Leading is made even more difficult when you don’t know the qualities of a good or effective leader. You’ll wander through the leadership landscape wondering what you’re supposed to do next.
We all know that’s no good!
Sure, learning by trial and error is what many of us do, but it’s not the most effective way to lead. To lead effectively, we have to have a baseline of what effective leadership looks like.
Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash
That’s why you came to this article. You wanted to know how to be an effective leader. In this article, I will share with you 10 qualities of an effective leader. You can begin implementing these qualities into your leadership style today!
10 Qualities Of An Effective Leader
1. Humility:
The best leaders I’ve met have also been the most humble people. They know they’re good but they don’t have to brag, talk down to, or one-up others.
They walk humbly in their skill.
Be a leader who has the quality of humility.
2. Resilience:
Leading can be tough. You’ll be knocked down, knocked back, and knocked around. If you give up after a bump or two, you’ll be out of the leadership game.
Effective leaders learn to take the bumps and ride it out. They know they will get through to the other side.
Learn to lead with resilience.
3. Empathy:
Empathy is being able to understand how others are feeling. This is a great quality for a leader to have.
You will struggle to lead and care for others if you’re unwilling to understand their lot in life. The more you can understand the people you lead, the better you can lead in a manner that will get results.
Focus on the quality of empathy when you’re leading. You’ll find leading is less like herding cats and more like molding stallions.
4. Creativity:
A creative leader is a leader who sees new things. They take the idea they have in their mind and share it with the world.
Creativity is something we’re all born with. I believe it’s innate in us because we’re created by a creative God.
Use the creativity God has given you to be creative. This could be the ideas you come up with, how you solve problems, or how you reward your team.
Creative leaders can be extremely effective leaders.
5. Mentorship:
Who have been the most effective leaders that you know? They’re the ones that mentored you and helped you become what you are today.
So, how can you be an effective leader if you’re not a leader who mentors? I don’t believe you can without this quality.
Learn how to mentor others so you can be effective in producing new leaders.
6. Positivity:
No one wants to work for a Negative Nancy or Donnie Downer. The fact is negative people quickly bring down those around them.
Instead, focus on the quality of positivity.
You have a bright, optimistic outlook on the organization, your life, and others. You see the best in others.
Positivity will boost your effectiveness as you inspire others to be more positive.
7. Focused:
Having worked for leaders who were squirrel chasers, I’ve come to appreciate the quality of focus in a leader. This means the leader can cast a vision and then follow it to completion. OR call it off once they realize the vision is no longer valid.
A focused leader is steady, knows where he’s going, and gets the job done. This is why he or she is effective.
Don’t forget the power of focus.
8. Passion:
This is one I need to work on. Sure, I’m passionate about certain aspects of leadership, writing, and life but there are times when that passion doesn’t shine through.
Work on expressing your passion to those you lead. Find that thing that brings you to life. Then pursue it.
Let people see the pleasure it brings you. Get rid of that resting frustrated face. Put on a face that lets others know you’re doing what brings you alive.
9. Patience:
Leadesrhip is a long game, no matter what others tell you. Quick wins are great. They get movement. They start the traction you need. However, you’ll never affect lasting change if all you do is quick qins.
You have to play the long game of leadership. That takes patience. You have to push through, trudge across, and keep going when you don’t feel like it. You’ll also have to learn how to have patience with those you lead. They won’t react the way you believe they should, do the things you always want them to, or respond in an appropriate manner.
Patience is a quality every leader must have.
10. Integrity:
I save integrity for the final quality because I believe it is the most important quality a leader can have. A leader who lacks integrity is a leader no one should follow.
Integrity means you know what the right thing to do is and you do it. You don’t skirt around important issues. You take action according to what is right and just.
Be a leader of integrity.
Become An Effective Leader
As one of my favorite childhood cartoons used to say, “Now you know and knowing is half the battle.” You know the qualities of an effective leader. But are those qualities evident in your leadership?
If not, you’ve got some work to do. I have faith in you that you can change. You can become the effective leader who takes your organization and people to the next level. You can work hard and get things done.
If you already see these qualities in you, great job! You’re doing a fantastic work as a leader. You’re mentoring and growing new leaders. You’re being the leader others want to be. Keep it up.
Whether you’re in the first group or the second group, we all have work to do on ourselves. There’s always room for self-improvement. Take what you need from this post and apply it to your life.
