Every organisation requires good leaders to guide them and make the critical large-scale decisions that keep them running. But what makes a good leader?
In this article, you will learn about the six essential characteristics of a good leader and how to cultivate them in order to excel at your organisation.
- Accountability
Good leaders will accept full responsibility for their teams’ performance, good or bad. As a leader, you should strive to praise and criticise your team’s accomplishments. You must also accept full responsibility when you make a poor decision or do something unfavourable.
Good leaders are always aware of their areas for improvement and are candid about them with their team members. If you make it a point to set an example of accountability for your team, they will most likely follow suit.
- Adaptability
Plans, schedules, and even goals within an organisation can change at any time. Successful leaders are aware of these constant changes and strive for a flexible approach that allows them to change course as needed. As you learn and develop adaptability, you may also begin to cultivate other related characteristics of a good leader, such as resourcefulness or problem-solving skills.
If you want to improve your adaptability, practice accepting and resolving unexpected challenges rather than suppressing them.
- Empathy
Empathy is one of the key characteristics of a good leader. As a leader, you should always try to empathise with the realities that your team faces in order to work together effectively.
Schedule informal meetings with your team members to help you recognise the challenges they face and the goals they want to achieve. It can help you gain a better understanding of your team members.
- Focus
As a leader, you must deal with potential distractions by staying focused and working towards primary objectives. You can achieve your biggest goals while managing your time and resources only when you pay close attention to the most critical aspects.
Consider alternating uninterrupted work periods with less demanding work that allows you to pause and attend to other matters. You can use this strategy to focus your attention as needed.
- Risk-taking
Leaders face risks all the time. However, they must know when to embrace challenges and when to take a safe approach. If you want to learn how to navigate risks, take the following steps:
- Begin by learning to assess situations and weigh the pros and cons.
- Strive to make decisive judgements so your team can easily accept and act on them.
- Make a flowchart with steps so you can confidently evaluate situations and make decisions.
- Team-building
Every successful leader needs a dedicated team to complete projects. To be a successful leader, you must understand how to promote teamwork and collaboration, motivate team members to do their best work and inspire them to take on challenging tasks. You can integrate team-building exercises such as icebreakers and group outings to encourage bonding and improve communication.
You can also encourage positivity within your team. It might help you and your team overcome obstacles and produce better results.
How to develop the characteristics of a good leader?
Organisations can strengthen these traits and foster a higher level of engagement at work by offering a variety of on-the-job learning experiences, mentoring, and formal development opportunities. However, you do not have to wait to develop the characteristics of a good leader within yourself.
Begin today by enrolling in certificate courses offered by top Indian institutes and earning advanced certifications for leadership. These certificate courses are specifically designed for working professionals who want to delve deeper into all aspects of leadership and hone their skills to advance to leadership positions.
