Traits of a Good Leader

Occupying a corner office and assigning tasks is just a small facet of leadership. True leadership profoundly influences not only the individuals within a team but also the broader organisation. When guided by exceptional leaders, employees often feel more satisfied, become more efficient, and exhibit a stronger connection to their company. This in return positively impacts the overall business performance.

While not everyone is innately a leader, there are techniques one can adopt to hone their leadership skills. Just as there are methods to enhance leadership, there are also pitfalls one should steer clear of in the quest to be an effective leader.

Assessing whether you’re a good or bad leader

If you notice a dip in engagement or a lack of momentum among your team, it might be a signal to revisit and refine your leadership techniques. These indicators suggest potential gaps in your leadership approach:

• There's been no critique or feedback on your ideas recently
• Your focus is more on your personal career growth than on the development of your team
• You rarely engage in casual, non-work-related chats with team members
• There's inconsistency in understanding your top annual objectives among the team
• There's a prevailing fear of making mistakes among team members

A significant number of new leaders fail beyond their initial 18 months. However, by embracing robust leadership practices that inspire and drive your team towards their objectives, you can sidestep this common pitfall.

How to be a good leader

While each leader brings a unique flair, there are attributes that exemplary leaders commonly possess. The following practices are typically indicative of adept leadership.

Understand your leadership style

Recognising your prevailing leadership style is crucial. What do you excel at? Where could you refine your approach? Initiating a self-evaluation through a leadership style quiz can offer insights into your leadership tendencies.

After you've taken the quiz, delve into the main traits of your predominant style. Reflect on whether these characteristics enhance or impede your leadership. With this understanding, you can strategise on enhancing your leadership skills.

Listen and communicate effectively

A key facet of transformational leadership is individualised communication with team members. Leaders who prioritise this understand and address individual needs and aspirations. The core strength of transformational leadership lies in conveying a compelling vision that energises and motivates followers.

By maintaining open dialogue, leaders foster an environment of trust. This ensures team members feel confident to share their ideas, and in return, they are acknowledged for their contributions, fostering a harmonious and productive workplace.

Encourage creativity in your team

It's essential for leaders to inspire their teams to tap into their creative potential. For leadership to be effective, presenting new challenges coupled with sufficient support is vital to meet these objectives.

Encouraging creativity can be achieved by setting challenges for the team, ensuring they align with their capabilities. The aim of such actions is to push individuals beyond their comfort zones, yet ensuring the challenges set are attainable, so they remain motivated and undeterred by potential obstacles.

Lead by example

Idealised influence is a fundamental pillar of transformational leadership. Leaders in this mould not only advocate for certain behaviours and traits but also personify them in their actions and words. Consequently, team members look up to these leaders and strive to mirror such commendable behaviours.

Studies indicate that these leaders cultivate beliefs and effectively convey this inspiration to their team. This in turn instils optimism in followers, driving them to uphold elevated standards in both their performance and aspirations.

Enthusiastic and passionate about your work

Would you seek direction and leadership from someone indifferent to the group's objectives? Unlikely! Exceptional leaders go beyond merely overseeing task completion; they are deeply invested in and enthusiastic about the projects they undertake.

To cultivate this leadership trait, consider various methods to showcase your feeling. Demonstrating that you value individuals' progress is essential. When a team member offers insights or shares with the group, take a moment to express gratitude and highlight the value of their input.

You stay positive

Transformational leaders radiate a positive, hopeful demeanour that acts as a beacon for their followers. If leaders exhibit signs of despondency or indifference, it can dampen the spirit of the entire group.

In moments of adversity, even when optimism seems hard to muster and your team feels dispirited, strive to remain upbeat. This isn't about naively ignoring challenges but about upholding a resilient and hopeful stance during difficulties.

Encourage collaboration

Ensure your team members understand that their ideas are valued. Leaders who promote active participation from their members are commonly known as democratic or participative leaders. Though they hold the ultimate authority in decision-making, they motivate team members to actively contribute their thoughts and strategies.

Lift your team up

Transformational leaders harness inspirational motivation to propel their followers into action. While consistently being an inspiration can be challenging, grand motivational speeches aren't the only way to energise your team.

Effective methods to inspire leadership include genuinely exuding passion for ideas or objectives, ensuring followers feel a sense of belonging in the journey, and acknowledging, commending, and rewarding individuals for their achievements.

Give recognition

An essential trait of commendable leadership is recognising that appropriate acknowledgements and rewards significantly contribute to followers feeling valued and content. It's worth noting that content individuals often exhibit superior performance in their roles.

You're innovative and explore new things

Leadership isn't a one-sided affair. As you hone your leadership skills, remember to seek insights and inspiration from your followers. Reflect on past successes and remain open to discovering fresh strategies to inspire, drive, and acknowledge your team members.

Leadership doesn’t just happen overnight

Keep in mind that exemplary leadership is a journey, not a destination. While some may have a natural predisposition towards leadership, it's a skill that everyone can nurture and refine. Recognising the attributes of effective leadership is the initial step towards realising your managerial potential. Through perseverance, commitment, and thoughtful strategy, you can steer your team towards triumph.