The 12 Traits Of Effective Leadership For this complete guide we go over the essential qualities of a great leader. That sounds extremely scientific — and, in fact, the authors are backed by 75 years of research.! Whether you are an experienced leader or just beginning the path of leadership, anyone irrespective of their level in their organization can benefit from understanding how to emulate these qualities better.
Leadership isn't a position; it's a set of traits like resilience, respect, and influence that inspire and guide teams towards greatness.
What Defines a Great Leader?
Excellent leaders are not born; they become through experience, training, and purposeful action. Effective leaders, as defined by the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), share certain underlying characteristics. This posting explores the 12 important qualities that differentiate a leader from others.
- Self-Awareness
- Respect
- Compassion
- Vision
- Communication
- Learning Agility
- Collaboration
- Influence
- Integrity
- Courage
- Gratitude
- Resilience
So, now let's get to the other two qualities — what those mean and how you can develop them.
1. Self-Awareness
The Key to True Leadership is Self-Awareness This involves gaining awareness of your own personality, behaviors, and emotions. Leaders who have a high self-awareness may be able to see objectively the areas they are skilled, and the space where there is some work to do— this skill in fact translates into better decision-making with co-workers.
Self-aware leaders also have a better grasp on their own feelings and are more aware of others as well – below is some research we pulled from Harvard Business Review.
How to Improve Self-Awareness:
- Self Exploration: Reflect on yourself and your actions.
- Get Feedback — Request constructive feedback from peers and mentors.
- Self-assessment Tools: There are plenty of tools available like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) or the Emotional Intelligence Appraisal that can give you a sense of who you are and why you behave in a certain way.
2. Respect
Respect isn't a matter of not being disrespectful, it's about giving true value to other points of view as well as creating an inclusive place. Respectful leaders also gain trust, avoid conflicts, and promote a healthy workplace.
A Forbes article discusses the importance of respect in leadership and references a study by Harvard University that identifies that lack of it is the most significant reason for employee disengagement (Forbes).
How to Show Respect:
- Be an active listener: Listen to their feedback and communicate that you appreciate it.
- Appreciate the Contributions: Acknowledge efforts put in by your team members
- Promote diversity and create a place where every voice is heard
3. Compassion
It is not enough to simply be empathetic; compassion involves taking action that comes from understanding the experiences of other people. Compassionate Leaders: Develop trust Encourage collaboration Lower turnover
The University of California, Berkeley illustrated that compassionate leadership results to lower employee engagement and satisfaction (UC Berkeley).
How to Practice Compassion:
- Act on Concerns: If employees do share their concerns?
- Foster Growth: Develop your employees by aiding them in their careers.
- Establish a Safe Zone: Make sure there is open communication in your workspace.
4. Vision
Another vital reason a vision is crucial is so you can inspire others to support and assist in accomplishing the organization's desire. Leaders can inspire, and more importantly, set direction that connects these day-to-day activities to the long-term goals when they have a vision.
A McKinsey & Company report found that leaders who communicate a clear vision are more likely to achieve superior financial performance (McKinsey & Company).
How to Develop Vision:
- Establish Specific Goals: Determine what it is one hopes to achieve in the long run for his organization or team.
- Again- Just get it right and for God's Sake, Communicate that you got the Vision baby … — Ross Quaintance.
- Overlap Operations: Make sure that individual goals and day-to-day responsibilities are overlapping with the big-picture view.
5. Communication
One important leadership skill is good communication. It means not only telling but also listening and even more it is storytelling, adapting your message to suit the audience. Good leaders can create better connections through excellent communication and lead their teams to success.
According to a report on the Project Management Institute, being good at project communication is vital for your team's effectiveness (PMI).
How to Enhance Communication:
- Must practice Active Listening: Display interest in the conversation of others.
- Communicate Clearly - Avoid jargon and make sure your message is easy to understand
- Show the Color of Your CardsRed card, and share information openly as your foundation for trust and clarity.
6. Learning Agility
Learning agility enables us to adapt and excel in unfamiliar territory. These leaders who exhibit learning agility are soon to understand from their experiences and do well in innovative strategies.
Learning agility has been identified as one of the most critical predictors of leadership success and potential according to research conducted by the Korn Ferry Institute.
How to Build Learning Agility:
- Master the Unfamiliar: Look for something you want to do but have never done.
- Review Experiences: Gain from Triumphs and Failings
- Curiosity: Consistently learn new things and acquire fresh buzzwords.
7. Collaboration
Linked with the above, we must have strong collaboration to work effectively in diverse teams. Additionally, by promoting collaboration amongst these separate roles and experiences leaders can bridge those gaps which subsequently increases the level of innovation that can take place as well as team performance.
According to the Harvard Business Review, a collaborative team is far more likely to be innovative and output higher results than their non-collaborative competitors(Harvard Quee)
How to Foster Collaboration:
- Foster a Team Environment: Allow for opportunities where workers can teamwork.
- Appreciate Differences: Identify the unique things that everyone brings to the table in your team.
- Break Down the Silos: Encourage cross-functional teamwork and communication.
8. Influence
Influence is about getting others to follow you thoughtfully and authentically. Good leaders lead by example and use their powers to take the right path to ultimately arrive at completing goals instead of manipulating their way up.
The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) on its research highlights that being able to influence is one of the essential skills that a leader should have or develop, with it you will be able to provide guidance and motivate your team.
How to Enhance Influence:
- Develop trust in your leadership: Show them that you are going to be there for the long haul.
- Draft persuasively: Express your ideas in clear, strong terms to win support.
- RISK: Authentic — in fact, one of the top risks lies around being able to back influence with real intentions.
9. Integrity
Being Honest: Integrity is about honesty Integrity is important in conducting ethical practices and building a solid team culture.
Research done by the Ethics Resource Center found that ethical leadership was associated with increased employee trust and satisfaction (Ethics Resource Center).
How to Maintain Integrity:
- Transparency: Be open and candid.
- Stay True: Stay true to your principles and ethics.
- BE AN EXAMPLE: Show your integrity by doing the right thing.
10. Courage
It called for daring acts as well, and fights for just causes. The encouragement is that leaders who do show courage can indeed buttress the things facing them and create an environment of psychological safety.
The importance of courageous leadership in which employees feel safe to come up with ideas and that will make them able to unleash their creativity is empirically supported by some research the Centre for Creative Leadership has done.
How to Cultivate Courage:
- Speak Out: Unafraid to bring up problems or new ideas.
- Support Others- Encourage your team to take risks and speak up.
- Foster Psychological Safety: Establish an environment in which anyone can ask questions or seek help.
11. Gratitude
It is about seeing and valuing the work other people have done. This means that gratefulness must incorporate recognition of what you get from someone else, while at the same time coming to grips with how it got there in your hands (i.e., acknowledging those without whom you would not be where you are). Leaders who show gratitude can lift spirits, inspire action, and create stronger connections.
A study from the Journal of Applied Psychology found that simply expressing interest in gratitude at work can even improve job satisfaction and performance (Journal of Applied Psychology).
How to Practice Gratitude:
- Use Thank You: This means recognizing your teams throughout the year.
- Claim your wins: Acknowledge what you have accomplished and how far you've come.
- Cultivate a Positive Atmosphere: Instill an attitude of gratitude
12. Resilience
Resilience is the capacity to adjust and bounce back after facing a problem. Powerful leaders demonstrate optimism and guide their teams to robust commitment over obstacles.
At this point in my life, the research conducted by the American Psychological Association makes it clear to me, that resilience is a critical factor for effective leadership and organizational success (APA).
How to Build Resilience:
- Staying Happy: Just concentrate on how you can make it all work.
- Care For Yourself: Invest in self-care and stress relief.
- Lend a helping hand: Ensure your team sails smoothly to tackle challenges during sensitive times
Conclusion
True leadership is not a cookie-cutter linear blueprint but an interplay of multiple characteristics that can grow and evolve. Incorporating and developing these 12 critical characteristics such as self-awareness, respect, compassion vision communication learning agility collaboration influence integrity courage gratitude resilience will help drive the meaningful leader you always wanted to be.
Leadership is a journey, not yet another figured achievement. This means that you need to constantly improve yourself and be adaptable. Regardless of whether you are responsible for a small team or running an organization, these traits will enable you to forge stronger relationships; promote positive morale within your work environment, and motivate employees in the right direction.
Call to Action
Which leadership characteristics are the hardest to master for you? What do you think — leave a comment below or share your thoughts on social media using #EffectiveLeadershipQualities. If you enjoyed this article, please share it with a friend or co-worker who may find it helpful. Get more insights and practical tips on leadership & personal development by signing up for our newsletter or reading other articles?
