition to come to reality.
For a further explanation of the Characteristics of a Good Leader, take a look at the following infographic created by Norwich University’s Masters in Organizational Leadership program:
About the Author: Joshua Turner is a writer who creates informative articles in relation to business. In this article, he describes the traits of a successful leader, and aim to encourage further study through Norwich University Leadership Degrees Online.
