7 Important Characteristics of A Great Leader

There is an old myth that leaders are born. That myth, however, is not true. While some people may be born with personality traits that make them potential leaders, the truth is anyone can learn the skills they need to become a great leader.  But, before we talk about why developing leadership skills are important to help you in life and business, I think a great place to start is with an understanding of some of the characteristics you need to develop to become a great leader. The truth is, there are many characteristics of a great leader. Here, we will look at five of them.

1. Great Leaders Must Be Committed. 

Climbing the ranks to make it into a position of leadership generally requires a lot of hard work and effort. Jeffery Ford, Ph.D. says, “Leading occurs where there is a sufficient passion intention, or willingness to accomplish the futures to which we are committed. Whether we generate passion, we generate action, and action is at the heart of leading.” Accomplishing the objectives that leaders are charged with achieving requires a huge amount of dedication regardless of the motivation that underpins it. That is, regardless of whether the leader is motivated by a cause, the organization, or even one’s own intrinsic motivation, dedication is required to accomplish the objectives.

2. Great Leaders Are Relationship-Centered. 

Leaders who have their own personal well-being in order also tend to have a strong focus on relationships and building a sense of internal community within their organization. When asked by those they lead, great leaders are reported to be seen as trustworthy, listeners, and leaders who demonstrate fairness. In essence, these leaders earn the confidence of others because they take the time and have the presence to hear the contributions of their co-workers and others make to promote a just environment. Great leaders also place a high value on teamwork which aligns with their ability to collaborate with others.

In today’s world, where employee trust of management has errored, the lack of trust has given rise to a leadership crisis. Recent controversies associated with poor and often self-serving leadership decisions have made it difficult for employees to feel as if they are cared about and in “safe hands.” Indeed, a study conducted by Martiz in April 2010 found that only 7% of employees strongly agree that they can trust senior leaders to look out for their best interests.

This lack of trust, however, is not an issue with great leaders.  Indeed, research has shown that great leaders who focus on relationships are more effective in their organizations because “when you trust people, you have confidence in them, in their integrity and their abilities.” Thus, it is much easier for them to get buy-in from their stakeholders.

3. Great Leaders Must Develop Great Communication Skills. 

Being an effective communicator is a non-negotiable skill required to become a great leader. As a leader, you must be able to convey to your team and other stakeholders what your vision is so they can carry it out. Being able to describe your vision in a way that inspires others helps you get the support you need to get things done to move your organization closer to fulfilling your vision.

It is also helpful to have an open-door communication policy where you are accessible at designated times to discuss openly and honestly what is happening within your organization, between your business and your customers, your team members, and anything else important that is going on in your business.

“Leadership is Influence, nothing more and nothing less.” ­­- John Maxwell

4. Great Leaders are Self-Confident, But Not Cocky or Arrogant. 

Having a healthy level of self-confidence is the foundation for accomplishing anything great, and it is an especially important leadership skill. Leaders have influence and that influence helps them inspire others to become followers.  If you doubt your own skills and competence, no one will follow you. People look for leaders who believe in themselves and their abilities.

“Self-confidence is the fundamental basis from which leadership grows. Trying to teach leadership without first building confidence is like building a house on a foundation of sand. It may have a nice coat of paint, but it is ultimately shaky at best.” – Francisco Dao, leadership strategist for INC.com

Self-confident leaders also possess other skills like values-based decision-making, good self-esteem, and courage.

5. Great Leaders Are Optimistic and Have A Positive Attitude. 

A positive attitude can be contagious. When you lead with an optimistic, happy, and positive attitude, people tend to enjoy being around you.  They are also more likely to want to be connected with you. They will work harder for you when they feel appreciated by you and they will feel happier themselves about the work they do with you when you have a positive attitude. People don’t want to follow someone or work for someone who is always negative, only sees the problems, and is quick to assess blame when things don’t go as planned. Great leadership means motivating and inspiring your followers in a positive way.

6. Great Leaders Have Good Values-Based Decision-Making Skills. 

As a leader, you will be faced with making many decisions. Some will be small while others will have an incredible impact on many others. The way you go about making those decisions will have both short and long-term impacts on the people you lead and your business.

Values-based decision-making allows you to create an authentic way of operating in the world because when you make decisions based on values, you no longer feel like you have to hide your agenda. When you get in touch with your deeply held values along with the values of your business, all the critical decisions you need to make will need to pass the values test.

Here’s why values-based decision making is such an important skill for a leader to possess. If on the surface, a decision seems to be logical, but it goes against your values, you will feel uncomfortable. In that case, as a leader, you need to give precedence to decisions that are in alignment with your values, instead of making decisions that focus on getting you what your ego thinks it needs. At the end of the day, you want to know that you made the right decision based on what was best for all of your stakeholders, not just what was best for you. You will know if you did the right thing by how it makes you feel with regard to its alignment with your values.

 The main features of values-based decision-making are:

•  When you first begin, conscious thought precedes action. You carefully consider what values you want to guide your decisions. The decisions you make are not based on your past history. Instead, they are based on who you truly are, the values that guide your business, and who you want to become as a leader.
•  You are in control of your actions and behaviors and you act in alignment with your deeply held values.
•   After a while, when you have become practiced in values-based decision-making, you do not have to spend a great deal of time consciously reflecting on your values anymore. Instead, values-based decision-making becomes automatic.

Values-based decision-making also has another advantage. It allows you to consciously create the future you want to experience for your people, your business, and yourself.

Leaders trust in their values-based decisions and stand by them.

“Trust yourself–you know more than you think you do.” – Benjamin Spock

7. Great Leaders Have a Strong Moral Compass. 

People with strong morals tend to also have good leadership abilities. They are accountable for their actions, have humility, and honest integrity. In other words, they practice what they preach. Moral leaders are also more likable and tend to have more followers as a result. They don’t make excuses, lie, boast, or brag about what they have accomplished. Indeed, they are often quick to give the credit to their team for what they have accomplished, instead of always shining the spotlight on themselves.

“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.” – Mark Twain

Moral leaders share the spotlight of their successes with those who helped them. They are honest and follow through on what they say they will do. They have the courage to face their fears and tell the truth. To be a leader with strong morals, I encourage you to repeat the following affirmations: 

Repeat these affirmations often and put them into practice in your life.