5 qualities you must have to be a Good Leader

Any company, regardless of the activity it carries out, is faced with the need to develop. This development cannot take place without charismatic people, motivated to grow the company, and who support employees. For this, it needs to surround itself with leaders.

Unlike a manager, a leader is neither an official title nor a position that one occupies in a company. Indeed, the leader will be defined and noticed by his qualities and his charisma. It is true that some people naturally have the faculty of leadership, charisma, and the qualities necessary to embrace this profession. However, this does not mean that a person cannot improve and develop their own skills. 

The success of your business is first and foremost a collective success. Being a business leader also means becoming a team manager. Between the digital revolution, new ways of working, and the aspirations of younger generations of employees, the role of a leader are not easy to assume. Focus on the essential qualities you will need to acquire to succeed in your transition to leader status. 

So, what are the main characteristics of a leader? Discover right away 5 qualities that every good leader must have. 

 

1. Strategist

The leader is the person responsible for guiding his team to accomplish its objectives. To do so, he needs to be an excellent strategist in the organization, business strategy, choice of collaborators, delegation of tasks, etc. However, as in war, the strategy planned upstream does not matter. He is often faced with obstacles just like in business. It is up to the leader to identify the problems along the way of a project and to readjust the strategy if necessary.

The leader must assert himself as the engine of the company in order to accomplish the objectives of the latter. In his wake, he brings with him the rest of the employees the example he sets for them. The satisfaction created through work has real positive effects on the whole company.

2. Time management

Time management is an essential skill in the life of a leader. You need to have a good sense of time management for the goals you would like to achieve and the time available to you. By mastering control of your time, you not only help not yourself but your team and your organization as a whole. 

As a Leader, being able to reduce process times and save time when completing different tasks allows you to:

• Better plan future events and be able to influence risks, deadlines, and conflicts
• To use the time saved to fuel the good atmosphere that reigns in your team.

This last point is one of the major tasks of the leader because he is always torn between achieving the objectives set by his superiors and the well-being of his subordinates.

According to a study, we lose an average of 21.8 hours of the work week due to poor time management at work, since we spend around 30% of the day on low-value tasks.

However, to get out of this situation, only one thing is needed: correct time management at work as the ability to organize your time to optimize benefits.

3. Listening skills 

Whatever the type of relationship, communication is key and even more so in the professional field. The business leader must be a good communicator and listen to his team. This ability to listen allows the various employees to feel safe and understood. They know they have an ear to lean on in case of difficulty. Listening is a skill often overlooked. But when used well, it has the power to create an atmosphere of security. 

By exchanging with the members of his team, the leader can make them grow. Sharing knowledge in a healthy environment is an essential point in the development of a company. Everyone can bring their stone to the building through their experience, their intelligence, and their personal tastes. And finally, the leader must know how to show empathy in order to better understand the issues.

4. Visionary

The leader represents the company internally and externally. By being the link between management and the production teams, he is a central point of the company. Its ability to unite employees by sharing and embodying the values ​​of the company remains a major asset. The various team members will therefore have a real desire to invest in the life of the company. However, it is the leader's actions and deeds that will truly reflect the company's values ​​in the long term.

Apple and its CEO, Steve Jobs, are among the best examples when it comes to this goal of embodying the company and sharing its vision. Today Tim Cook, current CEO continues the ideas of the Californian genius as he underlined after his death: Keep the vision of Steve Jobs burning inside the great people. 

5. Empathy 

Empathy has always been a critical skill for leaders, but it's taking on a new level of meaning and priority. Far from being a soft approach, it can deliver significant business results.

You always knew showing empathy is good for people, but new research shows its importance for everything from innovation to retention. Great leadership requires an excellent mix of all kinds of skills to create the conditions for engagement, happiness, and performance, and empathy tops the list of what leaders need to do well.

The reason empathy is so necessary is that people are experiencing multiple types of stress, and data suggests it is being affected by the pandemic and the ways our lives and work have been upended.

But as we go through tough times, or find it challenging to find happiness at work, empathy can be a powerful antidote and contribute to positive experiences for individuals and teams. - Forbes 

Some other qualities that make a good leader

A person with leadership skills and abilities will always stand out, as well as become a tempting option when recruiting staff in any company.

If you want to learn and become a good leader, you must take note of the qualities that will allow you to be valued as a suitable person in any place or job position.

Look at the skills that a leader will need to develop to earn a position or reputation in a team. 

#1 Communication

Communication is key for people to express their opinions, feelings, and emotions. It is through communication that you can expose your ideas, which is why it is essential that when building leadership you have this quality.

Having good communication with your environment will certainly allow you to move forward. To be a leader you must be listened to, which is why it is key to have good communication with your team.

In addition, the leader must listen to each of the members of his work team, in order to make decisions based on their ideas.

#2 Persuasion

Many believe that to be a leader is to impose oneself before others, but that is where the failure of a team lies. The leader must not impose, because his goal is to influence his team or persuade through his actions, inspiring his team to follow him.

A leader should not make use of his authority, on the contrary, he should have the ability to present his ideas and encourage others to the same goal.

His conviction will make others follow him and trust his decisions, also considering their own. Thus, they will feel sure that what the leader has stated is the way to go.

#3 Commitment

Among the qualities of a good leader is the level of commitment that he possesses; It is important that, as the leader of a team, you can fully commit yourself to its advancement.

The leader is important in any organization because his commitment will make him make decisions for the well-being and development of the organization; This quality is key to evaluating the success of your leadership.

In addition, a good leader must transmit this commitment to his team, so that each one gives their best and thus achieve the objective they have.

#4 Values

Every leader must have a solid base of principles, ethics, and values, which lead him to be recognized as the leader of the team. Among the fundamental qualities for being chosen as a leader, is the presence and respect of this set of values.

According to these values ​​and principles, the leader will be able to guide his followers and can also transmit the bases for them to be better employees.

#5 Problem solving and strategic thinking

In addition to having the knowledge and skills to make prudent decisions, the leader must be guided by strategic thinking. This means that a good leader has his sights set on the future.

As a leader, you must analyze the situations that the team faces, so you can anticipate and foresee future crises. If the leader has strategic thoughts, this will help him overcome obstacles and face more challenges.

The task as a good leader is to ensure the well-being and good position of the team!

To conclude 

Remember that the leader or manager in a company must be constantly evolving to lead large teams, in addition to having the ability to inspire their workers to achieve the objectives set.

The idea is to adopt good skills that will make you inspire other people to follow or support you, as well as motivate them to improve day by day.

Consider each of these recommended qualities to have leadership from now on, and remember that through training you will be able to train yourself in order to guide a team towards its advancement and development. Please check Ghoori Learning courses to achieve more skills as a leader.