During my career, I have worked with and for many leaders. Some were good, some were bad, some were downright ugly, but a few were great. Working for or with a great leader is both exciting and exasperating. While they help you expand your skill set, they also inspire you to be great.
Early in my career, I had the pleasure to connect with a great leader. So, what made him a great leader? First, he saw my potential. Next, he pushed me out of my comfort zone and challenged me to be a better version of myself. Last and most importantly, he modeled great leadership every day.
It’s not easy to be a great leader. Leadership requires a unique set of skills and personality traits. As a young cadet, I believed great leaders were born leaders, but my Sergeant Major taught me that everyone could maximize their leadership skills and qualities.
Many of us want to be better leaders but don’t know where to start. There are many excellent books on leadership skills, but the effectiveness of skills is limited without the proper personality to execute those skills. Not only did my Sergeant Major have great leadership skills, but his personality enhanced those skills.
What are the great personality traits of leaders and how can you develop them? The following ten traits will help you grow as a leader:
- Confidence. Confidence is intoxicating. People are willing to follow you if you’re confident. If you show that you don’t trust yourself or your decisions, they won’t trust you either. Being confident fosters confidence in others. Everyone is always watching you.
- Integrity. Without integrity, no one will trust you. You can’t expect your followers to be honest with you if you don’t do the same for them. It’s about remaining true to your values regardless of the situation. Leaders that lack integrity don’t last long and often jump from one organization to another.
- Boldness. Being a great leader takes guts. As a leader, it’s your responsibility to shoulder the blame for bad decisions and results. You need to set the course for your people. You’ll get most of the credit when things go well, but you must be strong enough to take the brunt of the negative attention for poor outcomes.
- Humility. It can be challenging to be a confident leader and be humble at the same time. While arrogant people often rise to leadership positions, few of them thrive in those roles. Arrogance leads to poor decisions and causes your followers to both distrust and dislike you.
- Assertiveness. You can’t be timid and be a great leader. You have to assertively share your ideas and opinions. You have to be able to tell people “no” and to give bad news. If you tend to be passive, your ability to lead is compromised.
- Emotional Intelligence. When you lead others, there are many ups and downs. You don’t have the luxury of feeling depressed, frustrated, or disgruntled. It’s your responsibility to keep your emotions under control and lead the way.
- Inspirational. Leaders lead. If you can’t inspire others to follow you, intimidation is the only alternative. Learn how to inspire others to do their best and to demonstrate loyalty to you.
- Tenacity. You can never give up. Persistence is one of the most important qualities a great leader can have. This trait goes along with emotional stability. Are you able to stick with your plan when things are going wrong? Do you double your efforts when faced with an obstacle, or does your will falter?
- Charisma. Charisma is a little hard to define, but everyone knows it when they see it. It’s a form of charm that inspires others to like and follow you. The most charismatic people are confident, make others feel good about themselves, and are dominant in a subtle way. Charisma can take you far.
- Dealing with complexity. When you’re leading a large group of people, things are complex. Every decision seems to affect everything else. Circumstances are constantly changing, and it’s challenging to deal with the complexity that arises.
As you reflect on the ten traits, ask yourself, “What can you improve to become a more effective leader?”
Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.
– Vince Lombardi
Not everyone is born with natural leadership skills and attributes, but everyone can become a good leader with development. If you want to become a great leader, work on these traits, and become the best leader you can be.
Are you putting in the hard effort to develop great personality traits?
#YourLeadershipGuide
Kim
Make the most of the New Year in my virtual leadership group. Click HERE for details!
Lead Confidently
Expand Influence
Achieve Significance
0 comments