What Qualities that Makes You a Great Leader
Everybody defines leadership differently..
- “Leadership is influence – nothing more, nothing less. – John Maxwell, ”
- “Leadership is the ability of a superior to influence the behaviour of a subordinate or group and persuade them to follow a particular course of action. – Chester Bernard”
- “The capacity and will to rally people to a common purpose together with the character that inspires confidence and trust”– Field Marshal Montgomery
- “Leadership is the process of making sense of what people are doing together so that people will understand and be committed.”- Drath & Palus
- “Leadership is the creation of a vision about a desired future state which seeks to enmesh all members of an organisation in its net.”- Bryman
- “Leadership is the ability to step outside the culture to start evolutionary change processes that are more adaptive.”
– Schein - “Leadership is about articulating visions, embodying values, and creating the environment within which things can be accomplished.”- Richards and Engle
- “Leadership is a social process in which one individual influences the behaviour of others without the use of threat or violence.”– Buchannan and Huczynski
Irrespective of how you define a leader, he or she can prove to be a difference maker between success and failure. A good leader has a futuristic vision and knows how to turn his ideas into real-world success stories. In this article, we take an in-depth look at some of the important leadership qualities that separate good leaders from a bad one.
Qualities That Make Good Leaders
Want to become a great leader? Here are leadership qualities that can make you a good leader.
1. Honesty and Integrity
Definition: Integrity is the practice of being honest and showing a consistent and uncompromising adherence to strong moral and ethical principles and values. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one’s actions.
Quote: Integrity is not a given factor in everyone’s life. It’s a result of self discipline, inner trust and a decision to be relentlessly honest in all situations in our lives. John C. Maxwell.
“Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people.” ― Spencer Johnson
“Honesty is the best policy. If I lose mine honor, I lose myself.” -William Shakespeare
“Honesty is more than not lying. It is truth telling, truth speaking, truth living, and truth loving.” ― James E Faust
Integrity is some you earn by being honest. My dad “Samson Nembai” usually say ” You can wash dirt on your cloths with soap but If you loose your trust from people thats something you will find it difficult to clean it.
Without Integrity, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.” Honesty and integrity are two important ingredients which make a good leader. How can you expect your followers to be honest when you lack these qualities yourself? Leaders succeed when they stick to their values and core beliefs and without ethics, this will not be possible.
2. Confidence
Definition : Confidence is a state of being clear headed either that a hypothesis or prediction is correct or that a chosen course of action is the best or most effective. Confidence comes from a latin word fidere’ which means “to trust”; therefore, having a self-confidence is having trust in one’s self.
Quote:
Just believe in yourself. Even if you don’t, pretend that you do and, at some point, you will.– Venus Williams
Confidence is when you believe in yourself and your abilities, arrogance is when you think you are better than others and act accordingly.— Stewart Stafford
The most beautiful thing you can wear is confidence.— Blake Lively
It is confidence in our bodies, minds, and spirits that allows us to keep looking for new adventures.— Oprah Winfrey
To be an effective leader, you should be confident enough to ensure that other follow your commands. If you are unsure about your own decisions and qualities, then your subordinates will never follow you. As a leader, you have to be oozing with confidence, show some swagger and assertiveness to gain the respect of your subordinates. This does not mean that you should be overconfident, but you should at least reflect the degree of confidence required to ensure that your followers trust you as a leader.
3. Inspire Others
When you are living the best version of yourself, you inspire others to live the best versions of themselves. Be the light in the darkness to inspire and to enlighten others. Someone needs your actions to inspire his actions. Never forget, your little broken cake is someone’s daily meal!
If your action inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you a leader.
Probably the most difficult job for a leader is to persuade others to follow. It can only be possible if you inspire your followers by setting a good example. When the going gets tough, they look up to you and see how you react to the situation. If you handle it well, they will follow you. As a leader, should think positive and this positive approach should be visible through your actions. Stay calm under pressure and keep the motivation level up. As John Quincy Adams puts it, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” If you are successful in inspiring your subordinates, you can easily overcome any current and future challenge easily.
4. Commitment and Passion
One definition of passion is: strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything: a passion for basketball. A definition of commitment is: the state or an instance of being obligated or emotionally impelled a commitment to a cause: a commitment to practice my basketball skills for 4 hours each day.
Quote: “A change is brought about because ordinary people do extraordinary things.”―
“The level of success you achieve will be in direct proportion to the depth of your commitment.”― The Light in the Heart
Your teams look up to you and if you want them to give them their all, you will have to be passionate about it too. When your teammates see you getting your hands dirty, they will also give their best shot. It will also help you to gain the respect of your subordinates and infuse new energy in your team members, which helps them to perform better. If they feel that you are not fully committed or lacks passion, then it would be an uphill task for the leader to motivate your followers to achieve the goal.
5. Good Communicator
someone who is able to talk about their ideas and emotions in a way that other people understand: Obviously teachers have to be good communicators. Communicating & keeping in touch
Quote:
“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.”-Ernest Hemingway
“There is only one rule for being a good talker – learn to listen.”-Christopher Morley
“To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.”-Anthony Robbins
Until you clearly communicate your vision to your team and tell them the strategy to achieve the goal, it will be very difficult for you to get the results you want. Simply put, if you are unable to communicate your message effectively to your team, you can never be a good leader. A good communicator can be a good leader. Words have the power to motivate people and make them do the unthinkable. If you use them effectively, you can also achieve better results.
6. Decision-Making Capabilities
Definition: In its simplest sense, decision–making is the act of choosing between two or more courses of action. In the wider process of problem-solving, decision–making involves choosing between possible solutions to a problem. Decisions can be made through either an intuitive or reasoned process, or a combination of the two.
Quote: Think 100 times before you take a decision, But once that decision is taken, stand by it as one man. Muhammad Ali Jinnah
“You can’t make decisions based on fear and the possibility of what might happen.”―
“The straight line, a respectable optical illusion which ruins many a man.”― Les Misérables
“It’s not about making the right choice. It’s about making a choice and making it right.”―
“In leadership, life and all things it’s far wiser to judge people by their deeds than their speech – their track record rather than their talk” – Rasheed Ogunlaru”
Apart from having a futuristic vision, a leader should have the ability to take the right decision at the right time. Decisions taken by leaders have a profound impact on masses. A leader should think long and hard before taking a decision but once the decision is taken, stand by it. Although, most leaders take decisions on their own, but it is highly recommended that you consult key stakeholders before taking a decision. After all, they are the ones who will benefit or suffer from your decisions.
7. Accountability
Definition: Accountability is a noun that describes accepting responsibility, and it can be personal or very public. A government has accountability for decisions and laws affecting its citizens; an individual has accountability for acts and behaviors. Sometimes, though, taking accountability means admitting you made a mistake.
Quote: Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else. Les Brown
The benefit of truly accountable leaders is that they are able to create effective structures where their staff know what is expected of them, and can improve the business for customers. Jane Storm
Teams keep leaders accountable for the goal. Individuals connected to no one can change the goal without accountability. John C. Maxwell,
The individual is not accountable to society for his actions in so far as these concern the interests of no person but himself.
John Stuart Mill
When it comes to accountability, you need to follow the approach highlighted by Arnold H Glasow when he said, “A good leader takes little more than his share of the blame and little less than his share of the credit.” Make sure that every one of your subordinates is accountable for what they are doing. If they do well, give them a pat on the back but if they struggle, make them realize their mistakes and work together to improve. Holding them accountable for their actions will create a sense of responsibility among your subordinates and they will go about the business more seriously.
8. Delegation and Empowerment
Definition: Delegation and empowerment are both effective tools for effective leadership, however used for different business situations. In other words, empowerment is allowing employees to act on their own behalf and delegation on the other hand, is giving enough lead for them to act on your behalf as their manager.
Quote:
People and organisations don’t grow much without delegation and completed staff work because they are confined to the capacities of the boss and reflect both personal strengths and weaknesses. Stephen Covey
“Delegating means letting others become the experts and hence the best. Timothy Firnstahl
” The Greatest Leaders a like the best conductor. They reach beyond the note to reach the magic in the players. Blaine Lee
The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.
“It’s not always necessary to be strong, but to feel strong.”
― Into the Wild
“You must give everything to make your life as beautiful as the dreams that dance in your imagination.”
―
You cannot do everything, right. It is important for a leader to focus on key responsibilities while leaving the rest to others. By that, I mean empowering your followers and delegating tasks to them. If you continue to micromanage your subordinates, it will develop a lack of trust and more importantly, you will not be able to focus on important matters, as you should be. Delegate tasks to your subordinates and see how they perform. Provide them with all the resources and support they need to achieve the objective and give them a chance to bear the responsibility.
9. Creativity and Innovation
Definition: Creativity is the capability or act of conceiving something original or unusual. Innovation is the implementation of something new. Invention is the creation of something that has never been made before and is recognized as the product of some unique insight.
Quote:
“Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way.” Edward de Bono
Your ego can become an obstacle to your work. If you start believing in your greatness, it is the death of your creativity. Marina Abramovic
“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”-Steve Jobs
“An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail.”-Edwin Land
What separates a leader from a follower? Steve Jobs, the greatest visionary of our time answers this question this way, “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” In order to get ahead in today’s fast-paced world, a leader must be creative and innovative at the same time. Creative thinking and constant innovation is what makes you and your team stand out from the crowd. Think out of the box to come up with unique ideas and turn those ideas and goals into reality.
10. Empathy
Definition: Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference, that is, the capacity to place oneself in another’s position. Definitions of empathy encompass a broad range of emotional states.
Quotes:
“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.”―
“Sometimes all a person wants is an empathetic ear; all he or she needs is to talk it out. Just offering a listening ear and an understanding heart for his or her suffering can be a big comfort.”
―
“Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another and feeling with the heart of another.” – Alfred Adler
“Learning to stand in somebody else’s shoes, to see through their eyes, that’s how peace begins. And it’s up to you to make that happen. Empathy is a quality of character that can change the world.” – Barack Obama
“When a good man is hurt all who would be called good must suffer with him.” – Euripides
“If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person’s point of view and see things from his angle as well as your own. ” – Henry Ford
“Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eye for an instant?” – Henry David Thoreau
Last but certainly not the least, is empathy. Leaders should develop empathy with their followers. Unfortunately, most leaders follow a dictatorial style and neglect empathy altogether. Due to this, they fail to make a closer connection with their followers. Understanding the problems of your followers and feeling their pain is the first step to become an effective leader. Even that is not enough until you work hard and provide your followers with the suitable solution to their problems.
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Resilience
Definition: the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.
Quote:
“The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.”~ Paulo Coelho
“It is really wonderful how much resilience there is in human nature. Let any obstructing cause, no matter what, be removed in any way, even by death, and we fly back to first principles of hope and enjoyment.”
― Bram Stoker, Dracula
“Strong people alone know how to organize their suffering so as to bear only the most necessary pain.”
― Emil Dorian
Persistence and resilience only come from having been given the chance to work through difficult problems.”
― Gever Tulley
When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. You might have heard this adage many times, but did you know that great leaders also follow this rule. They are resilient and have a positive attitude. Irrespective of how difficult the circumstances might be, you will find them rallying their followers. While most people are busy in complaining about the problems, great leaders always focus on solutions, not the problems.
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Emotional Intelligence
Definition; The capacity to be aware of, control, and express one’s emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically.
Quote: There are certain emotions that will kill your drive; frustration and confusion. You can change these to a positive force. Frustration means you are on the verge of a breakthrough. Confusion can mean you are about to learn something. Expect the breakthrough and expect to learn.” — Kathleen Spike, Master Certified Coach
What really matters for success, character, happiness and life long achievements is a definite set of emotional skills – your EQ — not just purely cognitive abilities that are measured by conventional IQ tests.” — Daniel Goleman
“Emotional intelligence is the ability to sense, understand, and effectively apply the power and acumen of emotions as a source of human energy, information, connection, and influence.” — Robert K. Cooper. Ph.D.
“We define emotional intelligence as the subset of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and actions.” — Salovey and Mayer
“75% of careers are derailed for reasons related to emotional competencies, including inability to handle interpersonal problems; unsatisfactory team leadership during times of difficulty or conflict; or inability to adapt to change or elicit trust.” — The Center for Creative Leadership
Good leaders always have higher influence but how do they increase their influence on the point where people accept what they say. They do this by connecting with people emotionally. That is where emotional intelligence comes into play.
Here are some of the reasons why a leader should be emotionally intelligent.
- Manage emotions effectively
- Better social awareness
- Seamless communications
- Conflict Resolution
With emotional intelligence, leaders can control their emotions, which prevents negative emotions from influencing their decision-making skills. As a result, they are less likely to make hasty decisions. Moreover, emotionally intelligent leaders are great at understanding the emotions and care about the feelings of others. That is not all, leaders who have this leadership quality not only handles conflict in a better way but also play an important role in conflict resolution.
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Humility
Definition: Humility is the quality of being humble. Dictionary definitions accentuate humility as a low self-regard and sense of unworthiness. In a religious context humility can mean a recognition of self in relation to a deity or deities, and subsequent submission to said deity as a member of that religion.
Quote: A great man is always willing to be little. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Humility will open more doors than arrogance ever will. Zig Ziglar
True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing. Socrates
Every person that you meet knows something you don’t; learn from them. H. Jackson Brown Jr
Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping them up. Jesse Jackson
“Pride makes us artificial and humility makes us real.”—ThomasMerton
How would you feel when you are promoted to leadership status? You will feel proud. A good leader is always selfless and always think about his or her followers. That is why the leadership styles most great leaders adopt put lots of emphasis on problem-solving and team dynamics instead of focusing on self-promotion.
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Transparency
Definition: Transparency, as used in science, engineering, business, the humanities and in other social contexts, is operating in such a way that it is easy for others to see what actions are performed. Transparency implies openness, communication, and accountability.
Quote: “I think the currency of leadership is transparency. You’ve got to be truthful. I don’t think you should be vulnerable every day, but there are moments where you’ve got to share your soul and conscience with people and show them who you are, and not be afraid of it.” Howard Schultz
“To be a good boss, you must be transparent. There’s a correlation between worker happiness and workplace transparency. Leaders and managers who offer transparency will earn the respect and devotion of their team.” David Niu
“By nature, I tended to trust people and was typically open and transparent, but such transparency would go astray when others saw us out of context or when I gave trust to those few who were unworthy of it.” Stanley A. McChrystal
“Speak the truth. Transparency breeds legitimacy.” John C. Maxwell
“Confidentiality and transparency are not mutually exclusive, but rather two sides of the same coin.” Thomas de Maiziere
One of the best ways to win the trust of your followers is by being transparent. Instead of hiding information, you should openly share it with them. By giving visibility to your followers, they will buy into your vision and support you with conviction in achieving the goal. More importantly, it gives your followers clarity, autonomy and make them feel more empowered while keeping them engaged.
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Vision and Purpose
Definition: A good mission statement and vision statement are best suited for internal organizational guidance. Purpose keeps you focused on why you exist, vision aligns you with your goal, and mission empowers how you will accomplish it. … When a supporter connects with your purpose, they will believe in your mission.
We are not stuck in the ruts of destiny, we have the power to break free, clear our vision and see a new life for ourselves. Tony Clark
“Success! Such a magical word – like gold or love or Shangri-la, it conjures up different but always enticing visions in the minds of all of us.” Og Mandino, Og Mandino’s University of Success
It will help you to weave your vision into a new reality for yourself in which you are becoming someone who is consistently able to turn an idea into income by taking disciplined and inspired action. Annabel Melnyk, Turning Ideas into Income
If we had a keen vision and feeling of all ordinary human life, it would be like hearing the grass grow and the squirrel’s heart beat, and we should die of that roar which lies on the other side of silence. George Eliot
Life
“Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.”—Jack Welch
Good leaders always have a vision and purpose. They not only visualize the future themselves but also share their vision with their followers. When their followers were able to see the big picture, they can see where they are heading. A great leader goes above and beyond and explain why they are moving in the direction they are moving and shares the strategy and action plan to achieve that goal.
Conclusion
To join the elite club of good leaders, you must have all these qualities but if you lack some of these qualities, then you might struggle to make the mark in the world of leadership. You will have to set a good example for others to follow. That is where your commitment, passion, empathy, honesty and integrity come into play. Good communication skills and decision-making capabilities also play a vital role in success and failure of a leader. Lastly, innovation and creative thinking, as well as the futuristic vision, are a couple of leadership qualities that make up good leaders.
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