Great leaders are the most memorable. They are remembered and admired for their own unique style and approach that supports innovation and initiative. They are also known for making the work place culture stronger and collaborative. When questioning candidates, they mention how having a great boss/leader to work with is one of the most important factors when looking for their next role. As said by John C Maxwell defining leadership, “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way”

Qualities…

Vision:

Great leaders have vision, they look to the future. They have a clear, exciting idea of where they are going and what they are trying to accomplish. This quality of vision turns leaders into transformational ones. While a manager gets the job done, great leaders tap into the emotions of their employees to see how they are getting on.

Honesty and integrity:

Without this, no real success is possible. Why? Because how can you expect your followers to be honest when you lack these qualities yourself? Leaders succeed when they stick to their words and they stick to their values and beliefs. Without ethics, this will not be possible. Promoting an honest and upfront workplace is something colleagues admire from leaders.

Confidence:

Leaders should be confident enough to ensure that others follow their instructions. In order to gain respect and understanding from colleagues, they will have to know what they are talking about and say it with confidence to be trusted. It also means respect that colleagues feel like they can confide in their leader and trust them on issues they might be facing at work, knowing that it would be dealt with confidentially and in the correct way.

Good communicator:

Until a leader clearly communicates their vision to the team and tell them the strategy to achieve the goal, it will be difficult to get the goal needed if it’s been misinterpreted. Words have the power to motivate people and make them go above and beyond their day to day duties. If words are used effectively, you can also achieve better results.

Focus:

Leaders always focus on the needs of the company and the situation. As well as this, leaders can see the great strength that must be achieved by themselves, by others, and by the company. Leaders would then embrace this and reward achievement. A good leader will call the shots and make sure everyone is focused and concentrated on the most valuable use of their time.

Courage:

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts”

One of the most important qualities of a leader, and for the leader to give their colleagues is courage. Having the quality of courage means that you are willing to take risks in the achievement of your goals. There is no certainty in the life of a business; every commitment made and every action entails a risk of some kind. A good leader will realise this, but continue to have the faith in colleagues.

Great leaders lead by example:

Good leaders must lead by example. By walking your talk, leaders then become someone others want to follow. When leaders say one thing, but do another, they erode trust. Which is why leading by example will truly earn the will of followers and they will reinforce this in the workplace.