The 15 Leadership Qualities That Really Make Great Leaders (2023)

Everyone defines leadership differently, but I really like John C. Maxwell's definition of leadership: "A leader is a person who knows exactly where to go and leads the way forward." No matter how you define a leader , it can be the key to both success and failure.

A great leader has a vision for the future and knows how to turn their ideas into real success stories. In this article, we'll look at some of the key leadership qualities that separate a great leader from a bad one.

Do you want to be a great leader? Here are 15 leadership qualities that make great leaders.

01

honesty and integrity

Dwight David Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States, once said: “The highest quality of leadership is unquestioned integrity. Without integrity there can be no real success, whether in a group, on the football field, in the military, or in the office."

Honesty and integrity are two important factors that make a good leader. If you don't have these traits yourself, how can you expect your followers to be honest?

Leaders thrive when they adhere to their core values ​​and beliefs, which would not be possible without ethics.

02

Trust

To be an effective leader, you must have enough confidence to make sure others follow your commands. If you are unsure of your decisions and qualities, your subordinates will never follow you.

As a leader, you need to be confident and show some bravery and determination to earn the respect of your subordinates. That doesn't mean you should be overly confident, but it should at least reflect the level of confidence it takes to make sure your followers believe you're a leader.

03

motivate others

Leading is probably the most difficult task for a leader: convincing others to follow. This is only possible if you lead your followers by example. Faced with a very difficult situation, they will look at you and see how you react to the situation. If you handle it well, they will follow.

As a leader, you should think positively and this positive attitude should be reflected in your actions. Remain calm under pressure and keep motivated.

As John Quincy Adams says, "When your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, achieve more, and be more successful, you are a leader." If you can successfully motivate your subordinates, you can empower all current and future Master challenges easily.

04

commitment and passion

Leadership drives your team to look up to you, and if you want your people to do their best, you need to have a passion for it, too.

When your teammates see you getting your hands dirty to win, they'll do their best too. This will also help you earn the respect of your subordinates and breathe new life into your team members by helping them do their jobs better.

When they sense that you are not fully engaged or lack passion, it becomes a difficult task for leaders to motivate their followers to achieve their goals.

05

great communicator

If you don't clearly communicate your vision to your team and show them strategies to achieve their goals, you will struggle to get the results you want.

Put simply, if you can't effectively communicate your message to your team, you'll never be a good leader.

A great communicator can be a great leader. Big words have the power to motivate employees and push them to do more than they ever thought possible. If you use them effectively, you can also get better results.

06

Decision Making Skills

A great leader must not only have a vision for the future, but also have the ability to make the right decisions at the right time.

A leader's decisions have a profound impact on their team. A leader must think deeply before making a decision, but once the decision is made, they must stick to it.

While most leaders make their own decisions, it is strongly recommended that you consult with key stakeholders before making any decisions. After all, they are the ones who will benefit or suffer from your decisions.

07

Responsibility

When it comes to accountability, you must follow the approach emphasized by Arnold H. Glasow, who said, "A good leader takes on as much responsibility as they deserve."

Make sure each of your subordinates is accountable for what they do. If they do a good job, you can pat them on the back and encourage them. But if they're not keeping up, be honest and let them admit their mistakes and work together to improve.

When you hold employees accountable for their actions, you give your subordinates a sense of ownership and take their jobs more seriously.

08

Delegation and Empowerment

You can't do everything, can you? It is important for a manager to concentrate on the core tasks and leave the rest to others.

By that I mean empower your followers and assign tasks to them.

Continuing to manage your subordinates down to the smallest detail creates a lack of trust and, more importantly, you can't focus on the important things you should be doing.

Assign tasks to your subordinates and see how they behave. Provide them with all the resources and support they need to achieve their goals and give them the opportunity to take responsibility.

09

creativity and innovation

What is the difference between a good leader and a follower? Steve Jobs, the greatest dreamer of our time, answered this question like this: "The difference between a leader and a follower is innovation."

To thrive in today's fast-paced world, leaders must be creative and innovative.

Creative thinking and constant innovation are the keys to making you and your team stand out from the crowd. Go out of the box, come up with unique ideas and turn those ideas and goals into reality.

10

Empathy

Last but not least, empathy is important. Leaders need to develop empathy for their subordinates and empathy for their followers.

Unfortunately, most leaders follow an authoritarian style and completely ignore empathy. Because of this, they fail to create a stronger connection with their followers.

Understanding your employees' struggles and feeling their pain is the first step to becoming an effective leader. Even that isn't enough until you work hard and provide your followers with the right solutions to their problems.

11

Endurance

When push comes to shove, the resistant keep going. You've probably heard this saying many times, but did you know that great leaders also follow this rule?

You are resilient, adaptable and have a positive attitude. No matter how difficult the situation, you'll find them rallying their followers.

While most people are busy complaining about the problem, great leaders are always focused on the solution, not the problem itself.

12

emotional intelligence

Leaders with high emotional intelligence always have higher levels of influence, but how do they increase their influence and get people to believe what they say? They do this by making emotional connections with people. This is where emotional intelligence comes into play.

Here are some reasons why leaders should have high emotional intelligence.

Effective management of emotions

better social conscience

perfect communication

conflict resolution

With emotional intelligence, leaders can control their emotions so that negative emotions don't interfere with their ability to make decisions. Consequently, leaders with high emotional intelligence are less likely to make hasty decisions.

Also, leaders with high emotional intelligence are good at understanding the emotions of others and caring about their feelings. That's not all; Leaders with this leadership quality are not only better at dealing with conflicts, but also play an important role in resolving them.

13

humility

"Pride makes us act, humility makes us true. --Thomas Merton"

How do you feel when you are promoted to a management position? You will be proud. A great leader is always selfless and always thinking of his followers.

For this reason, the leadership style of most great leaders places a heavy emphasis on problem solving and team dynamics, rather than a focus on self-promotion.

14

transparency

One of the best ways to earn the trust of your followers is through transparency. You must share information openly with them, not hide it.

By allowing your followers to see the big picture, they will align with your vision and help you achieve your goals. Most importantly, transparency gives your followers clarity and autonomy, making them feel empowered while keeping them engaged.

15

vision and goals

"Good business leaders create a vision, articulate it clearly, are passionate about it, and drive it tirelessly. -jack Welch"

Great leaders always have vision and goals. Not only do they envision the future, but they also share their vision with their followers.

When your followers can see the big picture, they can see where they're going. A great leader goes the extra mile to explain why they are moving in that direction and shares the strategy and action plan to get there.

Diploma

To join the elite club of great leaders you must possess all of these qualities, but if you lack some of them, you may find it difficult to make a name for yourself in the executive world.

You must set a good example for others. This is where your commitment, passion, empathy, honesty and integrity come into play.

Excellent communication skills and decision-making skills also play a crucial role in executive success and failure. Finally, innovation and creative thinking along with a vision for the future are some of the must-have leadership qualities that make a great leader.