10 Characteristics of Strong Leaders

While strong leaders can succeed with different strengths, there’s little doubt that great leaders share several characteristics. Leadership skills are among the most important to develop if you wish to help your team grow and succeed.

You’ll find that you already possess some of these qualities and likely need to develop the others.

Strong leaders share these 10 qualities:

1. Integrity

Team members have to believe and trust in their leader. Can your team believe what you say? Do your teammates trust that you’re fully committed to the mission and to them?

Without integrity, no one will trust you enough to fully commit and engage with your vision.

2. Lead by example

Effective leaders know that they can bring the best out of others by setting a good example. If you want your followers to be committed, positive, and passionate, demonstrate those characteristics every day.

What are you currently communicating to others by the example you set?

3. Ownership mindset

Lousy leaders look to shift the blame when things start to go wrong. A great leader, however, knows that setbacks occur. He also knows that if failure occurs, it was ultimately his poor planning, vision, effort, or leadership that resulted in the poor results.

A strong leader accepts responsibility for the outcome, both positive and negative.

4. Visionary

To lead effectively, a leader must know where she’s headed. After all, you have to lead to a specific destination. Do you have a vision for the future and can you communicate that vision to others? Is your vision clear and easy to understand? Is your vision focused? Do you know where you’re going?

5. Strategic

You might know where you’re going, but do you know how to get there? Can you effectively share that strategy with the members of your team? Is your plan believable and achievable?

6. Great communication skills

The ability to share your vision is paramount to success. But, do you also listen to the feedback from your team throughout the journey?

Excellent leaders are strong communicators and continually work on over-communicating with the team.

7. Motivator

Impressive future results often require sacrifice and discomfort in the present. Are you able to inspire people enough that they’ll continue to follow you in the midst of adversity?

8. Coach

It’s important to develop others to become better leaders. A great leader takes the time to develop the skills of her followers. The more capable your followers, the greater the results you’ll ultimately attain.

9. Inspire confidence in others

If people don’t believe we’ll be successful, you won’t receive their best efforts.

10. Can deal with chaos

Chaos is inevitable when working on big projects with a lot of people. Things often go wrong. Team members have personal issues. There’s usually someone disgruntled. Plans change. The obstacles can pile up quickly.

However, a great leader knows how to calmly and purposefully deal with the unexpected and guide others through the resulting distractions.

In conclusion, great leaders have several qualities in common that you can learn and apply to enhance your leadership skills.

Ask someone to give you feedback on these 10 characteristics this week. You can also use this list as a self-assessment.

Review these qualities today and consider what else you would add to your own personal list.

How will you look for ways to further develop your leadership abilities this week?

Use Your Gifts!

Melanie Massey Groves and Brian Russell with MoCo: Leadership, Strengths, & Culture Coaching

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