[Ohio-talk] From the Ohio membership Committee, an article on "Top 10 Leadership Qualities That Make Good Leaders"

[Suzanne Turner]

Top 10 Leadership Qualities That Make Good Leaders

By Sarmad Hasan <https://blog.taskque.com/author/sarmad-hasan/>  -

 

Everybody defines leadership differently but I really like the way John C
Maxwell defines leadership, "A leader is one who knows the way, goes the
way, and shows the way." Irrespective of how you define a leader, he or she
can prove to be a difference maker between success and failure. A good
leader has a futuristic vision and knows how to turn his ideas into
real-world success stories. In this article, we take an in-depth look at
some of the  <https://www.branex.ca/blog/entrepreneurial-leadership-skills/>
important leadership qualities that separate good leaders from a bad one.

 

1. Honesty and Integrity

The 34th President of United States, Dwight.D.Eisenhower once said, "The
supreme quality of leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no
real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a
football field, in an army, or in an office." Honesty and integrity are two
important ingredients which make a good leader. How can you expect your
followers to be honest when you lack these qualities yourself? Leaders
succeed when they stick to their values and core beliefs and without ethics,
this will not be possible.

2. Confidence

To be an
<https://blog.taskque.com/6-key-habits-that-make-you-a-remarkably-effective-
leader/> effective leader, you should be confident enough to ensure that
other follow your commands. If you are unsure about your own decisions and
qualities, then your subordinates will never follow you. As a leader, you
have to be oozing with confidence, show some swagger and assertiveness to
gain the respect of your subordinates. This does not mean that you should be
overconfident, but you should at least reflect the degree of confidence
required to ensure that your followers trust you as a leader.

3. Inspire Others

Probably the most difficult job for a leader is to persuade others to
follow. It can only be possible if you inspire your followers by setting a
good example. When the going gets tough, they look up to you and see how you
react to the situation. If you handle it well, they will follow you. As a
leader, should think positive and this positive approach should be visible
through your actions. Stay calm under pressure and keep the
<https://blog.taskque.com/keep-motivation-level-high/> motivation level up.
As John Quincy Adams puts it, "If your actions inspire others to dream more,
learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." If you are
successful in inspiring your subordinates, you can easily overcome any
current and future challenge easily.

4. Commitment and Passion

Your teams look up to you and if you want them to give them their all, you
will have to be passionate about it too. When your teammates see you getting
your hands dirty, they will also give their best shot. It will also help you
to gain the respect of your subordinates and infuse new energy in your team
members, which helps them to perform better. If they feel that you are not
fully committed or lacks passion, then it would be an uphill task for the
leader to motivate your followers to achieve the goal.

5. Good Communicator

Until you clearly communicate your vision to your team and tell them the
strategy to achieve the goal, it will be very difficult for you to get the
results you want. Simply put, if you are unable to communicate your message
effectively to your team, you can never be a good leader. A good
communicator can be a good leader. Words have the power to motivate people
and make them do the unthinkable. If you use them effectively, you can also
achieve better results.

6. Decision-Making Capabilities

Apart from having a futuristic vision, a leader should have the ability to
take the right decision at the right time. Decisions taken by leaders have a
profound impact on masses. A leader should think long and hard before taking
a decision but once the decision is taken, stand by it. Although, most
leaders take decisions on their own, but it is highly recommended that you
<https://blog.taskque.com/project-stakeholders-launch/> consult key
stakeholders before taking a decision. After all, they are the ones who will
benefit or suffer from your decisions.

7. Accountability

When it comes to accountability, you need to follow the approach highlighted
by Arnold H Glasow when he said, "A good leader takes little more than his
share of the blame and little less than his share of the credit." Make sure
that every one of your subordinates is accountable for what they are doing.
If they do well, give them a pat on the back but if they struggle, make them
realize their mistakes and work together to improve. Holding them
accountable for their actions will create a sense of responsibility among
your subordinates and they will go about the business more seriously.

8. Delegation and Empowerment

You cannot do everything, right. It is important for a leader to focus on
key responsibilities while leaving the rest to others. By that, I mean
empowering your followers and delegating tasks to them. If you continue to
micromanage your subordinates, it will develop a lack of trust and more
importantly, you will not be able to focus on important matters, as you
should be. Delegate tasks to your subordinates and see how they perform.
Provide them with all the resources and support they need to achieve the
objective and give them a chance to bear the responsibility.

9. Creativity and Innovation

What separates a leader from a follower?
<https://blog.taskque.com/lessons-steve-jobs/> Steve Jobs, the greatest
visionary of our time answers this question this way, "Innovation
distinguishes between a leader and a follower." In order to get ahead in
today's fast-paced world, a leader must be creative and innovative at the
same time. Creative thinking and constant innovation is what makes you and
your team stand out from the crowd. Think out of the box to come up with
unique ideas and turn those ideas and goals into reality.

10. Empathy

Last but certainly not the least, is empathy. Leaders should develop empathy
with their followers. Unfortunately, most leaders follow a dictatorial style
and neglect empathy altogether. Due to this, they fail to make a closer
connection with their followers. Understanding the problems of your
followers and feeling their pain is the first step to become an effective
leader. Even that is not enough until you work hard and provide your
followers with the suitable solution to their problems.

Conclusion

To become a good leader, you must have all these qualities but if you lack
some of these qualities, then you might struggle to make the mark in the
world of leadership. You will have to set a good example for others to
follow. That is where your commitment, passion, empathy, honesty and
integrity come into play. Good communication skills and decision-making
capabilities also play a vital role in success and failure of a leader.
Lastly, innovation and creative thinking, as well as the futuristic vision,
are a couple of key traits which make a leader stand out.

 

Sarmad Hasan <https://blog.taskque.com/author/sarmad-hasan/> 

Sarmad is a Digital Content Producer at TaskQue. He is passionate about
writing and loves writing blogs and reading magazines. In his leisure time,
he likes to watch the news and current affairs program.