What Leadership Qualities Make a Great Leader?

Think of the great leaders you’ve worked for and with. What leadership qualities did they have?  Why did you respect them as leaders?

What Leadership Qualities Make a Great Leader?According to a recent article in Inc., leadership consists of a set of characteristics that include:

  •  empathy
  • optimism
  • forgiveness
  • altruism
  • eloquence
  • discernment
  • modesty

Yet, when you look at these characteristics, anyone can possess them, from the barista at your local coffee shop to the gas station attendant where you fill up your car.  Your mother-in-law might even have these traits, but it doesn’t make her a great leader.

Perhaps another way to discern the leadership qualities of great leaders is to look at what makes employees dislike their jobs.

When you look at the top reasons that people don’t like their jobs, they typically describe management problems rather than job characteristics. This Forbes article boils it down to:

  • problems with giving too many responsibilities and repetitive work
  • micromanagement, not being present and in the trenches
  • hiring and promoting people based on who is liked rather than talent
  • not giving employees a career path
  • meetings that aren’t productive
  • not being an equal
  • promoting their own success over their employees, and
  • not having and leading with a strong vision

Are Some People Born Leaders Or Are Leaders Made?

Behavior is how a person responds to their environment. The majority of the problems employees have with their jobs can be reduced down to management behaviors. That is good news because behaviors can be changed.

This means that great leadership qualities really are management techniques that can be learned.

While some people may implement these techniques more naturally than others, Magnovo has built leadership training to develop specific leadership qualities that are based on behaviors: listening and observing, communication style, and presence.

  • Presentation skills, voice projection, articulation, and connecting with an audience
  • Identifying what will motivate and bring the best performance in individual team members
  • Communicating with warmth, authenticity, and clarity
  • Confidence, conviction, and presence
  • Creative problem solving

Magnovo Training Group offers many options through our professional development services to discover and develop effective leadership styles. We offer workshops that promote and strengthen executive presence, master presentation skills, manage change effectively, resolve conflicts, provide effective feedback and strengthen decision-making skills. Our services are customized to meet your specific needs.