Top 10 Leadership
Qualities That Make Good
Leaders
Everybody defines leadership differently but I
really like the way John C Maxwell defines
leadership, “ A leader is one who knows the way,
goes the way, and shows the way.” 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.
1. Honesty and Integrity
The 34th President of United States,
Dwight.D.Eisenhower once said, “ The supreme
quality of leadership is unquestionably integrity.
Without it, 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
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
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
Your teams looks 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
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
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
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 of 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
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
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
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.
Conclusion
To become a good leader, 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 key traits which make a leader
stand out.
Qualities That Make Good
Leaders
Everybody defines leadership differently but I
really like the way John C Maxwell defines
leadership, “ A leader is one who knows the way,
goes the way, and shows the way.” 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.
1. Honesty and Integrity
The 34th President of United States,
Dwight.D.Eisenhower once said, “ The supreme
quality of leadership is unquestionably integrity.
Without it, 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
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
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
Your teams looks 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
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
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
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 of 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
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
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
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.
Conclusion
To become a good leader, 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 key traits which make a leader
stand out.
