Behaviours of great leaders

Leaders are everywhere. They are those who manage our local supermarket, manage our hair salons, and make sure that our trains arrive on time. However, not all leaders are great leaders. Indeed, great leaders are hard to come by. After 30 years in the corporate sector, our founder Marlene has seen it all. She has come to realise that those rare few, who are really great leaders often share similar attributes. We thought we would share some this week!

The first core attribute of a great leader is compassion. Compassion is the care for others that allows you to inspire, empathise and build trusting connections with other people. Compassionate leaders are better able to respond to the needs of their team, and in turn ensure the best work outcome for their team.

A great leader is also self-aware. Leadership requires making tough decisions, and while you will mostly make the right decisions, sometimes you will misstep. A great leader does not point blame, or anger quickly. Instead, they are easily able to take stock of their strengths and weaknesses and in turn, more effectively respond to situations. Without understanding their own personal characteristics, leaders can expose themselves to inflated egos, and an inability to learn from their own mistakes – two traits that do not make a great leader.

In saying this, it is important for leaders to be both confident and assertive. As a leader, you may find that your confidence increases as you are given more tasks, or excel in ones that you are currently doing. It is important to ensure that this exudes to others as well through your manner of communication. Be assertive in what you believe is the right call to make, while ensuring you remain calm and positive. Good leaders communicate directly and clearly, and ensure that their message is heard.

Great leaders also have purpose. They are excellent goal-orienters. Great leaders can pinpoint realistic goals, and implement the actions required to achieve their outcomes. They are able to do so because they have a clear vision that drives them to succeed, and that is communicated effectively to all those in the business. A great leader remains committed to their purpose, even when the road to get there becomes difficult. They have the ability to inspire faith in the purpose and goal, to ensure their team remains empowered to continue to achieve.

These are just some of what Marlene has found to make a great leader. We would love to know your thoughts on what other qualities you believe make a great leader. Let us know in the comments below!