Think back to the best boss you ever had. What was that person like? They probably had leadership qualities like active listening, confidence, and the ability to motivate others. As a result, you likely accomplished your best work and loved your job while under their leadership.
To reach your fullest potential as a leader and be ready for your next promotion, you must develop your leadership abilities. Whatever your reason, knowing the qualities of a good leader can help you grow professionally and succeed at work. It can also help you spot leadership potential in your direct reports — or call out a bad leader when necessary.
Leadership is about more than authority and being in charge. In fact, a successful leader doesn’t even need to have an official title. This is because a title doesn’t automatically mean you’re a leader — especially a good one. And, not having a title doesn’t mean that you can’t be a leader.
Though some people think leadership is about ordering people around, it’s really about being a source of empowerment for others so they can achieve success for themselves and for the organization. It’s also about being able to make decisions in favor of the bigger picture or the organization’s goals, rather than for your own gain.
- Emotional Intelligence
- Effective Communication
- Decision making
- Conflict resolution
- Strategic thinking
- Flexibility
- Time Management
- Mentorship
- Responsibility
- Recognizing potential
- Organization
- Delegation
- Feedback
- Creativity
- Motivation
Leadership qualities aren’t mysterious attributes that some people possess and others never will. Instead, being a leader involves concrete skills that anyone, at any level of the business, can develop.