Start And Grow Your Own Business
Starting and growing your own business is one thing. Managing and leading your employees once you’ve gotten a few years of business experience under your belt can be a whole different skill set. If you need some advice on how to be a better leader, read our article 7 Personality Traits That Define Leaders.
If you want help with creating strong leadership behaviors in your team members, schedule free consultations with an experienced coach. For now, here are seven traits that make great leaders.
1. Persistence
The ability to persist through setbacks. While you may not have all the answers and you might feel discouraged at times, there will always come a time when you’ll question your goals and ambitions. Be persistent. Work hard for what you want and don’t give up. Put in the work and keep going until you get it.
2. Integrity
Leaders set an example that others follow. They show that they are honest, dependable and trustworthy. As you conduct yourself, others should follow their lead. Honesty is a cornerstone of trust. People who can be trusted with positions of responsibility should be able to be trusted with people’s lives.
3. Self-discipline
Self-disciplined individuals will do whatever it takes to achieve goals. These traits include planning ahead, developing and maintaining good habits, and taking action without hesitation. Not everything needs to happen before getting started. You can put off important meetings or conversations. It doesn’t matter. Doing things properly means having done them well.
4. Ability To Learn From Experience
In today’s world, we constantly learn new information and technologies. We create knowledge and technology for ourselves so as not to lose out on market opportunities and future earnings. This mindset allows us to develop and improve skills. In order to become successful, leaders must continuously refine their competencies.
5. Good Time Management Skills
Managers spend most of their day away from home, so they need to be excellent time managers. When they are able to organize their activities around tight deadlines and other demands from their subordinates, then people tend to believe they are reliable and capable. Managers can establish routines that benefit both themselves and those they supervise.
6. Understanding Leadership Principles
Leadership principles are very important to every manager. Being a good follower does not automatically mean being a good leader. Many people think of leadership as one individual. However, while this is true there are many qualities in a leader that everyone should possess. Knowing leadership fundamentals gives one greater confidence making decisions. With these skills, someone would no doubt handle even the most difficult situations that arise.
7. Resilience
In business, it is said that change can never last forever. But we still need to adapt to changes and overcome difficulties. Change is life as long as it is necessary. A resilient person learns to accept change and sees the positive side of any situation. He or she perseveres despite obstacles in his way. His resilience makes him prepared for whatever challenges may occur along the way.
These qualities and behaviors certainly will not be present in every organization. The best way to get a sense of why great leaders are outstanding leaders is to observe real-life examples. By observing those around you – your co-workers, seniors and supervisors – you’ll begin to see patterns in leadership styles. There are certain qualities that are associated with success in our workplaces at large. It also helps to take time to reflect and identify your personal strengths. Then start incorporating these attributes into your daily life. Once you find a way to do it consistently, you’ll notice the difference in your behavior that your peers can’t seem to.