Leadership is a concept that’s difficult to define but is universally recognized, and widely sought after. In every situation, a leader somehow emerges, intentionally or unintentionally. From the highest levels of diplomacy to your school’s student union, there are leaders everywhere.
The past few decades have seen detailed research on influential and highly effective leaders and gauging what makes them unique. Here are some common traits of good leaders that emerged from the findings.
Effective Communicators
The most important thing for a leader is to effectively communicate with others, whether they’re friends, employees, or peers. Through effective communication, a leader can communicate their ideas, thoughts, and beliefs to others and listen to what others have to say, and impartially judge what’s best for the greater good of everyone concerned. In addition, a leader should not shy away from attention and take charge when necessary.
Accountable
The next trait found among good leaders is their ability to hold others and themselves accountable for any mistakes. If you aim to make a difference as a leader or be an agent of change, you must be willing to ask for help when needed, admit your mistakes, and apologize to those around you. Only then will you be able to gain their trust.
Emotionally Aware
The most important thing to do when taking on a responsibility or a challenging task is to be emotionally aware enough to do a good job. A good leader should know themselves and evaluate whether they can lead and effectively perform the duty handed to them. Someone rational and can drive the mental state and emotions of others would be ideal to assume the responsibility of a leader.
Throughout history, influential and highly effective leaders were all more different than they were alike but shared some common traits that we can define as essential qualities.
