Great leaders across the board share many common traits.
Even though the criteria for workplace leadership can vary from company to company, the majority of effective leaders exemplify some of the same skills and traits.
If you want to take your leadership abilities to the next level, here are a few key areas you can hone in on:
Self-motivation.
As a leader, it’s important to motivate yourself and take action on your goals, personal or professional.
Successful leaders are driven to get things done and they lead their team to do the same by example.
Ability to delegate.
You can’t do it all yourself.
The most effective leaders surround themselves with skilled people, define the vision, set the strategy and then get out of the way so others can process.
Remember that a single person is quite limited, learn how to share the workload.
Effective communication.
You might have a clear picture in your mind of what you’d like to see happen, but others are not mind readers.
A leader is responsible for sharing the vision and making the goals clear to others (team, employees, board).
People can give you what you want when you can communicate clearly what needs to be done.
Provide status updates to keep everyone updated as employees lose motivation when they don’t understand the full picture.
Ability to develop others.
Being a leader isn’t just about delivering success and goals through others, it’s about developing them in the process.
Embrace a long-term perspective that success can be replicated over and over again when you share your expertise.
Commitment.
You can’t expect greater commitment than you’re willing to provide.
A leader sets the ceiling and everyone falls into place when there is strong commitment from the top.
Inspiration.
A great leader knows how to inspire others to do their best work even through difficult and unpredictable times.
Your motivation and commitment is key in pulling others along to make a positive difference.
Clarity.
Leaders are clear on their vision and roadmap and can readily share it with the team.
Employees can easily see how their actions contribute to the company’s mission and your vision when your focus is communicated clearly.
Confidence.
It’s natural to be drawn to others with confidence.
Leaders are viewed as more capable and trustworthy when their confidence level is high or the contrary, a lack of self-confidence will negatively impact how others trust your vision and judgment.
Decisiveness.
Great leaders make the tough decisions and take full responsibility for the outcome.
It’s easy to make quick decisions when you’re clear on your personal values and the company’s values.
Practice by making small decisions quickly and following through on them and watch it get easier over time.
