The Most Common Features Of Good Leaders
A lot of books do talk about essential qualities of every good leader and there seems to be the general impression that each and every individual who wishes to be regarded as a good leader should possess most, if not all, of the qualities. This has led to majority of people trying to alter their personality all in a bid to make sure that they are seen by people as possessing all the qualities of a good leader. However, this is a major misconception which has been able to lead a lot of people astray and turn them into things that they themselves cannot even recognize all in the name of trying to be a good leader. Taking a look at the variety of things that are referred to as the qualities of good leaders will let you get a better idea of what gets done to these people and their personality.
Qualities of good leaders
- Empathy
- Knowledgeable
- Honesty
- Inspirational
- Motivating
- Dedicated
- Intelligent
- Firm
- Just
- Commitment
These are but just a fraction of all things which are expected to be around for a person to be regarded as a true leader. Listing these qualities as they are is what brings about the confusion within a lot of people who have taken upon themselves leadership positions. This is due to the fact that these individuals try to be each of those qualities as they are in their individual sense and that is simply asking too much from a particular person at a time. All those qualities are also expected to be on display every moment of your life and so when people decide to show them as they are they end up contradicting themselves.
This is why you have gotten the opportunity to read an article like this which seeks to make everything very simple and understandable for each and every individual so that they can be the true leaders that they crave. Read on for the simplified features of a good leader.
A good leader should be transparent: This means that every leader should be very plain about all the various activities that he or she undertakes within the organization. People who work within an organization are always ready to see if their leader is being transparent with them or not. In this regard they tend to make comparisons about how the leader is running the affairs of the organization and what things he or she makes public for them to see. For you to have the trust of your workers and be seen as a good leader you first need to let them know that you are not hiding anything from them. Being transparent as a leader comprises of a number of the qualities which have been listed separately above like being honest, just and faithful among others. When the idea of being transparent is mentioned, people understand that they need to make sure that all their dealings are done in the presence of each and every individual member and whatever decision that should be taken should also be done openly.
Let all your thoughts be visible: Whatever it is that you have decided upon should be discussed with all members within the group that you are leading. It is very necessary for your followers to have the feeling and knowledge that they are also very important to the organization and this can be done by involving them in all the decision-making processes of the whole unit. Being visible with your thoughts comprises of being collaborative, democratic and having a good rapport with each and every individual who works under your leadership.
Be authentic: This feature or characteristic entreats a leader to be very positive in all that he does with regards to ensuring that the targets of the group or organization are adequately met. It demands of a leader to be firm and just and to have a clear idea of what he or she wants his or her followers to do and to make sure that they all stay focused on such a task at hand. An authentic leader is the one who shows genuine interest in all the activities that are being undertaken by the organization and shows unqualified concern about the personal being of the workers who work with him or her.
These are the three (3) main features or characteristics that are used to determine whether a person is performing really well in his or her capacity as a leader or not. For a person to be seen as a good leader, he or she must possess all these three features.
About the author: Jeff Evans, Ph.D. I am CEO of Envision Global Leadership, Inc., a leadership development and organization development consulting firm focused on change navigation. I have been working with large-scale organization change as an internal and external consultant. This work has included e-commerce ventures, new organization designs and startups, and joint ventures and alliances in international and global settings. My background can best be described as eclectic. This diverse experience provides a rich context in my engagements as a consultant, executive coach, and speaker.