Skills and qualities of a good leader

There are several ways to manage a team. While not everyone can agree on the most effective way to do this, we can all agree that the performance of the team relies heavily on that of its leader.

So what are the qualities of a good leader? At the most basic level, leadership styles can be categorized as manipulative, bossy, or attractive, to name a few. While all of these styles can do the trick, can you guess which one works the most in the long run?

Here are the characteristics and qualities of a leader.

Quality 1: To have the “drive”

Effective leaders are those who know how to function both tactically and strategically, as they are able to lead their team towards a specific goal. Because their efforts are not directed at the mere realization of personal benefits or for the sake of control, the goal of the right leader is to make sure things happen!

Quality 2: Autonomy and sense of responsibility

Good leaders are also those who allow their team to develop autonomy and ensure added value according to their own personal strengths.

Being able to recognize the strengths of individuals within their team and allow them to be responsible and accountable not only increases employee confidence in themselves and their leader, but will also increase their performance.

A good leader will be able to manage their team members by offering them support and giving them constructive feedback in order to develop their talents and potential.

Quality 3: Authenticity

An important quality that any good leader should have is authenticity, which is their ability to stay true to themselves, their beliefs, and their values. In fact, a good leader should not just stay true to himself, but should also be able to adequately transfer his values and beliefs to his team.

A good leader should not only be able to communicate effectively his own values and beliefs, but also those of the organization, as well as its overall goals.

Quality 4: Possess good communication skills

Although it seems obvious, communication skills are considered by most to be the most important qualities of a leader. The good leader must have this essential skill to be able to achieve his ultimate goals.

Good communication skills allow a good leader to be a better negotiator and to do better conflict management and resolution. Being able to clearly explain any situation and justify the decision made not only makes team members more comfortable with the decision, but also allows them to give the leader more credibility.

By making sure the team understands their goals, this will have a crucial impact on their performance and chances of success. Being able to communicate well the How, What, Where and Why of an organization’s purpose ensures that they all go smoothly in one direction. Leaders with good communication skills are also seen to be more credible. A charismatic nature also increases the confidence the team has in the abilities of that same leader.

Quality 5: To be able to ask questions!

A good leader is capable of investigating well and will have a natural instinct to do so. Being more skeptical motivates the good leader to question everything; the Who, What, Where, How and Why of any situation. This set of questions helps to identify not only potential strengths and weaknesses, but also why they arise and how they can be leveraged.

Where to find good leaders?

So, now that we have identified the qualities and skills that a good leader should have, how do we find them?

According to Dave Ulrich, named the most influential person in HR by HR Magazine, around 20% of people are natural leaders, while another 20% do not necessarily have the skills and qualities to become good leaders. Because 20% seems like a small percentage, you will be happy to know that the remaining 60% of the population are able to become good leaders with the right coaching and training!

So, don’t waste your time trying to find the “perfect” leader. Chances are you already have one in your organization! Whether they are the 20% with the natural talents to become one or the 60% who can be coached, you just need to be able to identify these individuals and determine how to develop their skills to the maximum.

Develop the skills and qualities of a leader

While this task may seem daunting to many, it is fairly straightforward to accomplish once you can specifically identify the points to work on. The best way to do this would be to use psychometrics.

Psychometric tests assess the personality traits and specific characteristics that are innate in a person, allowing you to see what their natural reflexes will be like in specific situations. For example: results orientation or their tendency to be more skeptical in nature.

With the Atman psychometric test results, it will be easy to identify who are natural leaders in your group, or who will have the capacity to become good leaders. The results will also clearly identify specific areas that will need to be improved in order to possess all of the qualities of a leader.

Before you decide who your next leader will be, make sure you have a clear understanding of what you want them to achieve as a goal. Also make sure that they match the qualities and characteristics of a good leader, and whether your individual will be a good “fit” with the team they will lead.

Take into consideration their characteristics, natural reflexes, and strengths to see if a person has what it takes to be a good leader!