The Great Leader

[Mariam Obregon]

Selfawareness is the understanding of yourself, including personality traits, behaviors, anxieties, and emotions. While this is a more inwardly focused trait, self-awareness and humility are paramount qualities of leadership. The better you understand yourself and recognize your own strengths and weaknesses, the more effective you can be as a leader. Do you know how other people view you and understand how you show up at work and at home? Take the time to learn about the 4 aspects of self-awareness and how to strengthen each component.

Communication shows up in many ways, from transmitting information and storytelling to soliciting input and using active listening techniques. Effective leadership and effective communication are intertwined. The best leaders are skilled communicators who can communicate in a variety of ways, both orally and in writing, and with a wide range of people from different backgrounds, roles, levels, geographies, and more. The quality and effectiveness of communication among leaders at your organization will directly affect the success of your business strategy, too.

Similarly, organizations can help their people hone these top leadership qualities by providing ample opportunities for training, offering support for learning from challenges, and providing access to coaching and mentoring programs.

Keep these qualities of a good leader top of mind in the future: download a PDF summary of this article as an action guide and visual reminder of the leadership qualities to nurture in yourself, on your team, and at your organization in the future.

With over a decade of experience in education, Micela provides internal research and evaluation support to build our capacity as a provider of evidence-based leadership solutions in the field of education. She is particularly interested in youth leadership development, using research and evaluation to help improve program implementation, and the role of trust as a critical ingredient for organizational change. She has also co-authored 2 books on youth leadership development: Social-Emotional Leadership: A Guide for Youth Development and Building Bridges: Leadership for You and Me.

Stephanie is a researcher with a background in developmental and educational psychology. Her research at CCL focused primarily on promoting equitable and inclusive organizational cultures, exploring collective leadership through networks, and enhancing motivation and empowerment for leaders across their professional journeys.

Contrary to popular belief, the best leaders are not born with natural leadership skills. The strengths of a leader often develop as a result of hard work and a focused effort to hone those qualities. Good leaders become better when they seek opportunities to test their leadership skills, solicit feedback, and adapt as needed.

There is no one set definition of a good leader. One person with exceptional leadership qualities may differ from another leader, but that doesn't necessarily make one more effective than the other. The mark of a good leader has earned their team's respect and is willing to assist with the workload to accomplish the group's goal.

Strong leaders are vital, particularly in an ever-evolving world. From community organizations and volunteer groups to professional associations and corporations, effective leaders ensure that people work together cohesively to accomplish their goals.

There are several distinct leadership styles, and as you begin to focus on developing your own leadership qualities, it's important to be aware of which leadership style best suits your personality and your leadership position. According to IMD, these are the most common leadership styles:

You may find that you do not identify with one particular leadership style but rather, a blend of several styles. As you combine elements from one leadership style with another, you will begin to discover who you are as a leader. From there, you can nurture the specific leadership qualities that will allow you to become an effective and impactful leader.

As you begin to understand who you are as a leader and who you want to become, you can start to zero in on leadership skills that will transform you into the most effective leader you can be. These are some of the skills sought after in leaders across all fields and industries:

Naturally, integrity is at the top of the list as one of the most critical leadership qualities. According to the Center for Creative Leadership, integrity is particularly critical for those who wish to serve in an executive leadership position at some point in their career.

A leader with integrity is honest and relies on their own moral compass and values to make decisions for the organization. An individual with a strong sense of integrity is motivated to do what is right simply because it is right. They will make that same decision whether they have an audience in public or whether they are working in private.

People known for having integrity are also generally considered to be respectful, approachable, fair, honest, and trustworthy, which is another reason why it is essential for truly effective leadership.

BetterUp defines self-awareness as the ability to be aware of how your actions, thoughts, and decisions impact others. A self-aware individual knows that they have a distinct set of strengths and weaknesses. They can rely on their strengths to improve the organization and the team and seek assistance to compensate for their shortcomings.

Self-awareness is essential for anyone in a leadership position because it allows the leader to know their own limitations. As a self-aware leader, you would be able to recognize when you have enough on your plate to manage, and you would subsequently delegate tasks accordingly to the rest of the team.

Empathy has never been more important, especially in an increasingly diverse multicultural world. An empathetic leader can recognize the feelings of others and will attempt to understand their perspective. According to Indeed, when you try to be an empathetic leader, you will naturally form stronger bonds with your team. Empathy is one of the best ways to nurture professional relationships, as it allows you to be aware of the feelings of others and to recognize how the decisions that leaders make impact the team at large.

Corporations and businesses across all industries are finding that empathetic leaders can create a better workplace culture that is more inclusive and, as a result, more productive. Empathetic leaders allow everyone to feel like they are a valued part of the team.

In order to become an impactful leader, you must also work to become an effective communicator. Communication skills are some of the most sought-after competencies in professionals across all industries because good communicators know how to work well with others. A good communicator is one who:

A leader who has effective communication skills can be clear, concise, and organized in their direction. In addition, they also have an open-door policy, making the team aware that they are available to listen at any time.

Active listening is a form of listening that goes beyond simply being willing to hear what someone is saying. According to the Center for Creative Leadership, a leader who is also an active listener can understand what someone is saying, reflect on the points they made, and remember that information in the future.

To be an active listener, you must give the person speaking to you your full attention. You should be entirely present during the conversation and mentally note the points they are sharing with you. When you do this, you will be able to recall what they said in the future, and you will be able to rely on their perspective as you make decisions that will shape your group or organization.

Leaders who have worked on developing a growth mindset are often more resilient, flexible, and adaptable. In the face of adversity, an individual with a growth mindset does not feel discouraged. Instead, they feel empowered to rise to the challenge and overcome the roadblocks they face.

A growth mindset is the belief that people can change and improve, even when they make a mistake or suffer a setback. An individual with a growth mindset knows they can continue to hone their skills and abilities to become a better version of themselves.

Being a patient leader does not necessarily mean being passive or accepting slow results. Instead, it means that you are willing to gently guide and nurture those around you so that they have the freedom to become the best version of themselves in a positive and uplifting environment.

While optimistic leaders can look on the bright side, it's important to note that they do not necessarily ignore negative experiences or frustrating setbacks. They acknowledge these situations, but they can look at them through a positive lens. They recognize a challenge but view it as an opportunity to grow and improve.

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