Leadership is about creating value and having a positive impact on others. Being a great leader is not about a person’s status nor their place in a hierarchy.
These essential leadership qualities can help anyone practice great leadership in any kind of organization.
Vision
A great leader has a clear vision. You are able to set goals and create a path that will lead to the success of the company. It is also important that you are able to share this vision clearly to your team members.
With vision and goals, you are able to make important decisions that will keep the company on track.
Integrity
A leader with integrity stands by their values and purpose. It is doing what is right even when no one is watching. It is about being honest with yourself and with other people.
This leadership quality fosters trust among people in an organization.
Accountability
Accountability is taking ownership of your actions and the outcomes. It is not about taking all the credit when things turn out well. A great leader takes responsibility for their mistakes too.
This quality drives a leader to take action and turn negative outcomes into positive ones. (See Related: What True Leaders Never Do)
Empathy
Empathy is crucial in leadership. It is the ability to connect with other people. This includes coworkers and customers.
With empathy, you are able to understand other people’s situations or problems better. You understand their pain points like your own. As a leader, this helps you solve problems easier.
When people feel that you genuinely care and understand, you will be able to build long-lasting relationships.
Commitment
Commitment is doing whatever it takes to achieve your goals. It is also remaining loyal to the vision. Commitment prioritizes the success of the entire organization by taking the necessary steps to achieve that success.
This essential value inspires people because it shows that the leader is focused on the goals.
Positivity
A positive attitude is what helps a person see the good in every situation. You are able to recognize the possibilities and opportunities. A leader who is positive is not immune to setbacks. Instead, you are able to learn from the experience.
A great leader will see what to improve instead of thinking they are a failure. Positivity can be contagious. This is an essential quality that will also help motivate and inspire other members of the team.
Trust
When a leader trusts their team, they delegate tasks and allows everyone to contribute to the goals and vision. Trust uplifts team members and inspires them to achieve great results.
A trusting leader also encourages innovation and creativity.
Communication
Clear and effective communication is important in any company. This includes being able to articulate yourself in meetings, listening to both coworkers and customers, and reaching out to any person in your organization.
It is not enough to be a great speaker, you must also be a great listener.
Leadership is a great responsibility. A great leader has clear vision, integrity, accountability, empathy, commitment, positivity, trust, and is an effective communicator. With these qualities, you are able to drive an organization and its people toward success.
