6 Characteristics Of Good Leaders

There are some people that just outshine others. They have special traits that set them apart. When you look at them you know they are made for success. These traits make you look up to them and follow their lead. These are the people we call leaders.

The debate has been endless as to whether leaders are born or made. Where some skills are innate; others can be acquired effectively over a period of time. However, the road to being a good leader is not an easy one. A leader faces all the problems first hand and is expected to act on it with best possible results. Let’s read further to know what the six characteristics that make good leaders are:

DEPENDABLE: Honesty is a trait that attracts people. As a leader you must set an example of being trustworthy so that your team members can rely on you. Being straightforward and ethical is of foremost importance. A leader need to posses integrity and show others that he can lead them with honesty. People will respect you if they know they can trust you and you are dependable.

DELEGATE: As a leader you need to know the skills your fellow members possess and assign tasks accordingly. You cannot take an organisation forward by doing all the work alone. You need to work as a team. For this you need to have an understanding of what works and who is capable of what. You need to understand the positive points of your team members and utilize those to their full potential. When you divide tasks, you as a leader have more time to focus on smaller tasks.

COMMUNICATION: The importance of communication cannot be stressed enough. Having a clear route of communication is mandatory. A leader need to be able to convey to his team the goals and in a way that is understood by them. He needs to be extremely interactive. Ask for feedback from them while simultaneously providing them with feedback as well. More often than not a leader has a clear cut vision but other members might not be able to comprehend it clearly. If you cannot communicate your vision clearly then it will be almost next to impossible to reach the goal.

INTUITION: Many a times we come across a situation we have not faced before. A true leader needs to rely on his intuition to come up with the best possible solutions. Acting on instincts does not mean acting on an impulse but rather trusting those along with other skills to reach the best possible outcome. Everything comes with a risk and there are no set guidelines as to how to deal with a situation best. It is at such times, that everyone will look up to the leader when everything else is crumbling down.

CREATIVITY and RESOURCEFULNESS: You cannot simply sift through a guide with solutions to your problems to be called a leader. Out of the box thinking is must. The wonders of brainstorming are endless. A leader never assumes himself to be the sole creator of ideas but draws in on that of others to come up with the best possible solution. All problems don’t come with straightforward answers. Leaders will never be stuck up on the same path. He will be wiling to construct a new one, even if that means defying his own beliefs. This is the place where creativity has weightage.

POSITIVE ATTITUDE: Even if the world seems to be falling apart, a leader must be level headed and head strong. It is only when faced with crisis that you realize who a true leader truly is. All this comes with inculcating a positive attitude. An optimistic attitude directly influences the work. It is based on this attitude that the team member’s potential to give in more or less is directly linked. If you tend to put down a member a lot for the smallest of mistakes; rest assured his work capability is bound to diminish than grow.

These traits are the foundational characteristics of every true leader. Whether present naturally or learnt; there is potential to develop every single trait if there is willingness to learn. There are programs like the situational leadership training program that hone an individual on the path to better leadership. It is true when they say ‘learning never stops’. A leader will never stop trying to discover more skills to build on his strengths. They constantly look to develop themselves.