Are You a Good Leader in Crisis or in Prosperity?
The following contribution is from the Psychology Today website. The author is Gabriela Cora, M.D., M.B.A., who hosts the program «Dr. Gaby’s Take: Make Life Interesting.» She is a physician and holds a master’s degree in business administration.
The Different Criteria for Leadership Styles in Crisis and Prosperity
Seven years ago, I gave an international talk on crisis management to a group of national managers with experience in security.
One of the attendees asked me if there were psychological tests that could help predict which leaders would operate effectively in a critical situation and which would not.
My response was that no such test existed. She persisted: couldn’t the Myers-Briggs test help predict who would thrive or founder in a crisis?
I started to explain other, more effective ways when someone else in the group chimed in.
One of our top leaders said he’d been prepared for disasters his entire life, and when a disaster struck, he went blank and couldn’t think. Everyone fell silent.
He said that during the disaster, his boss looked him straight in the eyes and gave him very clear, direct orders: A, B, and C, and he was able to snap out of his daze and take action.
Different Skills
The skills a leader needs to guide people through a crisis are different from those needed to help a group grow.
Some leaders have a flexible style, allowing them to implement one style or the other depending on the situation.
However, most people tend to prefer one style or the other: a leader who faces the crisis head on or a leader who helps a group grow and thrive.
There’s no right or wrong; the only problem is expecting a leader whose strength lies in operating through a crisis to be able to grow a company or organization. Excellent crisis leaders display these characteristics:
- Quick and clear understanding of the situation: This leader tends to analyze the problem with a 360-degree perspective and knows, almost in the blink of an eye, what is happening. He or she knows what to do and takes care of what is necessary without hesitation.
- Resolution: In critical situations, these leaders evaluate options, but they know that time is of the essence. They cannot obsess over all possible options; they need to make the best decision in a limited amount of time.
- Clear communication: They communicate concisely and effectively about what needs to be done to resolve the crisis and do not spend too much time explaining the «whys» or «hows.» These leaders take a «give-the-speak» approach, often explaining to everyone their role, the desired goal or achievement, and the deadline for completing the work.
- Don’t dwell on the «whys» of things: During a crisis, there is little time to blame others for what has already happened. Since this is a time to act and solve the problem, there’s always time to analyze and learn the lessons after overcoming it.
- Commanding Presence: When these leaders take control, they don’t hesitate to follow them or not. People know their leader is decisive and has the ability to follow a specific critical thinking process with clarity and leadership.
Excellent leaders in times of growth display these characteristics:
- They take time to assess the current situation and the different growth opportunities: These leaders are not in a hurry, so they may take a little longer to analyze all the possibilities and opportunities.
- They seek consensus: In times of growth and prosperity, great leaders create groups of opinion leaders to brainstorm ideas and benefit from collaboration to find the best options and growth opportunities. Sometimes, this leader’s style may allow consensus to govern the group, but at other times, this style relies on more people offering options for the leader to choose from—options they would not have been able to generate alone.
- Clarity of mission and vision: While a great leader in a crisis is very focused on resolving the crisis, making this their immediate mission and vision for the future, they do not operate in the same way as a prosperity leader.
A leader whose task is growth has a clear mission for what is happening in the present and a clear vision for what must be achieved for a desired future.
The leader can be involved in even the smallest details (as Steve Jobs did) or can operate by delegating and regularly monitoring achievements.
Creating a sense of urgency without turning the situation into a crisis can add resilience to the ultimate goal.
- Time to Plan: An excellent leader who knows how to grow can establish a clear vision and suggest clear strategies, tactics, and activities to achieve the overall goal. They will help others take ownership of the process so everyone is actively involved in achieving that goal, including the how and why of a project.
- Time to Delegate: Although responsibility falls on both leaders, a growth-focused leader has time to delegate and hold delegates accountable for results, while a leader in crisis doesn’t have time to delegate certain tasks and requires communication from delegates almost immediately.
And you? Have you been a leader who has primarily operated in crisis situations or contributed to the growth of your company or organization? Have you ever been in a crisis? What was your work style? Do you know how to develop additional leadership qualities to become a better leader?
Are you prepared for the challenge of a recession? Here’s how to make sure you are.
The following contribution is from the IMD portal, which defines itself as follows: We are an independent academic institution with close ties to the business world and a strong focus on impact. Through our Executive Education, MBA, Executive MBA, and consulting programs, we help leaders and policymakers navigate complexity and change.
We support the transition to a new model that balances prosperity and growth with ecological sustainability and social inclusion. Sustainability, diversity, equity, and inclusion are part of our DNA.
And the author is Merete Wedell-Wedellsborg, Adjunct Professor at IMD
Merete Wedell-Wedellsborg is a clinical psychologist specializing in organizational psychology. As an executive coach, she has more than two decades of experience developing executive teams and leaders. She runs her own business psychology practice with leading clients in Europe and the United States, in the financial, pharmaceutical, consumer products, and defense sectors, as well as family offices. Merete is the author of Battle Mind: How to Navigate Chaos and Perform Under Pressure.
Our new normal turned out to be bleaker than many anticipated. Ask yourself these seven questions to find out if you and your team are ready to face the difficult road ahead.
The Signs Are All Around Us
Around the world, we are witnessing the harsh realities of war, trade tensions, rising prices, and falling consumer confidence.
At home, people are overwhelmed by gloomy headlines and struggle to connect with the problems of others. Even smokers who have quit are returning.
These are just a few of the comments that come up in my coaching sessions with business leaders right now:
“Things are going to be tough, maybe for a long time. I don’t know if we’re up to it, and frankly, neither am I.” “Lately, I need a strong cup of coffee in the morning before reading the news.”
“I even wear noise-cancelling headphones to walk my dog. I used to chat with other dog owners, but now I’m like, ‘Just get out of here.’”
It’s well known that crises create opportunities, but first, you need to make sure you and your teams are ready for battle.
Ask yourself these questions to figure out how to navigate a crisis:
- Are you willing to sacrifice privileges for a purpose?
In good times, we quietly accumulate benefits: flexible hours, performance bonuses, free food, wellness initiatives, and even in-office baristas.
But we also acquire certain freedoms and perhaps even a sense of entitlement as part of an unspoken psychological contract: Good times for us should also be good times for me.
In a recession, you need to readjust your contract.
Suddenly, your «non-negotiables,» like hybrid workdays and holiday parties, are up for renegotiation, and you may find yourself resisting them, either openly or secretly.
If the answer is no:
Holding onto privilege is a sign you’re not facing reality. Downgrade to arm yourself and focus on trading comfort for meaning.
Don’t slam on the brakes, but cut your benefits.
Reconsider why you accepted this position in the first place, how it connects to your purpose and values, and consider what matters most to those you serve: your customers, students, colleagues, and society.
A global consumer goods company, for example, reduced daily office benefits but doubled down on an annual «bring your family to work» day so employees could show their loved ones the work they do and why it matters.
Control what you can, reduce the noise, and focus on offering your core service, product, or advice.
- Are you open about your moments of doubt?
When fatigue and uncertainty take hold, we often find ourselves in a state of denial, acting on autopilot when what we need is time for introspection.
– Do you share your uncertainties openly with others instead of hiding in denial?
– Do you make decisions efficiently without over-deliberation?
Opacity fosters isolation, both for you and your team.
True courage isn’t projecting confidence, but identifying what’s unclear and being open about your vulnerabilities.
If the answer is no:
Overcome your pride and overconfidence.
By sharing your doubts appropriately, you normalize discomfort and invite others to open up.
Build on what has worked in past crises. Control what you can, eliminate the noise, and focus on delivering your core service, product, or advice to the best of your ability.
Team Brainstorming
Help people take responsibility for what feels overwhelming and delegate again if you notice you’ve started to «take over» everyone.
- Can you still resist the temptation to disengage?
Rising to the occasion isn’t something to be taken for granted.
You or your team members might feel a sense of paralysis.
Leaders retreat behind dashboards. Teams return to familiar routines.
The organizational pace slows. But disengaging isn’t the same as saving energy: it’s giving in to inertia.
If the answer is no:
Help people take responsibility for what feels overwhelming and delegate again if you notice you’ve started «taking over» everyone.
Look for signs of learned helplessness when people feel it’s «just not worth the effort» or when someone says, «Why bother? We won’t get there anyway.» Point out silences in meetings, missed follow-ups, lack of resilience, or canceled team seminars. Increase your presence, visibility, and vigor, and demonstrate commitment to challenges.
- Are you prepared for criticism and ridicule?
Winning is a hard habit to break. Success breeds more success, along with guilty pleasures like admiration, recognition, and prestige.
When the wind changes, you’ll soon discover that you’ve never made it past your final quarter, that your hero status has been shaken, and that your leadership authority is being questioned.
Behaviors once considered advantages are now considered disadvantages: your humanity, too bland; your strategic vision, too removed from the daily grind; and your inventiveness, a distraction from core performance. Prepare for your critics to become more visible.
If the answer is no:
Stand firm and connect with who you are as a person. Don’t seek applause.
Instead, show variety and nuance.
Demonstrate your attention to detail if you’re a dreamer, your penchant for action if you’re a thinker, and your empathy, even if you have a harsh tone. Criticism will come. Show that you can accept it and that you won’t back down. Be prepared to absorb it.
If you feel burned out in one area, you’re at risk in all.
- Do you have enough reserves to get by?
«Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked,» as Warren Buffett said.
This is true both emotionally and financially.
Crises require physical stamina, cognitive acuity, emotional capacity, and free time. If you feel burned out in one area, you’re at risk in all.
If the answer is no:
Focus on others, instead of coddling yourself.
Show appreciation for your colleagues. Recognize the unsung heroes in your system: the people who rarely get the spotlight but hold it together.
Giving appreciation isn’t easy; it’s a mutual benefit. Empowering others creates a strong bond and is immediately rewarded.
- Do you see a vision of a better future on the other side?
When you’re going through a difficult time, keep going. But if the road ahead seems hopeless, what do you do?
Leading through a recession isn’t just about surviving the storm; it’s about aiming for clearer skies.
If you can’t imagine a better future, neither will your team. People can tolerate hardship, but not hopelessness.
If the answer is no:
Don’t assume your teams have a long-term vision. Crises make us short-sighted.
A leader’s job is to set the course and see things from above: to distance themselves from the daily work of putting out fires.
Take some time to restate your goals or, if necessary, redraw the future and the roadmap to get there, even in the urgency of the crisis.
You’ll need more than simply «Let’s make it through the quarter.»
Clarify not only where you’re going, but why it’s worth going. People can survive difficulties, but only if they lead somewhere. Some teams disintegrate suddenly, but most quietly fracture.
- Are they really united in this?
Doubt about leaders, doubts about the strength and future of the company, or about oneself, quickly lead to high-profile departures, further undermining trust.
Crises test the balance between self-interest, self-preservation, altruism, and self-sacrifice. Fracture is never far away.
Some teams disintegrate suddenly, but most quietly fracture: a colleague withdraws, a high-performing employee quietly disengages, and a once-solid relationship begins to feel like a transaction.
If the answer is no:
During a crisis, our confidence and self-esteem tend to decline. There is no refuge in the strength of numbers, and mistakes are viewed more negatively.
Managing tension is essential to keeping a team together.
Prioritize renewing your commitment and professional promises.
Remind people, through words and actions, that their presence matters and that setbacks are part of your quest. That you see them. That they are not alone.
The hardest thing during a recession is constantly disappointing others.
Prepare for action. Acting in a recession requires very different discipline and dynamics.
Perhaps you need to change the image of success and how to achieve it.
Perhaps you need to change the composition of your team and renew your personal commitment.
An experienced crisis leader will tell you that you must build capacity and commitment before things get complicated, not in the middle of the crisis.
This applies to both you and your team. And as one of my clients says, «The hardest thing during a recession is constantly disappointing others.»
Saying «I don’t know» when others are looking for certainty. Leave comfort behind to protect what truly matters. When facing the next wave of disruption, don’t confuse firmness with silence or firmness with detachment.
Lead with honesty, with your own voice.
Think about your answers to the seven questions and read between the lines.
Look for hints of hope and be alert to signs of derailment and fracture.
If your answers contain too many «not really,» «maybe,» and «it depends,» then you need to act before it’s too late.
5 Traits We All Look for in a Leader During a Crisis
The following contribution is from Vanderbloemen’s website, which defines itself as:
Fulfill a Greater Purpose with Vanderbloemen by Your Side.
Every organization deserves a personalized approach to leadership. Our Houston-based executive search firm specializes in serving churches, schools, nonprofits, and values-driven businesses, emphasizing the importance of building, leading, and maintaining high-performing teams.
When teams go through a crisis, uncertainty, stress, and confusion often take hold.
In these difficult times, the team of a mission-driven organization looks to its leaders to stabilize the course and set the tone for their actions.
In short, they look for a leader who exudes peace.
A peaceful leader not only remains calm under pressure but also cultivates an environment where others feel supported, valued, and motivated to continue despite adversity.
But how does this translate into practice? Let’s analyze five universal traits that define a leader who brings peace and clarity during a crisis.
Predictability
When a crisis hits, everything is thrown off balance; nothing is as it should be.
In many ways, the unpredictability that comes with a crisis is the main reason teams withdraw and feel fear.
Especially if the problem arose from a staff member’s misconduct.
The leader’s antidote to this fear is simply to be predictable and reliable.
Do what you say, when you say you’ll do it. Simple things like: arrive on time. Be where you say you’ll be.
Only promise what you can deliver.
These are the pillars of predictability and an opportunity to further earn your team’s trust.
It may seem trivial, but one of the basic truths about humans is that we thrive on predictability, and a crisis completely eliminates it. To keep a team on track and calm in a crisis, being predictable can be the foundation of all crisis management.
Empathy
Crises often bring suffering in one form or another. When a leader can show empathy, or at least compassion, for those suffering, it will help guide and encourage others.
Think back to September 11, 2001. George Bush barely won the 2000 presidential election. But within weeks of the tragedy, the entire nation rallied around him. Most experts agree that the singular moment that cemented him as president for the entire nation was his megaphone address from the rubble of Manhattan.
He connected with the audience and their suffering. He connected with their anger. And he promised that he would lead the efforts to pursue and catch the perpetrators of the attack.
Regardless of what you think of the rest of his presidency, this could have been one of the most defining moments in presidential history.
When your team faces a crisis, how can you show empathy or compassion for those suffering?
Before launching into a plan, before launching into a speech of hope, take a moment to feel what your colleagues feel.
Connect with people’s feelings, and they will be much more likely to follow you.
Action (plan)
People hate uncertainty. It is one of the deepest fears of the human soul.
In our search work, it is obvious that part of the reason people hate hiring is because it is an adventure into the unknown. Whether it is the fear of death or the fear of moving, people hate the unknown.
In times of crisis, the leader’s responsibility is to provide certainty amid uncertainty. This might be the most unusual trait among leaders. A Gallup study revealed that only 39% of American employees «strongly agree» that their employer communicated a clear plan of action in response to COVID-19.
To be fair, this was a crisis where no one had any idea what to do. It was truly «unprecedented.» If you look back on those days five years ago, you’ll remember that every day brought a new challenge. Every day brought new uncertainty. And that made it one of the toughest seasons to develop a plan.
Here’s a secret to providing a clear plan that I’m learning later in life.
I used to think that having a plan for the future required a vision for the next five years. Not so. It really just requires the ability to see one step further than the rest of the team.
In the Psalms, David says that God’s word is a lamp to his feet and a light to his path.
I used to think that meant that by reading God’s word, you could see the future through the years. But if you study the text and the history surrounding it, you’ll see that David is referring to small flashlights that people wore in their shoes back then. The flashlight didn’t show a long-term vision of the future, but rather the next step.
If you look back at the 2020 pandemic crisis, you’ll see that the leaders who truly stood out were those who offered the best possible next step.
When a crisis hits, pray for the wisdom to see one step further than the rest of your team.
When a crisis hits, ask yourself, «What’s one step ahead that everyone else can see?»
Often, recalling past crises and how they unfolded will help you understand your current crisis.
Leaders’ Reactions to Different Crises in a Century
In attempting to distill the best leadership practices in a crisis, Gallup studied how leaders reacted to major crises of the past 100 years. There seems to be a congruence between what people need in past crises and future crises.
As Mark Twain said, «History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme a lot.»
So, as a next step, take a minute to study some recent crises in your organization and see what the best steps your team took during them were.
When your crisis hits, your best step will likely be similar to the best steps of the past.
Calm
Good leaders in crisis have the rare ability to «take a nap.»
One of my favorite crisis management stories in the Bible is about Jesus and his disciples on a boat at night.
A storm arose, and everyone panicked. Except for Jesus… who was asleep. Everyone else was filled with anxiety, but Jesus was napping. When they woke him up, Jesus rebuked the disciples for having little faith.
When a crisis hits, I don’t think your team wants you to take a nap, but I do think there’s a lesson here.
When things get dire and everyone else is desperate, good leaders radiate a calm presence. As a wise seminary president once told me, «Always remember the calm presence of Jesus. Imitate that calm presence in times of crisis. Remember it as if you were ‘taking a nap.'»
You Must Practice Calm
Teams in crisis are unbalanced and searching for calm everywhere. If you’re the leader, perhaps the most important habit to practice is calm. Take a nap. That may mean feigning calm for a while.
Whenever I’ve been through a crisis, I’ve felt anxious. But the old saying, «Never let them see you sweat,» really rings true in this case.
Breathing exercises help.
Prayer helps even more. In my case, I’m learning to practice the habit of remembering that, as believers, we’ve seen the end of the story. And it’s a good ending.
As Kipling wrote in his famous poem: «If you can keep your cool when all around you are losing it and blaming you… you’ll be a man, my son.»
When good leaders face a crisis, they all seem capable of taking a nap.
Elpizdo
Well, this is where I try to stay consistent. The quality people really look for in times of crisis is hope. But hope doesn’t begin with an E. So I borrow the word «elpizdo» from the Greek New Testament, and its meaning is «elpizdo.»
No matter what crisis lies ahead, your people are looking for hope.
Part of that hope will come from your calm. Part of that hope will come from your plan of action, part from your empathy, and part from your predictability.
But unlike the rest of the world, if you’re a Team Jesus leader, you have the sure and certain hope of the future.
When leading a team through a crisis, don’t mistake pointing out the certain eternity and the certain, uncertain hope of the resurrection for a truism. Rather, it’s your ace in the hole. Plus, it has the added advantage of being true.
Too often, leaders in crisis become so fixated on the present that they forget to remind people of the afterlife. The next time you face a crisis, don’t just talk about hope, talk about «elpizdo.»
If you’re not in a crisis now, you should prepare for one. It’s a reality of life. And if you lead a team, they’ll look to you to calm their fears, to bring certainty to an uncertain situation, to soothe fearful hearts, and to bring hope.
Focus on bringing peace to your team, and the rest will take care of itself.
20 Qualities of a Good Leader
The following contribution is from the CHAMPLAIN COLLEGE ONLINE portal, which defines itself as: Transforming Careers, Improving Lives.
As the online division of Champlain College, we have the great honor of transforming careers and improving the lives of students—both those seeking college for the first time and those seeking to complete degrees begun elsewhere—through active and applied higher education.
Authored by the team.
Contrary to popular belief, the best leaders are not born with innate leadership skills.
A leader’s strengths often develop as a result of hard work and a focused effort to hone those qualities.
Good leaders become better leaders when they seek opportunities to test their leadership skills, solicit feedback, and adapt as needed.
If you want to learn to be an effective leader, you need to know the most important leadership skills and take the necessary steps to cultivate them.
What defines a good leader?
There is no single definition or set of qualities that make a good leader. A person with exceptional leadership qualities may differ from another leader, but that doesn’t necessarily mean one is more effective than the other.
A good leader is distinguished by earning the respect of their team and being willing to contribute to the workload to achieve the group’s goal.
Strong leaders are vital, especially in a constantly evolving world.
From community organizations and volunteer groups to professional associations and corporations, effective leaders ensure that people work together cohesively to achieve their goals.
Know your leadership style
There are several distinct leadership styles, and as you begin to focus on developing your own leadership qualities, it’s important to know which leadership style best suits your personality and leadership position.
According to IMD, these are the most common leadership styles:
Transformational Leadership
If you’re a transformational leader, you probably seek to inspire your team to become the best version of themselves.
Transformational leaders emphasize positive change and progress.
Delegative Leadership
If you prefer a more direct leadership approach, you’re probably a delegative leader. Delegative leaders prefer to assign tasks to the team and give them the space they need to achieve their goals.
Authoritarian Leadership
Commonly confused with dictatorial or authoritarian leadership, the authoritarian leadership style isn’t actually as intimidating as it seems. An authoritarian leader acts as a leader or mentor and encourages their team to follow their example.
Transactional Leadership
Sometimes referred to as managerial leadership, this leadership style relies heavily on rewarding positive behavior and punishing those who don’t. It’s a structural and organized form of leadership commonly used in corporate settings.
Participative Leadership
Participative leadership invites all team members to participate in management.
As a participative leader, you likely involve your team members in decision-making. You will likely weigh various opinions before making a final decision.
Servant Leadership
Servant leadership focuses primarily on relationship building. If you tend to put the needs of the group before your personal preferences or desires, you likely identify as a servant leader.
You may discover that you don’t identify with one particular leadership style, but rather with a combination of several. By combining elements of one leadership style with another, you will begin to discover who you are as a leader. From there, you can cultivate the specific leadership qualities that will enable you to become an effective and impactful leader.
20 Leadership Qualities to Focus On
As you begin to understand who you are as a leader and who you want to become, you can begin to focus on the organizational leadership skills that will make you the most effective leader possible. Here are some of the skills sought in leaders across all fields and industries:
- Integrity
Naturally, integrity is one of the most important leadership qualities. According to the Center for Creative Leadership, integrity is particularly crucial for those who wish to hold an executive leadership position at some point in their career.
A leader of integrity is honest and draws on their own moral compass and values to make decisions for the organization. A person with a strong sense of integrity is motivated to do the right thing simply because it is right. They will make the same decision both in public and private.
People recognized for their integrity are also often considered respectful, approachable, fair, honest, and trustworthy, which is another reason why it is essential for truly effective and strong leadership.
- Self-Awareness
BetterUp defines self-awareness as the ability to be aware of how your actions, thoughts, and decisions impact others. A self-aware person knows they have a specific set of strengths and weaknesses. They can rely on their strengths to improve the organization and the team, and seek help to compensate for their shortcomings.
Self-awareness is essential for anyone in an organizational leadership position, as it allows them to recognize their own limitations. As a self-aware and emotionally intelligent leader, you will be able to recognize when you have enough responsibilities to manage and will delegate tasks to the rest of the team accordingly.
- Empathy
Empathy has never been more important, especially in an increasingly diverse multicultural world. An empathetic leader can recognize the feelings of others and will try to understand their perspective. According to Indeed, when you strive to be an empathetic leader, you will naturally forge stronger bonds with your team. Empathy is one of the best ways to cultivate professional relationships, as it allows you to be aware of others’ feelings and recognize how decisions made by leaders impact the team as a whole.
Corporations and companies across all sectors are discovering that empathetic leaders can create a better, more inclusive, and consequently more productive work culture. Empathic leaders make everyone feel valued within the team.
- Communication
To become an impactful leader, you must also work to become an effective communicator. Communication skills are one of the most sought-after competencies for professionals across all industries, as good communicators know how to work well with others.
A good communicator is someone who:
– Listens to others and understands their needs.
– Clearly and effectively indicates what needs to be completed.
– Delegates tasks.
– Uses appropriate technology to convey a message most effectively.
A leader with effective communication skills can be clear, concise, and organized in their management.
Additionally, they also have an open-door policy, letting the team know they are available to listen at any time.
- Active Listening
Active listening is a form of listening that goes beyond simply being willing to hear what someone says. According to the Center for Creative Leadership, a leader who also actively listens can understand what someone is saying, reflect on their points, and recall that information in the future.
To be an active listener, you must have the emotional intelligence to give your full attention to the person speaking to you. You must be fully present during the conversation and mentally record the points they share. This way, you can recall what they said in the future and trust their perspective when making decisions that will shape your group or organization.
- Growth Mindset
Leaders who have worked to develop a growth mindset tend to be more resilient, flexible, and adaptable. In the face of adversity, a person with a growth mindset doesn’t get discouraged. On the contrary, they feel empowered to face the challenge and overcome obstacles.
A growth mindset is the belief that people can change and improve, even when they make a mistake or suffer a setback. A person with a growth mindset knows they can continue to hone their leadership skills and abilities to become a better leader and a better version of themselves.
According to Understood, the opposite of a growth mindset is a fixed mindset. A person with a fixed mindset believes that their abilities—and inabilities—exist and cannot be improved or changed. With this in mind, it’s clear why the most effective leaders in today’s world have adopted a growth mindset and encourage their teams to do the same.
A growth mindset is the belief that people can change and improve, even when they make a mistake or suffer a setback. A person with a growth mindset knows they can continue to hone their skills and abilities to become a better version of themselves.
- Patience
Patience is more than a virtue; it’s a skill that can be improved over time. The best leaders are patient and understanding. They realize they aren’t perfect, and neither are their teammates, so they are willing to accept mistakes and encourage growth.
Being a patient leader doesn’t necessarily mean being passive or accepting slow results. Instead, it means being willing to gently guide and nurture those around you so they have the freedom to become the best versions of themselves in a positive and stimulating work environment.
- Optimism
The most admired leaders are known for their optimistic outlook. They can maintain a positive attitude in the face of adversity and genuinely believe that the organization will continue to improve over time.
While optimistic leaders can look on the bright side, it’s important to note that they don’t necessarily ignore negative experiences or frustrating setbacks. They acknowledge these situations, but they can view them from a positive perspective. They acknowledge a challenge, but see it as an opportunity to grow and improve.
As an optimistic leader, you can inspire your team to adopt a more positive outlook and focus on the positive aspects of any situation.
- Decision-Making
Decision-making is a fundamental component of good leadership, and the best leaders are able to make clear and fair decisions quickly. In fact, when you are in a leadership position, your team trusts you. You are the person they turn to for guidance. Therefore, they expect you to be able to make a decision that benefits the team and allows them to achieve organizational goals in the shortest possible time.
Those who have honed other leadership qualities, such as integrity, trustworthiness, and courage, generally make better leaders and decision-makers, and feel more confident making decisions for their organization.
- Transparency
Transparency has long been an important aspect of leadership. A transparent leader makes decisions without secrecy and is willing to explain why a specific plan has been implemented. Furthermore, a transparent leader is willing to accept feedback from those around them and take the necessary steps to adapt accordingly.
Transparency inspires trust throughout the team, as they understand why certain decisions were made and what the plan is for moving forward. By striving to be transparent, you are more likely to earn the trust and respect of those working under you.
- Accountability
Closely linked to the principles of transparency, accountability is fundamental to effective leadership. A great leader takes full responsibility for their actions and decisions, both their successes and their failures.
By being accountable, leaders create a work environment of trust and reliability, in turn setting a positive example for their team. This openness encourages team members to own their roles and feel confident in having support, even when mistakes are made. When accountability is prioritized, it strengthens the bond within the team and drives everyone to reach their full potential.
- Creativity
Creativity is another crucial quality of strong leadership. It allows them to think innovatively and approach challenges with fresh perspectives. A creative leader inspires their team to explore new ideas and fosters a work environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing unique perspectives. This quality often leads to innovative solutions, efficient problem-solving, and a culture of continuous learning. Leaders who foster creativity help unleash the potential of their team members, driving growth and improvement.
- Innovation
Connected to creativity, innovation focuses more on turning ideas into action. This key quality of a good leader involves constantly looking for ways to improve processes, products, or services, propelling the organization forward. They are willing to take calculated risks, experiment with new strategies, and implement changes that have the potential to transform their team or organization. By embracing innovation, a leader not only keeps their organization competitive but also motivates their team to adapt and grow in an ever-changing world.
- Resilience
Resilience is one of the most essential leadership qualities for those seeking to successfully face challenges. A resilient leader remains determined and optimistic in the face of setbacks, adapting to changes and leading their team through difficult times.
By demonstrating resilience, a leader shows their team that challenges are opportunities for growth, not reasons to give up. This attitude helps maintain team morale and keeps everyone focused on long-term organizational goals, even during periods of uncertainty. Resilient leaders inspire their teams to be resilient, resourceful, and adaptable—key qualities for overcoming obstacles and achieving success.
- Adaptability
Adaptability is one of the key qualities of a great leader. In an ever-changing business landscape, an adaptable leader is able to adapt strategies, adjust goals, and modify approaches in response to new circumstances. They remain open to change and willing to learn from unexpected situations, helping their team face uncertainty with confidence. Adaptive leaders encourage their teams to embrace change rather than fear it, fostering a culture of flexibility and continuous growth. This quality ensures that both the leader and their team remain resilient and effective, regardless of the challenges they face.
- Vision
Strong leaders have a clear vision for the future. They are visionaries, set strategic goals, and create a roadmap that others can follow. A visionary leader can inspire teams by articulating a compelling purpose and helping people understand how their contributions fit into the bigger picture. Visionary leadership fosters innovation, long-term planning, and growth.
- Compassion
Compassionate leaders care about the well-being of their team members. They listen carefully, show empathy, and take the time to understand the experiences and challenges of others. This quality fosters trust, boosts morale, and creates a supportive work environment where people feel valued. Compassion in leadership also helps approach difficult conversations with sensitivity and respect.
- Collaboration
Good leaders know that success is rarely achieved alone. They prioritize collaboration by encouraging open communication, valuing diverse perspectives, and promoting teamwork across departments or disciplines. Collaborative leaders are skilled at building consensus, resolving conflicts, and aligning people around common goals, which ultimately drives better results and stronger relationships.
- Courage
Courageous leaders are willing to take risks, challenge the status quo, and make tough decisions when necessary. They don’t shy away from difficult conversations or unpopular decisions if it means doing the right thing. This type of leadership inspires trust and demonstrates integrity, especially in the face of uncertainty or adversity.
- Gratitude
Gratitude is an often overlooked, yet powerful, leadership trait. Leaders who express appreciation for their teams cultivate a culture of recognition and positivity. When leaders acknowledge efforts, celebrate wins—both large and small—and give credit where credit is due, they build stronger connections and motivate teams to continue performing at their highest levels.
Become an Effective Leader at Champlain College Online
At Champlain College Online, we are proud to offer a wide range of degree and certificate programs designed to help students pursue their passions and achieve their career goals. Our Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership is perfect for enhancing your leadership skills and laying the foundation to become a manager or leader in your organization. Regardless of your career path, it is important to enroll in a college that offers a values-based education focused on developing leadership qualities.
Request more information about Champlain’s degree programs and learn how to become a valuable team member and an effective leader, regardless of your field or profession.
Leaders: Is Everything About You? Check Yourself for These Warning Signs
The following contribution is from the IDEAS.TED.COM website and the authors are: About the Authors
Frances Frei is a professor at Harvard Business School. She recently served as Uber’s first female Senior Vice President of Leadership and Strategy to help the company overcome its leadership and culture crisis. Frei regularly works with companies undertaking large-scale changes and organizational transformations, including embracing diversity and inclusion as a lever for improved performance.
Anne Morriss is the founder of The Leadership Consortium (TLC), an organization dedicated to building inclusive executive teams and preparing emerging leaders for leadership roles. For the past 20 years, she has advised entrepreneurs, companies, and governments in the United States and Latin America on strategy, leadership, and organizational change. She’s also put her own theory into practice: as CEO of GenePeeks, she oversaw a computational genomics company that developed innovative methods for identifying disease risk. Morriss also serves on several nonprofit boards, including IGNITE, which champions the need for more women in public office. She’s the co-author of Uncommon Service: How to Win by Putting Customers at the Core of Your Business and Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leader’s Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You, and the co-host of Fixable, a TED Audio Collective podcast that helps participants solve their workplace problems in 30 minutes or less.
Leadership requires you to be attentive to the needs, skills, and potential of others, and to respond quickly and strategically to those signals.
But when it’s all about you, that’s practically impossible.
Here are 10 warning signs that you might be getting in the way of your own leadership and turning self-distraction into a habit:
- You rarely think about what others are experiencing.
The path to empowering others begins with curiosity about what they think, feel, and do. If you focus primarily on your own experience, you’re still far from the emotional launching pad of leadership.
- You don’t ask many questions.
A measurable indicator of your interest in others is the number of questions you ask, or at least want to ask. If this isn’t an impulse you feel very often, you may be stuck in your own head.
The good news is that the remedy is practical (take heart, inquiring minds!), and there’s a reward for trying: people tend to become more interesting the better you get to know them.
- The most interesting thing about others is what they think of you.
We all care about what others think of us. This is different from caring so much that you become disinterested in all other thoughts others may have. If you can’t maintain a genuine interest in other people’s ideas, even those that have nothing to do with you, then you haven’t yet earned the right to lead.
- You constantly update a catalog of your own weaknesses, limitations, and imperfections.
A noisy inner critic can be a huge distraction from your leadership practice. Follow our friend Arianna Huffington’s advice (TED Talk: How to be successful? Get more sleep) and get rid of that annoying roommate in your head, the one who makes up negative stories based on dubious data.
- Other people’s abilities bring you down.
When you’re in a state of effective leadership, the strengths and potential of those around you become your greatest assets. If your main reaction to others’ abilities is to feel worse about your own, you probably need a healthy break from the leadership journey. Do what you need to nurture yourself (and stay off Instagram).
- You’re constantly in crisis.
The human experience is full of moments that require immediate and unwavering attention to oneself, also known as «crises.» There’s no limit to how many of these you can have in a month, a year, or a lifetime, but if your numbers are far higher than those of your peers, you’re probably not well-positioned to lead them.
- You’re pessimistic about the future.
Leadership is based on the assumption that tomorrow can be better than today. If you struggle with that romantic notion, if you dismiss it as rainbows and unicorns, we suggest you try something different. Despair is the opposite of leadership.
- Reality has become tedious.
When you practice leadership regularly, the world is a magical place, full of progress to be made and human potential to be unleashed. It’s a red flag if it’s been a while since you’ve marveled at the infinite possibilities around you.
- Apathy and helplessness are dominant emotions.
You may have experienced these feelings quite sincerely, but leadership requires you to be in touch with your own initiative and ability to influence your environment. It requires you to know your own power so that, among other things, you can show it to others. If you don’t feel it, for whatever reason, you won’t be able to achieve it.
- You are the star of your own show.
If this phrase can be used to describe the way you navigate the world, then you’re not in the leadership game. Period. Those of us who crave leadership will eventually change the channel.
How many of you on this list identified with?
Leadership, at its core, is not about you. It’s about your effectiveness in empowering others. Period. That’s it.
The working definition we use in our work is that leadership is about empowering other people as a result of your presence and ensuring that impact continues even after you’re gone.
We are academics and writers, coaches and business builders, optimists and (on our best days) action-makers. It has been a privilege to work as change agents in some of the world’s most influential organizations—companies like Uber, WeWork, and Riot Games—and with some of the world’s most inspiring business leaders, like Jen Morgan at SAP, Doug McMillon at Walmart, and Bozoma Saint John in, well, any space he chooses to enter.
But at our core, we are educators. We believe our greatest duty is to current and future generations of leaders willing to give their all and build a better world.
As a leader, your job is to create the conditions for those around you to become increasingly effective, to help them fully develop their own capacity and power. And not just when you’re in the trenches with them, but also when you’re not present and even after you’ve permanently left the team.
Leaders must be intentional about distributing power and decision-making rights
and then take full and unconditional responsibility for the outcome.
Other people make decisions every day, and your job is to make sure they get them right, that their decisions reflect the organization’s vision, values, and strategy.
When we shared our red flags with leaders, we found that most identify with at least some of them.
To be clear, if you identify with any of those signs, that doesn’t disqualify you from leadership.
Keep in mind that we’ve all become stars of our own show at some point.
But it does mean that you could improve as a leader if you start thinking more about how to empower others.
So, try assessing your own leadership.
Recall a team you’ve been on, one you’ve spent real time on (at least three months).
Ask yourself:
– What happened to the performance of others after you arrived?
– Did it go up or down?
If it was flat, negative, or simply not as pronounced as you thought possible, think about the decisions you made as a leader and teammate.
– What could you have done, big or small, to improve your team’s performance?
The purpose of this reflection exercise is to begin taking responsibility for the experiences of others, which is the central decision of empowering leadership.
Of course, there are factors that can affect performance that don’t affect you—externalities that may be beyond your control.
Your Ability to Create the Conditions
The key is to grasp the idea, however delusional it may seem, that everything depended on your ability to create the conditions for others to perform. If this level of responsibility feels uncomfortable and unreasonable, you’re doing the exercise correctly.
One way to activate your best thinking is to write down the answers to our questions. We’ve guided thousands of executives through this exercise, and the sheet of paper in front of them is never blank. We’ve all missed opportunities to make an impact, for one reason or another.
And here’s where it often gets interesting: Why did you miss the opportunity to fully empower another person, team, or organization?
The answer we hear most often is that, in some ways, you did it for yourself. You became introspective rather than extroverted, directing energy toward your own hopes and fears, rather than those of your team.
For some, the decision to lead has sometimes seemed too presumptuous or risky. Recognizing your capacity for improvement can require courage, and refusing to accept the status quo can have financial or political costs.
If you have a pattern of hesitating when faced with a leadership opportunity, we suggest you put in the time. What’s been holding you back?
The truth is, we’re all prone to prioritizing safety, which is incredibly helpful for getting through the day (not to mention surviving the human experience). However, if your goal is to lead, you’ll eventually have to give up some of that safety, at least sometimes.
Our advice is to take the risk of making other people the heroes of your leadership story. Sometimes protecting ourselves is the right decision, but often we’re poor calculators of personal risks and benefits.
In our experience, most people can handle far more exposure than they realize, and almost all underestimate the meaning that leadership brings to their lives. In exchange for the anxiety of flying without a safety net, you can travel to unimaginable places.
Excerpt with permission from the new book «Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leader’s Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You» by Frances Frei and Anne Morriss. Published by Harvard Business Review Press. Copyright © 2020 Frances Frei and Anne Morriss.
Signs You’re Ready to Be a Leader… and Some Signs You’re Not
The following contribution is from the Medium portal and is authored by Padraig Coaching, which defines itself as follows:
In 2012, Padraig began as an executive coaching firm, offering exceptional one-on-one coaching to leaders seeking to improve themselves.
Since then, we’ve grown to include programs to build more cohesive leadership teams, coach-led peer-to-peer leadership programs that bring together leaders from diverse industries for shared growth, and leadership development programs used by client organizations across North America.
Recently, at a cocktail party, someone asked me if I thought they should try for a leadership position as a Team Manager, which had just become vacant following the departure of their boss. This would make them the leader of the team they’re already part of.
I asked them what appealed to them about becoming a team leader, and the list of positives included:
– It would give me visibility.
– It would give me a voice in the bigger picture.
– It would give me a raise.
– It would free me from some of the tedious tasks I have to do now.
– It would make me more attractive to the job market.
– It seems like the next logical step.
So I asked, «What are the downsides?»
This person thought for a moment and said, «Good point! I don’t see any downsides, I should give it a try!»
I couldn’t help myself; I had to offer some one-on-one coaching during that cocktail conversation, so I said, «Hmm, possibly, but may I make an observation?»
«Sure!» came the reply.
«When you mentioned the benefits, none of them had to do with people management.»
«Oh!»
I mentioned that while it seems this person is ready for a change and is looking to become more involved in the running of the business, I’m wondering if looking for a position whose primary duties are encouraging, supporting, guiding, and training staff is the ideal fit at this time.
I shared that, as an executive coach, several of the people we work with struggle, in part because they were very good at something, were promoted to lead others who were doing the same thing, and now don’t enjoy the work.
Or they really wanted to lead but realized they needed more tools to succeed in a new leadership role or during a difficult time (you can read more about how we’ve helped leaders on our testimonials page).
Then I said, «I’m not saying you should or shouldn’t apply; that’s your decision. But I encourage you to reflect on what the job is like on a day-to-day basis and decide if it excites you. Perhaps you could contact your former boss and ask what the job was like.»
My suggestion was enthusiastically accepted: «That’s a great idea, I’ll do it!»
Since having this conversation, I’ve been reflecting on how someone knows if they’re ready for a leadership role—a job in which you lead and manage other people—and I’ve come up with a list of signs that you’re ready for leadership and that it might not be the right time for a leadership role.
Signs You’re Ready to Lead Others
Your colleagues appreciate and respect you because you’re responsible and professional.
It’s fine to be jovial and the life of the party, but good leaders are appreciated not only for their friendliness but also because they have the tools to develop an executive presence.
You’re interested in how the organization works, both formally and informally, and have ideas about how it could be better, stronger, and more successful.
You enjoy learning about yourself and others: what motivates you and what motivates them.
Your colleagues come to you for advice and see you as an informal leader in the organization.
You tend to give others the benefit of the doubt, at least the first time. You assume people want to do a good job.
You’re a relationship builder.
You know people from other departments and have gotten to know clients and colleagues. You know how to foster connections and how to encourage successful teamwork (and how to address team conflicts).
You’re a great listener.
You listen to understand rather than to respond. When your colleagues come to you with problems, you help them find a solution that works for them.
You’re comfortable handling criticism.
You’ve had good and bad managers and have learned important lessons from both.
Signs a leadership position might not be right for you right now:
You want the job because it pays better, has a corner office, or a fancy title.
Leading others can be rewarding and also frustrating. On frustrating days, few leaders say the salary or a bigger office makes up for it.
You think employees are generally lazy, dishonest, or entitled.
You’re uncomfortable having frank and open conversations with people about their job performance and personal issues that might be affecting their performance. You’d rather avoid the truth than talk about it.
You believe the leadership in this organization is incompetent.
You thrive on telling people what to do.
– You want someone fired, and getting this job is the way to do it.
– You struggle with expressing your opinion.
– You always share it because you usually know better than anyone how to do things right. You prefer to talk than to listen, and silence makes you uncomfortable.
Remember, if you’re not ready for a leadership role right now, you can prepare by working at it, if you want to.
Leadership can be learned, and there are many links above to our previous blog posts that will help you (and sometimes a lateral career change makes sense in the meantime).
Stay tuned for our next post in two weeks, where we’ll give you great tips on how to incorporate a coaching approach into your leadership style once you’ve gotten promoted.
And perhaps even more importantly, remember that being a leader or manager isn’t for everyone. If it’s not for you, look for other influential roles in your organization that don’t require leading others but that leverage your strengths. If you look hard, you’ll likely find influential roles that don’t require formally leading others.
Coach Questions
What motivates you to be a leader or not? Whether you want to or not, try taking on a leadership role now. What can you do to prepare for the next step in your career?
12 Essential Qualities of Effective Leadership
The following contribution is from the Center for Creative Leadership website, which defines itself as follows: We have been working for over 50 years with people and organizations who, like us, believe that leadership isn’t about titles or roles. It’s about growth, purpose, and the ripple effect that begins with self-awareness and expands outward.
Our approach is research-based, context-aware, and designed for the future.
Whether you’re developing first-time managers or seasoned executives, we help you create the conditions for people to lead successfully.
The people and organizations that believe in them are what we stand for and with whom we stand in solidarity.
A good leader must possess integrity, self-awareness, courage, respect, compassion, and resilience.
They must be agile learners and wield influence by communicating the vision, showing gratitude, and collaborating effectively.
Discover how these key leadership qualities can be learned and improved at all levels of your organization.
What are the Characteristics and Qualities of a Good Leader?
Leaders shape our teams, organizations, communities, and the world.
We need good leaders to guide us and make the essential decisions, big and small, that drive progress.
Our society is often quick to identify a bad leader, but how do we identify a good one? What would most people say are the qualities of a good leader?
What is Good Leadership?
Based on decades of research and experience working with leaders from thousands of organizations around the world, we have found that the best leaders consistently possess certain fundamental qualities and skills. Here are 12 essential leadership traits.
Self-Awareness
Respect
Compassion
Vision
Communication
Learning Agility
Collaboration
Influence
Integrity
Courage
Gratitude
Resilience
- Self-Awareness
Self-awareness is the understanding of oneself, including personality traits, behaviors, anxieties, and emotions.
While this is a more inward-focused trait, self-awareness and humility are core leadership qualities.
The better you understand yourself and recognize your strengths and weaknesses, the more effective you will be as a leader.
Do you know how others perceive you and how you conduct yourself at work and at home? Take the time to learn about the four aspects of self-awareness and how to strengthen each component.
- Respect
Respect, when consistently demonstrated, is one of the most important things a leader can do. It helps alleviate tension and conflict, builds trust, and improves your effectiveness.
Creating a culture of respect goes beyond the simple absence of disrespect. Respect can be demonstrated in many different ways, but it often begins with demonstrating that you truly value the perspectives of others and striving to foster a sense of belonging in the workplace—both critical components of a healthy workplace culture.
- Compassion
Compassion is more than simply showing empathy or even listening and seeking to understand. Compassion requires leaders to act on what they learn.
After sharing a concern or speaking up about something, you won’t feel truly heard if your leader doesn’t take meaningful action, our researchers have found.
This is the foundation of compassionate leadership and helps build trust, foster collaboration, and reduce employee turnover in organizations.
- Vision
Vision is your aspiration for the future. Motivating others and generating commitment to it are essential parts of leadership. Purpose-driven leaders make sure to connect their team’s daily tasks and the values of each of its members with the overall direction of the organization.
This can help employees find meaning in their work, which increases engagement, inspires trust, and drives priorities. You’ll want to communicate the vision in a way that others understand, remember, and share.
- Communication
Communication manifests itself in many ways, from conveying information and storytelling to soliciting feedback and using active listening techniques.
The best leaders are skilled communicators who can communicate in a variety of ways—both orally and in writing—and with a wide range of people from different backgrounds, roles, levels, geographies, and more, because leadership and communication are intertwined. The quality and effectiveness of communication among your organization’s leaders will also directly impact the success of your business strategy.
- Learning Agility
Learning agility is the ability to know what to do when you don’t know what to do.
If you’re a fast learner or excel in unfamiliar circumstances, you may already be learning with agility. But anyone can foster and increase learning agility through intentional practice and effort. After all, great leaders are great learners.
- Collaboration
Collaboration is a characteristic demonstrated when leaders work effectively with diverse colleagues from different social identities, locations, roles, and experiences.
As the world becomes more complex and interconnected, good leaders find themselves overcoming boundaries and learning to work across various types of organizational divisions and silos.
When leaders value and embrace collaboration, whether within their teams or cross-functionally, several benefits emerge, including greater innovation, higher-performing teams, and a more engaged and empowered workforce.
- Influence
Influence, or the ability to persuade people through the intelligent use of appropriate influence tactics, is an important characteristic of inspiring and effective leaders. For some, «influence» may sound inappropriate. But as a leader, you must be able to influence others to get the job done; you can’t do it all alone. Influencing is very different from manipulating and must be exercised with authenticity and transparency. It requires high levels of emotional intelligence and trust.
- Integrity
Integrity is being consistent, honest, moral, and trustworthy, and it’s an essential leadership trait for both the individual and the organization.
It’s especially important for senior executives, who chart the organization’s course and make countless important decisions. Our research has shown that a leader’s integrity is a potential blind spot for organizations, so be sure to reinforce the importance of honesty and integrity among managers at all levels.
- Courage
Courage enables both team members and leaders to take bold steps that drive progress.
It can be difficult to speak openly at work, whether it’s expressing a new idea, providing feedback to a direct report, or raising a concern with a superior.
That’s one of the reasons courage is a key leadership trait: it takes courage to do the right thing! Leaders who promote high levels of psychological safety in the workplace allow their teams to speak freely and share sincere concerns without fear of repercussions. This fosters a coaching culture that supports courage and sincerity.
- Gratitude
Gratitude is the uplifting emotion experienced after receiving something valuable.
Being grateful can lead to higher self-esteem, reduced depression and anxiety, and better sleep.
Sincere gratitude can even make you a better leader. Yet, few people say «thank you» regularly at work, even though most say they would be willing to work harder for a grateful boss.
The best leaders know how to show gratitude frequently at work.
- Resilience
Resilience is more than the ability to bounce back from obstacles and setbacks: it’s the ability to respond adaptively to challenges.
Practicing resilient leadership means projecting a positive outlook that will help others maintain the emotional strength needed to commit to a shared vision and the courage to move forward and overcome setbacks. A good leader focuses on resilience—both self-care and prioritizing employee well-being—enabling improved performance for themselves and their teams.
3 Core Truths About the Traits of Good Leaders
At the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL)®, we’ve spent nearly six decades researching the characteristics of a good leader and the role of leadership. Here are three of our core principles about good leaders and effective leadership.
Good Leaders Are Made, Not Born
First and foremost, we believe that leaders are made, not born. In other words, leadership is a skill that can be developed. Good leaders are shaped through experience, continuous study, intentional effort, and adaptation.
Therefore, you can strengthen any of these 12 characteristics of a good leader by being open to growth, using your experiences to drive development, and dedicating time and effort to self-improvement.
Similarly, organizations can help their employees hone these key leadership qualities by providing ample training opportunities, support to learn from challenges, and access to coaching and mentoring programs.
Leadership is a social process.
It is also critical to recognize that leadership is less about a single strong or charismatic person and more about a group of people working together to achieve results.
If you demonstrate several of the characteristics of a good leader but don’t understand this key point, you likely won’t get very far on your own.
You may be well-liked and respected, but it will be difficult to achieve the team’s or organization’s goals. At CCL, we like to say that leadership results are based on creating direction, alignment, and commitment (DAC) within a group.
Good leadership never stops.
Furthermore, we believe that leadership is not a destination, but a journey; it’s something you’ll need to work on regularly throughout your career, regardless of the level you reach in your organization or the sector in which you work.
Different teams, projects, and situations will pose different challenges and require different leadership qualities and competencies to succeed.
Therefore, you’ll need to be able to continue applying these leadership characteristics in different ways throughout your career. Just keep learning and growing, and you’ll be an agile learner with a long career path.
How to develop and cultivate the qualities of a good leader
Organizations can strengthen leadership qualities and foster greater engagement at work by offering diverse on-the-job learning experiences, mentorship, and professional development opportunities.
At CCL, we have numerous award-winning leadership solutions with clients around the world, and we would be honored to work with you and your organization.
But people don’t have to wait to start strengthening these leadership characteristics.
If you decide to proactively work on developing your leadership qualities and skills, download our action guide and visual summary of this content. And get our tips for convincing your boss to invest in you and your future. We’re here to support you every step of the way on your path to leadership excellence!