Leadership is quite an interesting topic, and we have talked about it in this blog previously many times. A leader is a person that steps in front when needed and especially in times of crisis. There are many elements that shape a leader and there are a few traits that make a great leader. Have you ever wondered why some leaders are better than others and why they achieve more? In case you have and you want to learn more about it you are reading the right article. Here are a few of the most important leadership traits that lead to success.
Inspiration & Motivation
The first and one of the most important traits a leader must have is the ability to inspire and motivate. Leaders show the way and people follow. Therefore in order to be a successful leader you must first be able to light a spark in your team. Inspiring people and motivating people isn’t the same thing nor is it easy but both of them are essential. Unfortunately not all people have these abilities, some are born with them and some have to work for them. Either way though once you acquire them the results are the same. The ability to inspire people is what will make them look up to you and make them want to become like you. While the ability to motivate people is what will ignite that fire in them and keep it burning along the way. Inspiring and motivating people is very important when an objective is set and a goal is to be met. It is the fuel that keeps the engine running and it makes teams go the extra mile when they think they cant.
Effective Communication
Another very important trait great leaders have is the ability to communicate effectively. A leader’s role is always to organise and coordinate his team in order to achieve a certain result. Communicating Effectively with every single person on your team alone and with the whole team together is essential. The best way to do that is by avoiding micromanagement and instead focusing on building meaningful relationships within your team. Take the time to know your teammates better and understand their characters while also listening to what they have to say. This will set the foundation that is needed to create a good relationship between both sides leading to better communication. Communicating effectively doesn’t mean that you have to forget about your goals. Great leaders are able to communicate right with their teams but are also result-oriented so keep that in mind.
Accountability & Responsibility
Through good times and bad times a leader is still a leader. This means that no matter what the situation is the person in charge always has to show up. Leaders are there for the great achievements but most importantly leaders are there for the great fails. One of the most important leadership traits is the ability of a leader to be accountable & responsible. Just because someone is in charge or because he is leading a team doesn’t mean that he has no responsibility when something goes wrong. On the contrary great leaders are accountable and responsible. This means that their teammates feel comfortable trusting their decisions while also leaders are comfortable taking the blame when wrong. Creating a just and comfortable vibe within an environment can lead to outstanding results, and great leaders understand that.
Long Term Thinker
Good leaders know how to plan and get results in the short term, but great leaders plan in the long term. Achieving short term goals and justifying to yourself that you have made progress is definitely important, but it is not enough. That is why great leaders understand that although short term progress is required, what really matters are long term results. Thinking in the long term might be harder and more complex than thinking in the short term but the end results are rewarding. Long term thinking is one of the most important leadership traits one must have in order to succeed. Give it a try and compare the results between achieving goals in the short term and goals in the long term. You will soon come to the understanding that what is build fast can also go down fast. Therefore don’t be afraid to take the hard way if you want to strive for greatness.
The Most Important of All Traits: Consistency
The final and most important of all traits that connects all the dots and brings them to harmony is consistency. Consistency is the most valuable trait a great leader can have. It all has to do about trust and showing up. Leaders have to be consistent and have to be present all the time, especially when their team needs them. Human Resources are the most important asset a team or a company owns. People are the ones that make the magic happen and they are the ones producing results. Therefore a leader has to be very careful with what he promises and with how he treats his people. It is important people know there is someone to listen to them, help them, guide them and trust them. Essentially being a leader means you have to be there for everyone while no one is there for you.
