8 Essential Qualities That Define Great Leadership
Company leaders are facing a crisis. Nearly one-third
of employees don’t trust
management. In addition to this, employers now have to cater to the needs of
the millennial generation. On average, after graduating from college, a
millennial will change
jobs four times before
they are 32. Most of them also don’t feel empowered on their current jobs.
It’s clear that many leaders are failing to foster
a sense of trust and loyalty in their employees. Fortunately, that doesn’t have
to be the case. Managers who show great leadership qualities can inspire their
teams to accomplish amazing things, according to Daniel Wang, here are eight of the
most essential qualities that make a great leader.
1. Sincere enthusiasm
True enthusiasm for a business, its products, and
its mission cannot be faked. Employees can recognize insincere cheerleading
from a mile away. However, when leaders are sincerely enthusiastic and
passionate, that’s contagious. For instance, someone who worked with Elon Musk
on the early stages of his SpaceX project said that the true driver behind the
success of the project was Musk’s
enthusiasm for space travel.
Wang says being enthusiastic helps a leader
identify existing key problems in his industry. “Any innovation starts from
these problems and ends with products and services, with some of the key issues
resolved,” he said.
2. Integrity
Whether it’s giving proper credit for
accomplishments, acknowledging mistakes, or putting safety and quality first,
great leaders exhibit integrity at all times. They do what’s right, even if
that isn’t the best thing for the current project or even the bottom line.
“When people
see evidence that leaders lack integrity, that can be nearly impossible to
recover from,” Wang said. “Trust lost is difficult to get back.”
3. Great communication
skills
Leaders must motivate, instruct and discipline the
people they are in charge of. They can accomplish none of these things if they
aren’t very skilled communicators. Not only that, poor communication can lead
to poor outcomes. Leaders who fail to develop these skills are often perceived
as being weak and mealy-mouthed, according to Wang. It’s also important to
remember that listening is an integral part of communication.
4. Loyalty
The best leaders understand that true loyalty is
reciprocal. Because of this, they express that loyalty in tangible ways that
benefit the member of their teams. True loyalty is ensuring that all team
members have the training and resources to do their jobs. It’s standing up
for team members in crisis and conflict.
“Great leaders see themselves as being in a
position of service to their team members,” Wang said. “Employees who believe
leadership is loyal to them are much more likely to show their own loyalty when
it matters.”
5. Decisiveness
A good leader isn’t simply empowered to make
decisions due to their position. They are willing to take on the risk of
decision making. They make these decisions and take risks knowing that if
things don’t work out, they’ll need to hold themselves accountable first and
foremost.
Further, bosses who aren’t decisive are often
ineffective. Too much effort working on consensus building can have a negative
effect. Rather than simply
making a decision, many
leaders allow debate to continue, and then create a piecemeal decision that
satisfies no one.
6. Managerial competence
Too many organizations try to create leaders from
people who are simply good at their jobs. To be clear, those who emerge as
being very good workers often have important qualities. They are the ones who
have a strong understanding of the company’s products and services. They understand
company goals, processes, and procedures. All of these are important.
On the other hand, being good at one’s job doesn’t
prove that someone possesses the other competencies they need. For example, can
they inspire, motivate, mentor and direct? Wang illustrates with major league
baseball. While nearly all coaches have backgrounds as major league players,
the most
winning players aren’t necessarily the most successful coaches.
7. Empowerment
A good leader has faith in their ability to train
and develop the employees under them. Because of this, they have the
willingness to empower those they lead to act autonomously. Wang says this
comes from trusting that their team members are fully up to any challenges they
face. When
employees are empowered, they are
more likely to make decisions that are in the best interest of the company and
the customer as well. This is true, even if it means allowing workers to go a
bit off script.
8. Charisma
Simply put, people are more likely to follow the
lead of those they like. The best leaders are well-spoken, approachable and
friendly. They show sincere care for others.
“People at all levels of an organization find it
easy to relate to them and follow their lead,” Wang concluded.
Every one of these qualities is absolutely
essential to great leadership. Without them, leaders cannot live up to their
full potential. As a result, their employees will never perform as well as they
can either. Because of this, organizations must learn the best ways to identify
and also to develop these necessary traits in existing and emerging leaders.
