The world is in dire need of leaders with impeccable leadership qualities, especially in business.
But what exactly is leadership? Why is it important in an organization? What leadership qualities must a person possess to be considered a great leader?
I will answer all these questions in this article. Let's get into it...
What Is Leadership?
Leadership has many definitions.
For the sake of this article, I will define leadership in the business context.
Leadership is about:
- Creating an inspiring vision for the business.
- Motivating and inspiring employees to engage with that vision.
- Making sure that the business achieves that vision.
- Effectively coaching and building a team to achieve the vision.
Let me break it down even further.
Creating an inspiring vision for the business.
Leadership is a proactive approach toward problem-solving, advance thinking, and not getting stuck in the present business situation. It's about creating a vision.
A vision is a realistic, compelling, and engaging depiction of where you want your business to be in the future.
Think of a vision as a compass that provides direction, establishes priorities, and gives a marker, so that business owners know they are on the right track.
Did you know that certain tools can help you focus on your strengths and create a vision for your company? Here are a few of them:
- Porter's Five Forces
- USP (Unique Selling Proposition) Analysis
- Core Competency Analysis
- SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) Analysis
You can use these tools to analyze the current situation of your company, and it helps answer the following questions:
- How will my chosen industry evolve?
- How do our competitors behave?
- How can I innovate?
- How can I shape my business and its strategies to win in future marketplaces?
Once you have developed your company's vision, you must make them compelling and convincing.
A compelling and convincing vision makes the people within a company see, feel, understand, and embrace it. How? Through inspiring shared values.
Motivating and inspiring employees to engage with that vision.
Having a company vision is just one element of leadership.
Leadership is also about inspiring and motivating people to achieve that vision.
There are ways to inspire and motivate people:
-
Expectancy Theory:
The expectation that hard work drives excellent results.
The expectation that excellent results mean attractive rewards or incentives. - Restating the vision by highlighting the benefits it will bring in and out of the company.
- Communicating the vision to your team attractively and engagingly.
Making sure that the business achieves that vision.
Leadership is also about management.
Managing the delivery of the vision by anyone responsible within the company is very important in great leadership.
One way to make sure that the delivery of the vision is well-managed is by using tools to measure success and tracking essential metrics.
Effectively coaching and building a team to achieve the vision
A team without leadership is impossible, and leadership without coaching is useless.
In any industry, individual and team development are essential activities. Coaching and building a team involves:
- Giving and receiving feedback regularly.
- Training and coaching people so they can become their best self.
One benefit of coaching and building a team is finding someone with excellent leadership potential that can someday lead a team.
Now that we have defined what it is, I want to dive into the importance of leadership in business.
The Importance Of Leadership In An Organization
If you haven't figured it out already, leadership is significant in any organization, especially in business.
Here are a few reasons why leadership is critical in your business:
- It motivates employees to work hard or even harder and meet company needs.
- It builds employee confidence.
- It creates a positive environment that is conducive to productivity.
- It aligns employee needs with organizational needs.
- It increases employee engagement.
"Fine! Leadership is important in my company, Tim." you might say.
I'm pretty sure that your next statement will be, "What leadership qualities must I possess?"
Well, let's find out...
Leadership Qualities You Must Possess
So it’s time to take an in-depth look at some of the necessary leadership qualities to make you a remarkable leader.
Honesty and Integrity
Honesty is the single most important factor having a direct bearing on the final success of an individual, corporation, or product. - Ed McMahon
I can't think of any successful leader who isn't honest and doesn't have integrity. I don't even know how anyone could be successful without these essential leadership qualities.
Honesty and integrity are vital in leadership because your employees will apply the same core values in performing their job.
If you want to be a successful leader, do the right thing even when no one is looking.
Confidence
He can inspire a group only if he himself is filled with confidence and hope of success. - Floyd V. Filson
Think about this - How will your employees follow you if you aren't sure about your own decisions and capabilities? They never will.
A successful leader is a confident leader.
Showing assertiveness and the ability to act in spite of your fear will gain the respect of your employees. Although, try not to be overconfident or cocky to ensure there's enough trust within your organization.
Ability to Inspire Others
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. - John Quincy Adams
The ability to encourage others to become better is not a simple task. It's one of the most challenging leadership qualities that anyone could ever have. It takes time to master.
Inspiring others is only possible when:
- You have a positive mindset.
- You set an excellent example yourself.
- You stay calm under pressure.
When you're able to show these qualities to your employees, then you become an inspiration to them.
Commitment and Passion
You have to be burning with an idea, or a problem, or a wrong that you want to right. If you're not passionate enough from the start, you'll never stick it out. - Steve Jobs
Passion is what differentiates a good leader from a great one.
Your employees will quickly look up to you as their leader if you have that burning passion and commitment to be great at what you do.
An excellent way to show them you're passionate is you getting your hands dirty. It will encourage your employees to give their best performance at work.
If your people can't see the passion in you, it will be very challenging to motivate them to achieve your collective goals.
Excellent Communication Skills
You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, your ideas won’t get you anywhere. - Lee Iacocca
Excellent communication skills are a must when we talk about leadership qualities.
As a leader, you must be able to communicate well to your employees. It will be impossible to achieve goals without clearly communicating your strategy to them.
Always remember that there’s power in words. They can motivate people. Communicate effectively, and you are well on your way to being a great leader.
Impeccable Decision-making Skills
Be willing to make decisions. That's the most important quality in a good leader. Don't fall victim to what I call the 'ready-aim-aim-aim-aim syndrome.' You must be willing to fire. - T. Boone Pickens
In business, decisions have to be made. You will have to make tough choices at times.
A great leader knows how to make the right decision at the right time. Remember that these decisions have an impact on your organization one way or another.
When a decision has to be made, make sure that you think about it long and hard. Once the decision is made, put your foot down and stand by it.
Accountability
Accountability is the measure of a leaders height. - Jeffrey Benjamin
Both good and bad things happen in any company. When they do, a great sense of accountability is necessary.
When someone in your organization, which means you included, commits a mistake, make it a habit that you realize it, and work together to improve.
When someone does something good, a pat on the back isn’t the worst thing.
Having accountability for your actions instills responsibility and professionalism within the organization.
Ability to Delegate Tasks
When you delegate work to a member of the team, your job is to clearly frame success and describe the objectives. - Steven Sinofsky
"If I want something done right, I need to do it myself" is not something a great leader ever believes. You cannot do everything.
You need to learn how to effectively delegate tasks to your people so you can focus on key leadership responsibilities.
There will be a lack of trust and a huge amount of unproductiveness if you don’t enlist the help of your team.
You also need to empower your people to do great at their jobs. Delegation and empowerment, when used together, will make a leader a great one.
Creativity and Innovation
Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower. - Steve Jobs
Creativity and innovation are leadership qualities that leaders must have to get ahead in today’s fast-paced world.
For you and your team to stand out from the competition, you’ve got to think out of the box and come up with unique ideas, and then turn them into reality.
Empathy
Leadership is about empathy. It is about having the ability to relate to and connect with people for the purpose of inspiring and empowering their lives - Oprah Winfrey
Empathy will connect a leader with the organization. It’s a leadership quality that lets you build a more personal relationship with your employees.
We all have problems. If you can soften these distractions by empathizing with people, they will feel a great sense of belonging and kinship with you.
In conclusion, a great leader requires excellent leadership qualities to drive an organization in the right direction, which most of us like to call SUCCESS!
Great leaders like Steve Jobs and Oprah possess these leadership qualities, and you might just become the next one if you learn to apply these qualities.
If you want to know more about how to become a great leader, check out the recommended resources below.
Recommended Leadership Resources
100 Answers to the Question: What Is Leadership?
10 Common Leadership Styles
11 Powerful Traits Of Successful Leaders
So what do you think about this article? Are you ready to become a great leader?
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