“I suppose leadership at one time meant muscle; but today it means getting along with people” Mahatma Gandhi
Here we are at the last 5 essential qualities to be a good leader. The introduction to these 25 qualities was only a starting point, because my next articles will delve even further into some of these qualities and other topics around leadership and management.
The last 5 qualities to develop to become an effective leader:
- Self-discipline
- Knowledge of technologies
- Empathy
- Learn agility
- Curiosity
Self-discipline
If you’re like me, it’s not always easy for you to get started. When I’m at home, I have a big tendency to procrastinate when I have to accomplish tasks that don’t motivate me. As I am not a manual person and I hate this type of task, I will find all means to do something else. Even doing the dishes and cleaning the bathroom interests me more than wielding a hammer and a drill.
However, when I start, I don’t stop until the task is accomplished. My wife, after 25 years, knows this very well and she gets out of the way and smiles watching me go.
As a leader, you will set the tone and be the person everyone looks to accomplish an action, continue a process or pursue a mission. Even more important, you will be an example to follow.
One of the favorite activities of employees is to evaluate the actions accomplished by the leader or manager. If employees see you wasting your time and not working on the right priorities, how will you be able to manage excessively long breaks, absenteeism or non-productivity? How will you maintain your credibility and the respect of the people who follow you?
The majority of the time, there will be no one to motivate and monitor you when you are in a leadership position so the motivation to do the right actions, at the right time, must come from within.
Knowledge of technologies
The majority of the essential qualities to become a good leader that we have covered so far are based on your soft skills. It is also important to reiterate that you do not have to know everything and be able to accomplish all tasks when you are the leader of a group.
However, to become an innovator and have a clear vision of the possibilities available to you and the best decisions to make to achieve your goals as quickly and efficiently as possible, you must know technological tools. No need to read everything about new technologies, but at least listen and learn about what could help you in the current situation.
Some interesting examples to explore:
- Artificial intelligence is completely revolutionizing administrative tasks
- 3D printers can manufacture several parts from different materials
- Virtual reality allows the simulation of true situations without danger and without impact on our environment
It is possible that none of these technologies apply to your reality currently, but it is very likely that you could improve or eliminate certain tasks that you or your team perform daily with the help of technology.
Small interesting note on the new generation of workers entering the job market. They were born with a computer in their hands and are often more aware of new technologies. Great opportunity to practice your active listening and humility ☺.
Empathy
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. This is an essential quality for being a good leader because it allows you to put yourself in the shoes of your group members to see their perspective of the situation. Being empathetic gives you a more “human” image which will increase the level of trust of those around you and thus facilitate collaboration and open communication.
This is an important quality to have to help you manage conflict. Empathy allows you to better understand the positions of all concerned parties and, with the help of your rational and positive attitude, will allow you to make the best decisions to remain consistent with the values of the team and provide individual support.
No one likes dealing with conflict, but it’s much easier when stakeholders know you can mediate it with judgment, discernment and understanding.
Empathy must also be a pillar for building the foundations of a positive culture within the team. If everyone follows your lead and interacts with empathy, you will find it easier to attract and retain your talented employees, improve job satisfaction and encourage effective cooperation.
Learn agility
We often think of agility in sporting contexts. In this context, this allows athletes:
- Performance improvement
- Reduced risk of injury
- Better responsiveness
- Increased movement efficiency
- Strategic advantage
- Improved coordination and balance
- Development of mental abilities
- Versatility and adaptability
- Improved self-confidence
Almost all of these elements can apply to leading in the context of work or influencing a group. An essential element for a leader is to be able to make decisions as quickly as possible with the information available to them. The leader must be able to identify opportunities and dangers to adjust the strategy on the fly.
Reading through the list, one theme that stands out is continuous improvement. Basically, improvement, in the long term, requires several small cumulative actions in the short term. An agile person will be able to optimize small gestures and adjust the next step based on the current situation to optimize the final result.
Agility must be physical meaning through action, but the leader must also be very agile in his communication. Very often, during conversations with your team, discussions could destabilize you or affect you emotionally. You will then have to be skillful in adjusting and finding an appropriate response.
Curiosity
This quote is quite clear. Our ultimate goal, as the leader of a group, is to move things forward and achieve a common goal. To do this, the team must progress, which therefore brings us back to the importance of curiosity.
Is it possible…
- to be innovative if we are not curious about the opportunities available to optimize our performance?
- to solve problems if we are not curious about potential solutions?
- to place the emphasis on listening if we are not curious to know more about the members of our group?
- to delegate if we are not curious about the strengths of our group members?
- to know the technologies if we are not curious about these tools?
Developing curiosity in your teams encourages collaboration and teamwork. Asking questions and listening to the ideas of others promotes knowledge sharing, stimulates creativity, improves performance and ensures the collective success of the organization.
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This therefore covers the 25 essential qualities to become a good leader. As mentioned at the beginning of the article, future articles will cover some of these qualities in more details or other subjects related to leadership and management.
Need help improving your leadership skills or building a culture of caring leadership? Do not hesitate to contact me. I will be happy to listen to you and provide you with the tools you need for the future.
Always remember: how does your mood impact your performance and overall attitude? Imagine if all your employees or collaborators were happy…
Carl-Michael Tessier
Coach in high-performance team development and tailor-made support
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