Transparency. Passion. Communication.
You know that they're all important traits of effective leaders. But are they the most important qualities?
Not according to a recent study conducted by The Alternative Board, which surveyed hundreds of entrepreneurs across the world to find out about their outlook for this year as well as more about their leadership styles.
The results might surprise you. According to respondents, positivity is the most important trait a leader can have, with 47 percent of participants citing that quality. Yes, positivity even beat out passion (27 percent), the ability to be personable (26 percent), and decisiveness (23 percent).
All right, so an optimistic outlook is important for being a strong leader. But what can you do to ensure that you're spreading those good vibes to your team? Here are a few key tips to be more positive in your leadership role.
Your team is made up of different people -- people who have varying capabilities and shortcomings. However, as the leader, you should make every effort to base your conversations on your team members' strengths, and not their weaknesses.
Not only will this make conversations more beneficial and demonstrate that you have a high opinion of your employees, but it can also serve to make your team that much more productive.
In fact, the Corporate Leadership Council discovered that engaging in a conversation that centers on an employee's strengths will improve performance by nearly 37 percent.
So focus on what your employees bring to the table, rather than on what they're lacking. While those tough conversations might still need to happen every now and then, making an effort to stay primarily zoned in on strengths will lead to a much more positive atmosphere for your team.
The workday gets busy. Your team is attempting to chug its way through a seemingly endless amount of tasks on your to-do list -- which means you don't often get the chance to step back and appreciate everything you've already accomplished.
However, continuing to do this is sure to lead to burnout for both you and your team. Your employees will begin to feel like they're never quite enough, which can throw a real wrench in your morale.
Make it a point to celebrate wins, make note of progress and accomplishments, and offer recognition to notable employees each and every week. Taking a break from the hustle and bustle to remind your team that you appreciate them will have a great impact on how you're perceived as a leader.
Need some convincing? A study conducted by Cornell University discovered that recognition has a hugely positive impact on employee engagement -- with 41 percent of the variation in engagement attributable to the strength of recognition an employee receives.
As a leader, it's your duty to oversee everything -- and that occasionally means pointing out places where balls are being dropped or things aren't up to par. It's all part of the job.
But here's the thing you need to remember: If you foster a reputation as that leader who just continually pokes holes in things without any resolution, you're bound to make your entire team a little frustrated and disheartened.
Rather than just highlighting flaws or shortcomings in projects or processes, also come armed with some sort of resolution. No, this doesn't mean you need to micromanage or do all of the thinking for your team -- nobody wants that, either.
However, if you can ask a thought-provoking question or provide a suggestion that gets the conversation rolling, your team is that much more likely to be productive and forward-thinking, instead of being discouraged and irritated.
Positivity is an incredibly important trait to have as a leader -- and the stats are there to back that up. Use these three tips to be more positive in your leadership role, and the morale of your team is sure to follow suit.
- Career development
- Leadership Traits: 10 Top Qualities of Effective Leaders
By Indeed Editorial Team
Updated July 12, 2022 | Published October 7, 2019
Updated July 12, 2022
Published October 7, 2019
Image description
A team meets in an office meeting room. A writing board is seen to the left of them, and the team sits at a large table in front of a wall of windows.
Exhibiting leadership qualities, like adaptability, can help you to excel at your job as well as advance your career. Developing leadership traits can also improve your professional marketability, whether you’re starting out on your career journey or looking for new opportunities.
In this article, we explain the 10 traits of an effective leader and how to develop them, plus list some less favorable leadership traits you should avoid.
What are leadership traits?
Leadership traits are essential qualities that make effective leaders in the workplace. Whether you are managing a team, a department or an entire company, these traits allow you to guide people and projects to success. The most important leadership qualities involve soft skills rather than technical knowledge or industry-specific experience, making leadership traits critical in nearly every occupation.
Top 10 leadership traits
To become an effective leader, you should strive to become an expert in your field and aim to cultivate essential leadership qualities. Begin with these 10 examples of leadership traits.
1. Accountability
The best leaders take full responsibility for their team’s performance, whether the outcome is good or bad. As a leader, you should aim to praise your team when they perform well and provide constructive criticism to help them improve. It’s also important for you to take responsibility when you have made a bad decision or done something unfavorable. We are all human and prone to mistakes, but effective leaders recognize their areas of improvement and are open with their team about them. Make a point of serving as a role model, and your team is likely to demonstrate accountability, too.
2. Adaptability
Experienced leaders understand that plans, schedules and even goals can change at any time. To become a strong leader, you should aim for a flexible approach that allows you to pivot as necessary. As you develop adaptability, you may also find that you develop related leadership characteristics, such as resourcefulness and problem-solving abilities. To improve your sense of adaptability, practice accepting and overcoming unexpected challenges rather than resisting them.
3. Confidence
As a key figure in a department or company, every leader should demonstrate confidence to instill motivation. Even when obstacles impact progress, you should strive to exhibit poise and conviction. Leaders who have this quality also tend to build trust quickly with their team and colleagues. Build confidence by practicing your presentations, anticipating the questions you might receive and preparing effective, helpful answers.
4. Creativity
The best leaders rarely follow established pathways or copy the routes others have taken. Instead, they embrace new ways of thinking and strategies that others have yet to try. As a leader, you should aim to prioritize creativity so you can experiment with innovative solutions and alternative approaches to reach goals. To improve your creativity, try thinking of different resolutions for issues you encounter before moving forward with a plan.
5. Empathy
Company leaders like executives, managers and supervisors work at a higher level than other team members. In these positions, you should always try to empathize with the reality that your team experiences so you can work together more easily. To understand your team members better, try scheduling informal meetings to help you acknowledge the challenges they face and the goals they want to achieve.
6. Focus
Focus can help you handle possible distractions while achieving major objectives. When you give your attention to the most important aspects, you can complete your biggest goals while managing your time and resources. Try scheduling alternating periods of work without interruptions and less intensive work where you can pause to address other issues. This strategy can help you to concentrate your attention as necessary.
7. Positivity
Quality leaders use positivity to motivate their team to achieve goals, do their best work and exceed expectations. To be an effective leader, you should exhibit positivity during difficult situations such as overcoming obstacles or delivering constructive criticism. For example, you can focus on the benefits of completing a major project instead of highlighting the hard work your team will have to complete in the process.
8. Risk-taking
Leaders regularly encounter risks, but they must know when to embrace a challenge and when to take a safe approach. To become a master at navigating risk, start by learning how to assess situations and compare pros and cons. Strive to make decisive judgments so that your team can readily accept and act upon your decisions. Try creating a flowchart with steps so you can evaluate situations and make decisions confidently.
9. Stability
Although leaders are charged with driving significant change, they also need a strong sense of stability. Taking a steady, reliable approach can allow you to keep your project, team or company on track. Establishing regular routines and telling your team what to expect allows you and your staff members to maintain energy and focus, even as you strive for constant progress. For example, set a weekly meeting to update your team on upcoming changes.
10. Team-building
Even the strongest leaders need dedicated teams to complete projects. To be an effective leader, you must know how to encourage teamwork and collaboration, inspire team members to contribute their best work and motivate colleagues to accomplish seemingly impossible tasks. You can incorporate team-building activities such as icebreakers and group outings to promote bonding and improve communication.
Related: The 5 Levels of Leadership: Definition and Tips
Traits of unfavorable leaders
Being an effective leader comes with time, experience and the motivation to grow. While the traits listed below may be effective in certain situations, they are overall considered to be unfavorable:
Unwillingness to change
Indecisive
Lack of accountability
Apathetic
Lack of integrity
Poor communication
Related: Understanding Leadership Concepts in the Workplace
How to develop the character traits of a leader
You may have some of these leadership qualities naturally, but you can also work to cultivate critical characteristics. Follow these five steps to develop the traits of an effective leader.
1. Prioritize learning and training
Aim to learn as much as you can to build new skills and hone key qualities. Make a list of areas that need improvement and methods that can contribute to your progress. Taking an online course or completing a training session could help you improve your leadership skills through structured lessons and activities. For example, if you need to improve your approach to teamwork, enroll in your company’s next team-building seminar.
Read more: Selecting the Right Resume Skills in 5 Simple Steps
2. Adopt a leadership style
Many prominent leaders create their own versions of the most common approaches to leadership. Get to know some of the most effective styles, and adopt one that works best with your personality, industry and goals. For example, consider a coaching style that centers on helping all of your team members become the best versions of themselves or try a visionary style that enables you to focus on driving progress through innovation.
3. Ask for more responsibilities
One of the best ways to practice leadership skills and develop key traits is to take on responsibilities that allow you to lead. Consider asking your supervisor to let you give an important presentation at a meeting or to handle an oversight role during your next project. Focus on advancing the leadership traits you need to improve to get the most out of your new responsibilities. For example, speaking for your team during a meeting can help you work on confidence while overseeing a project can help with team-building.
4. Improve your communication skills
The most effective leaders can speak and write clearly as well as listen to understand. Learn to communicate your mission and ideas verbally and in writing, focusing on providing the clearest message possible. You should also understand how to process feedback and suggestions to ensure an objective approach to problem-solving that emphasizes improvement. Since these skills are critical to a leader’s success, consider taking a class on professional communication to better excel in this area.
Read more: Communication Skills: Definitions and Examples
5. Learn from a mentor
Developing leadership traits can be made easier when you work closely with a superior you admire. Take advantage of any mentorship programs your company offers, and develop a relationship with a colleague who is more advanced in your field. You can also seek out a mentor independently through networking events or professional groups. Try scheduling monthly meetings to talk with your mentor about career development and strategies for leading in your field.
Read more: How To Find a Mentor in 5 Steps
How to showcase common leadership traits when applying for a job
Cultivating the qualities of a leader allows you to advance your career, especially when you are applying for a new job. From writing your resume and cover letter to succeeding in an interview, follow these steps to showcase different leadership traits during the job application process.
1. List leadership skills on your resume
The skills section of your resume can be the ideal opportunity to highlight the leadership traits you have mastered. List three of your best soft skills to showcase which leadership qualities you excel in the most. After each characteristic, include a brief explanation to convey how these soft skills translate to the workplace.
Example: “Skilled team builder: Oversaw three specialized teams and provided daily motivation, management and communication during a $10 million client project.”
Related: Resume Format Guide (With Tips and Examples)
2. Mention leadership characteristics in your cover letter
Since your resume largely focuses on professional experience and measurable accomplishments, your cover letter is your chance to discuss your soft skills in more detail. Take this opportunity to highlight your most valuable leadership qualities, and explain how and why these traits are relevant to potential employers.
Before writing a cover letter, review the job description and make a shortlist of the most important leadership traits for the position. Then include each quality in the narrative of your cover letter.
Example: “After moving into a managerial role and becoming responsible for vetting new projects, I mastered the art of risk assessment. As a result, the projects my team completed were overwhelmingly successful and generated average revenues of $10 million.”
Related: Writing a Cover Letter: Tips and Examples
3. Discuss leadership personality traits during your interview
When you advance to the interview stage, you have the opportunity to discuss your leadership qualities with your potential employer. To prepare, refer to your list of essential qualities for the position. Think of a few situations where you exhibited those traits at work. Memorize the key points, and be ready to share the best examples at opportune moments during your interview.
Example: “You mentioned that this role requires flexibility. In my previous position, I learned how to adapt by joining a team that had to pivot based on changing market conditions. This experience helped me become more flexible with my methods to achieve goals.”
Read more: 7 Common Leadership Interview Questions (And Sample Answers)
Related: How To Choose and Develop Your Leadership Style
Jenn, a career coach, explains how to choose and develop your leadership style and provides examples to help you identify which style is right for you.