Whether you’ve been in a managerial role your whole career or have just been placed in a new leadership position, everyone can benefit from a few reminders on what it takes to be a great leader. Being a great leader goes way beyond just your title and short term results. A great leader has the power to teach others and help guide them to their full potential. Empowering and leading them to build a better organization that is viewed as more than just a job. Here are six key leadership qualities that we feel makes a leader great:
Positive Attitude
A positive attitude can be contagious, and when it comes to keeping your workplace moral high, it is vital. A leader that shows enthusiasm and motivation will encourage others to have a positive attitude, which in turn will have a direct impact on the workplace environment and productivity. While it may be difficult to keep a smiling face in every situation at work, stifling personal negativity creates an excellent example for other employees.
Setting the Right Example
As a leader, your team is always watching you and your actions in the workplace and will likely follow suit. Be mindful of your day to day actions: your arrival time, professional attire, handling of stressful situations, and communication. Lead by example, your team is presumably likely to model their behavior off your actions.
Good Communicator
It is a leader’s responsibility to keep their team informed. Without clear communication your team cannot achieve the vision and the strategy to achieve the goal. Being a good communicator also means being aware of how you speak to your employees, so be cognizant of your tone and your body language. Words have the power to motivate and encourage.
Effective and Timely Decision Making
It is imperative that a good leader have the ability and training to make effective and timely decisions. Processing a lot of information and parsing the immediate and long term effects, while developing a strategic plan. Collaborating with your team on certain decisions will be key, but it is the leader’s responsibility to take ownership of any final decisions.
Empathy
Leadership cannot be successful without empathy. Empathy is crucial to understanding individual struggles, and help those you support grow in the good times and bad. Find a way to connect with every individual on your team. This can be done one on one or incorporated into team building time.
Delegation and Empowerment
It is merely impossible to tackle every task by yourself. A good leader should empower their subordinates by delegating tasks appropriately while providing guidance and support along the way. Building up and empowering your team will strengthen your organization, allowing individuals to achieve their full potential. By properly delegating, you won’t overwhelm yourself, and you will allow your team the opportunity to be empowered by greater responsibility.
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