Have you ever wondered what makes a good leader? In any group activity, the leader has a huge impact on the team. A leader is a person whom you can look up to if you are in any difficulty. The individuals who are self-motivated, always ready to take charge are the individuals who are likely to become great leaders.
In addition to that, honesty, thoughtfulness, ability to work in teams, punctuality, and confidence, are some of the qualities that brief about what attributes make a good leader.
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- Are You A Born Leader – Is Leadership Quality Innate?
- What Skills Make a Good Leader?
- More On What Are The Qualities Of A Good Leader…
- Can You Acquire Leadership Skills?
- How Do You Lead Positively?
- Does One Leadership Style Suit Well In Every Situation?
- FAQs
Are You A Born Leader – Is Leadership Quality Innate?
Though you may have it in your genes and be born with this gifted quality to lead people, it is not impossible to acquire this skill overtime with practice. There are chances that people may learn leadership qualities by overcoming the challenging situation when they took charge or merely by learning about leadership styles.
The person who is at a leadership position at present might also have pondered on what characteristics make a good leader and hence, worked hard to inculcate those qualities.
It varies from person to person. Some people may have innate leadership qualities. Maybe you have a different definition of what makes a great leader. There is no fixed recipe for becoming a leader, except a few remarkable qualities that every leader should possess.
Perseverance and determination are two of the important factors which help to understand what defines a good leader. A leader is a person who is always cheerful and inspires his peers to work hard and to be determined towards the goal.
The most important thing one can learn from the leaders is that they visualize their goals which are obvious by their confident aura.
What Are The Traits Of A Good Leader?
Deciding what qualities make a good leader can be confusing at times as there are various elements that contribute to becoming a great leader. Some of them include
1. Determination
Determination is one of the important factors that contribute to what makes a great leader. A good leader is always determined to achieve what he wants to. They never get derailed because of small problems that come along the way.
2. Hard work
As it is said that hard work is the key to success, in the same way it is an important quality for a successful leader. There will be many challenges along the way but the only way to deal with them is to work hard without giving up. There is no perfect answer for what makes a good leader, the only way is to continue working in the right direction.
3. Good listener
A leader should be a person whom the teammates can look up to when they are in any problem. This can only be possible when the leader is a good listener. To identify the problems that the teammates are facing the leader will have to put an effort to listen to their queries or problems and take the next steps accordingly.
4. Empathy
Empathy is a quality that a good leader possess as this quality is important to understand what others are going through. As a leader, it is a big responsibility to understand and empathize with the team members. This will not only make the teammates emotionally satisfied but will also increase the respect of the leader in the eyes of the teammates.
It is not at all an easy recipe to know what makes a good leader. There are many other traits as well which will help us to understand what skills make a good leader.
5. Motivation
A leader himself/herself should be self-motivated to work. When nothing seems to work, the leader should be able to motivate the team to keep going. Without motivation there is no urge in the team to perform better.
6. Courage
Did you ever ponder upon the fact that how a leader is able to withstand complex situations? The answer to this question lies in the fact that a leader is a person who is courageous to face troublesome situations. Courage is not only a quality that defines what makes a good leader but also it is a quality that makes a person bold to face any situation in life.
7. Positivity
When we think of what attributes make a good leader – positivity is one of the contenders as well. A positive leader will have a good impact on the subordinates working under him. A leader should be positive so that he is approachable in any and every situation. A positive leader will have such an impact on the subordinates that they are motivated and inspired by him.
8. Patience
Have you ever thought of what makes a leader carry out his work without getting frustrated? Well, it is patience that enables the leader to work towards his goals without getting irritated or angry. Stop dreaming about what are the characteristics of a good leader instead be patient, trust and process and give it your best shot.
9. Self-awareness
So, what defines a good leader in the ever-changing environment? Don’t you think self-awareness is an important quality that is required to become a good leader? If a leader is well-aware of his capabilities, habits, emotions, and personality then he would be considered a self-aware leader. Self-awareness will enable the leader to create a life that he wishes to live.
10. Generosity
Generosity is a quality that makes a leader generous and thoughtful towards the subordinates or the team members. Generosity is what makes a good leader share his knowledge and experiences so that the team members can learn from them.
11. Vision
A leader should have a vision as it is a systematic way to understand how things will work and how the decisions for the future can be taken. In this way, the leader will be able to visualize and work towards the betterment of himself and his fellow teammates.
12. Communication
Don’t you think communication might also be a quality that answers what makes a great leader? A leader can influence subordinates when he can communicate effectively. Communication is a basic factor to keep a track of the ongoing activities and inspire constructive changes.
13. Flexibility
A leader needs to be flexible because there is no fixed set of skills that can be applied in every situation. There needs to be flexibility so that uncertain circumstances can be tackled. Flexibility will ensure long-term productivity.
14. Problem-solving skills
What are the traits of a good leader, the list is incomplete without problem-solving skills. There will be subordinates under the leader who will be contacting the leader directly if things don’t work out properly. A good leader must be able to solve the issues or the difficulties that the other team members are facing.
15. Innovation
Innovation is something that can never get outdated thus enabling us to conclude what characteristics make a good leader. Innovation simply means generating new ideas which will be beneficial for the leader as well as other subordinates. A leader has to be innovative to find possible outcomes for the betterment of the teammates as well as the organization.
16. Enthusiasm
While having a look at what skills make a good leader, enthusiasm is a key element that comes to our mind. If the aura of the leader is enthusiastic and energetic it will have a positive effect on the teammates as well. The teammates will also be enthusiastic and willing to learn more from their leader. Enthusiastic leaders make the best team.
17. Honesty
Ever wondered what will happen if a leader is not honest? The consequence will be that the subordinates will not trust the leader. Also, the teammates will be demotivated and will have constant doubt about the leader. Honesty is one of the many traits that define a good leader. An honest leader will be a role model for others.
18. Team development
If you are wondering what are the traits of a good leader, but, skipping the point of team development, then you are missing out an important quality. Team development is something that is closely related to leadership. A leader does not and cannot work alone and requires a team and hence, team development is also his/her responsibility.
19. Ability to socialize
A leader should not shy away from communicating with people. In the process of socializing, the leader will come across new people and ideas.
20. Compassion
There are several answers to the same question that is what makes a great leader, compassion is one of them. Is compassion really necessary? The answer is – yes, because compassion will create good relations with the people. Also, a leader should possess this quality to gain the trust of others.
More Of What Attributes Make A Good Leader…
This could be a never-ending list of what are the qualities of a good leader. Creativity, conflict resolution, perseverance, delegation, negotiation, transparency, optimism, trust etc. are some other important qualities for a leader as they need to stand out in uncertain circumstances.
Can You Acquire Leadership Skills?
You must have thought about what makes a good leader or can we acquire leadership skills? The answer is – Yes, you can acquire leadership skills. Anyone and everyone can acquire leadership skills. Leadership does not come overnight. So, what are the traits of a good leader? Practice, dedication, and consistency are the key factors that will help a person to achieve leadership skills and become a leader in the long run.
How Do You Lead Positively?
Understanding what defines a great leader is important. Building positive and healthy relations with teammates is equally important. Adopting a positive leadership style will help the leader to sustain in the long run.
The leader needs to keep in mind that blaming the team members is not a proper way to lead a team. Instead of blaming the team, the leader must be understanding, the leader should understand what the team members are going through and help them to come to a solution.
What skills make a good leader should be clear to the leader. Another element to leading positively is treating the teammates with love, affection, and respect instead of making them live in fear of the leader. The focus should be on what qualities make a good leader and inculcating them in yourself.
Does One Leadership Style Suits Well In Every Situation?
No, one leadership style does not suit well in every situation. A single leadership style cannot be applied in every scenario because of the changes in the situations.
Wondering what makes a good leader will force the leader to overthink rather than act upon the situation. The most successful leaders are the ones who can mold themselves in different styles depending upon the nature of the situation.
For example, being bold in every situation might not work well in every scenario. A leader must show affection also to the teammates rather than always focusing on to get the job done.
So, what are the qualities of a good leader? Is it being bold & bright or soft & polite every time? A leader who is seen to have a fluid approach will be able to connect with the team members more strongly. Working with a fluid approach is what defines a good leader.
FAQs
What Are The 4 Basic Leadership Styles?
The 4 basic leadership styles used largely all over the world are
- Autocratic
- Democratic
- Laissez-faire
- Transformational
Basically, in an autocratic leadership style, the leader tends to be bossy with the team members. The leader has a vision that giving orders is what makes a great leader.
In this leadership style, the leader acts as a commander, and the teammates are expected to follow the commands and obey the commander who is the person leading the team. The leader tends to ignore the importance of what are the traits of a good leader.
In the democratic leadership style, the leader does not take decisions on his own, rather he takes consultation with the other team members as well.
In the Laissez-faire leadership style the leader gives the authority to the members for decision-making and other tasks.
In the transformational leadership style, the leader motivates and encourages the team members to be open to new changes and dynamic environment.
All the above leadership styles are unique in their way and to say what attributes make a good leader in each style would be different.
What Is The Best Leadership Style?
The transformational leadership style is the most practical and effective. In the transformational leadership style, the practical answer to the question of what makes a good leader can be observed.
What characteristics make a good leader in transformational style? The leader in this leadership style is supportive and affectionate towards the subordinates. The leader is open to new thinking, risks, and active listening. The leader plays a role of a person who trusts the team members and is capable of motivating and inspiring the team to achieve the goals.
What Attributes Makes A Good Leader In Healthcare?
A good leader in healthcare is not made overnight. A good healthcare leader has to mentor others and be aware of what qualities make a good leader.
In healthcare, every leader should have the basic qualities of a leader like leading by example, delegation, motivation, trust, hard work and many others listed above. But one quality that is utmost important in this field is emotional intelligence.
Since, in this field you will come across people who are struggling seeing their near and dear ones in hospital, you as a leader need to create a balance between emotional needs vs. professional duties.
You need to show empathy but not give in to emotions.
What Makes A Great Leader Effective In The Corporate Workplace?
Stressing over on what are the characteristics of a good leader in a corporate organization for a team lead is quite common. The most important element for becoming an effective leader in the corporate workplace is communication. Apart from that it is team building, query resolving, and avoiding unwanted politics in the case of the corporate world.
In the corporate workplace, the leader, as well as the teammates, share the same goals that is to fulfill the needs of the organization.
How To Highlight Leadership Skills When Applying For Jobs?
When you are applying for jobs, it is important to highlight your leadership skills. Your resume should give clear information about yourself and what makes a good leader. You must include the situations where you lead a team and what leadership style you adopted for that particular situation.
Try to show why are you the perfect fit for the company and mention strong points for what are the characteristics of a good leader that you have.
Who Is A Bad Leader? What Should A Leader Never Do?
A leader should never boss around the team members. He/she should work in harmony with the team and take responsibility for the actions of his team members. If the leader is a person who is taking all the credit for the hard work and patience of the team; such a leader is an example of a bad leader.
In this case, the leader is selfish and only thinks about himself and not the team as a whole. Being a good influence on the team members is what makes a great leader.
This is all we have on what defines a good leader, leadership styles, and what not to do as a leader.
