Good Leadership Qualties : A leadership list

Have you ever worked with someone that inspires you to do more than you think possible? The chances are that they are a good inspirational leader .

VISION-

• · A good leader should have vision-

• · it is the leader who makes the workforce team buy in to an organisations vision

• · People need to be impressed; they need to see your fervourand with that feel impassioned to join in.

• · ACTION! Without action the Vision will not be achieved- you need to be active and single minded in your efforts to inspire others- if not they will simply ignore you and your message

• · You should be able to motivate and inspire your team

Communication

• · Good Interpersonal skills- the ability to communicate with the workforce team rather than at them

• · Remember to Encourage staff to identify the way forward, rather than just tell them what needs doing

• · The ability to listen and hear what the workforce team are actually saying; rather than what you would like to think they are saying.

Integrity

• · Plain and simple. There is no outer veneer, what is on the outside in on the inside

• · Honest and trustworthy- the worker knows exactly where they stand, broken bridges in organisations are easily repaired

Dedication

• · The resolve to see the project through to the end

• · Recognise and applaud the achievements of your team, don’t take all the credit for work that they have produced.

Learning from my mistakes

• · The ability to learn from failure; whether it is a failed project of just something that could have been handled better.

• A good leader· Reflects on what they do or did; and what they can learn

Openness-

• · Exit your Ivory Tower immediately! You may have a separate office but you need time to talk to your workforce team,find out from the Grass roots what is actually happening.

• · Be approachable to all your team – Encourage conversation, but shut your door if you need to.

• · Know your staff, at least their names and preferably more, the doorman or the tea lady could be a good source of general information on staff moral on your team

Creativity-

• · A good leader is not stifled by constraints, they are able to think “out of the box” and find innovative solutions to problem

• · This does not mean run outside of rulesand regulations, it means doing the job with the rules and regulations intact.

Assertiveness

• · The ability to make decisionsas and when required

• The ability to make unpopular decisionswhich are in line with the bigger picture

Sense of Humour

• · The ability to laugh, often at yourself is necessary especially in those stressful moments when everything seems to be going wrong.

FRIENDSHIP

I did consider whether a good leader was also a friend and came upon a few difficulties. Whist I think it is good for a leader to be friendly, if he is your “best mate” how on earth will you take feedback from him, or even worse a reprimand. If you lose your boss you could also lose your friend. There is some thought that a leader who is your friend means that the workforce team will work harder when necessary in order to achieve the Leaders vision. What do you think?

Don’t worry if you have not got all of these qualities; but it is better to have a range of them rather than strength in just one area: we can’t all be perfect leaders!