Excellent leaders are few and far between. If you’ve worked at a couple of different jobs in the past, then you’ll probably know what it’s like to work under a leader that doesn’t have the proper qualifications to be ordering you around. There are many reasons that make working for poor bosses extremely difficult: lack of communication, their own personal agendas or even their lack of skill in their fields. However as much as we dislike our leaders, we have to still do our jobs to keep the business running smoothly.
But if you’re looking for the traits of a great leader, then look no further than below. For every hundred people that claim to be a great leader, only a handful are actually qualified to make that claim. So whether you’re looking for the traits of a person who you should follow, recruiting a senior member for your business or even if you want to become a leader yourself, here are some undeniable qualities of a great leader.
Leaders Are Confident
A fantastic leader has the ability to remain confident in the face of adversity. They are resilient, hard-working yet not cocky or over-confident. They understand their borders and the limits of their skills, but that’s something they constantly push in order to improve. Within the first five minutes of speaking to someone, you’ll know if they are confident from the way they speak, the way they greet you, and the way they organise work for their staff members.
Leaders Are Skilled
Leaders aren’t just known for their ability to lead. Although that takes a tremendous amount of experience and hard work, leaders are also known for their knowledge of their respective fields. For instance, you can’t trust a leader that has absolutely no idea about the work you are doing. If you work in an engineering field, then you would expect your leader to have an engineering management masters degree. These types of degrees are telltale signs that your leader is qualified to both lead you and to tell you how to do your job better.
Leaders Are Transparent
Another sign of a great leader is their ability to remain transparent. Whether it’s telling you that you did a bad job or letting you know how pleased they are with your work, a great leader will never withhold information that is helpful to the workplace. They don’t hide behind masks, they’re honest and the are open. This usually shows a flaw or two in the leader’s personality or attitude towards work, but that’s a good sign because anyone that tries to be a hundred percent perfect most likely has something to hide. Flaws are just a sign of human nature, not incompetence.
Leaders Are Passionate
In order to excel at what you do, you must be passionate about it. If a leader isn’t passionate about the business they are in, the job they do or the people they work with, then that person isn’t qualified to become a leader. A great leader is never satisfied with the work they have done and will constantly strive to improve not only themselves but the results they produce and the ability of those who work under their command.
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