The Most Needed Leader Qualities
Leaders exemplify a variety of skills that seem to encompass near perfection. Leader qualities include being brave, having vision, staying calm under pressure, and communicating effectively. Leaders are also expected to pass these traits on to future company or department leaders.
Luckily, we’ve narrowed the top priority leader qualities to make life simpler for you:
- Have a vision for your team, and know how your team members will be prepared and inspired to help create that vision.
Your team may have their own ideas for where the company will grow to, but I recommend leaders have these visions in their minds in order to inspire and guide their team. Moving together as a group is much more impactful as compared to moving like scattered sheep. Prepare your team to participate in the vision by sharing it with them, and training them with the skills needed to help build the vision.
- Remain calm and communicative in all situations – stress spreads.
Staying calm in tumultuous times is important because stress spreads easily. If you feel a bit overwhelmed or that you need a moment to yourself, take it! Go to the bathroom and take a breather, or go for a walk outside. Remaining calm can reduce the stress that spreads to your team. When things are stressful, test what works best for communicating the situation and solution with your team.
- Learn from failure and success as soon as possible.
Your team will know how to handle failures, mistakes, or success from you. Leaders set the standard and expectation for the right approach which is important when new people join your team. Reflect on setbacks and successes, whether big or small, and learn from those experiences. From success, you can learn what went right and how to replicate it. From failure, you can learn exactly what to avoid in the future.
- Be true to yourself and your values.
Remaining true to yourself shows your team that they can be themselves too. It also is less stressful for you to maintain a façade for others. Although you should stay true to yourself, we also recommend being open to feedback. When you are offered criticism or praise, trust the opinion if it is shared by multiple people and if you want to, grow accordingly.
How to Develop Your Leadership Skills
Luckily, we narrowed the best leader qualities down to only four bullet points, but becoming a leader that can manage all of these skills naturally can be quite a task. A few suggestions for developing your leadership skills are below:
- Participate in local or online courses.
Search online for a leadership course that focuses on the skill you want to develop. For example, public speaking skills can be practiced at Toastmasters. Other communication, management, and leadership skills can be learned using online platforms like Udemy.
- Ask for anonymous feedback.
No one will know your leadership strengths and weaknesses like your team. Ask them to participate in an anonymous, online survey that they can take at their convenience. Let them know that no one will be held accountable for their opinion, in order to receive the most honest feedback you can.
- Find a mentor.
Find a mentor to help guide you and offer feedback during difficult times. Mentors can also help you create a plan that will help you achieve your goals. Use Linkedin to explore your online network to find a connection that could refer you to a mentor.
- Be a leader in groups outside of work.
Practice your leadership skills in areas outside of the office. Mentor youth or participate in a leadership position in a community service organization. Be brave and expand your leadership to other areas of your life.
Grow your leadership skills and your business at the same time with these tips!
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