Leadership is the ability to guide, motivate and inspire others towards a common goal. While leadership styles can vary greatly depending on the individual and the situation, there are certain characteristics that are essential for being a good leader.
A good leader possesses a number of personality traits and qualities that enable them to effectively lead others. These include:
- Visionary: A good leader has a clear vision of where they want to take the organization or team, and they are able to communicate that vision to others.
- Communicative: Good leaders are excellent communicators who are able to articulate their vision, provide direction and give feedback in a way that is clear and understandable to all team members.
- Empathetic: A good leader is empathetic, understanding and able to put themselves in the shoes of others. They are sensitive to the needs and concerns of team members and are able to provide support and guidance when needed. In our leadership course in Singapore, we define empathy as the ability to imagine and understand the thoughts, perspectives and emotions of another person.
- Resilient: A good leader is resilient and able to bounce back from setbacks and challenges. They are able to maintain a positive attitude in the face of adversity and are able to inspire and motivate others to do the same.
- Decisive: A good leader is decisive and able to make tough decisions when necessary. They are able to weigh the pros and cons of a situation and make informed decisions that are in the best interest of the organization or team.
- Collaborative: A good leader is collaborative and able to work effectively with others. They recognize the strengths of team members and are able to leverage those strengths to achieve common goals.
In addition, a successful leader is constantly learning and improving. They seek out feedback and are open to constructive criticism. They are always looking for ways to improve their leadership skills and to develop new strategies for success.
According to eminent Harvard University professor Linda Hill, becoming a new leader is about the fundamentals.
In the movie Black Panther, the character TChalla says to his father TChaka: ” I want to be a great king, Baba, just like you. Tell me how.”
First time managers and supervisors have to unlearn the deeply held attitudes and habits they had developed when they were responsible simply for their own performance.
Prior to a leadership promotion, most people work as an individual contributor and their contribution depends primarily on what they do personally, drawing upon their own expertise and actions. Leaders and managers, on the other hand, must see themselves as responsible for setting and implementing an agenda for the whole group. To use an orchestra analogy, they must move from concentrating on one task, as an accomplished violinist does, to coordinating the efforts of many, like a conductor.
A new manager or leader must engage in three fundamental kinds of learning: learning something new, changing one’s mind and changing oneself.
Additionally, they must understand the 5Rs of leadership transition and use them to guide their new leadership journey. Read the attached Straits Times article written by our Founder/Director Jaren Chan and join our leadership course in Singapore for a broader discovery of what it takes a to be great team leader and manager.
Straits Times – 5Rs of Successful Leadership Transition by Jaren Chan
Jaren Chan conducts a leadership class in Russia