5 Leadership Qualities That Make You a Good Leader

From a very young age, we’re taught “always be a leader, not a follower.” I never quite understood what this really meant until I got older. Following the crowd will only get you so far in life, but if you really want to be successful, being a leader is key and there are certain qualities that make you a good leader

Whenever I thing of a good leader, I think of someone who is kind, understanding, resilient and personable. Someone who is trusted, a role-model and leads by example. Leaders are people we admire and yearn to be like because they make us want to be better leaders ourselves.

5 Leadership Qualities That Make You a Good Leader

Having Confidence

Confidence takes years to build, yet it is one of the most important qualities to have both in your personal and professional life. If you struggle with confidence, you may ask how does one just become confident? Well, it takes time and practice.

Everyone is good at something and the sooner we realize what skills we have that makes us special, we can really hone in on that and let our talents take us even further. Making a list of all the things you’re good at, what compliments your friends and family give you, what you like about yourself, etc., can really help put into perspective how much you have to offer.

There is nothing more admirable and refreshing than someone who is confident without ever being stuck-up or rude. Being confident comes with responsibility in knowing that you’re not perfect, but you do have a purpose.

Being Genuine

There’s no doubt that a leader is someone that others look up to. It’s almost impossible to be a good and effective leader without being genuine. Being truly genuine means you have the very best intentions for others and are always truthful.

I can’t think of a single good leader that is deceitful, a surface-level conversationist or is solely focused on their own agenda. A good leader really cares about others and what they go through. A good leader wants others to succeed and be happy.

Being Solution-Oriented

A good leader is not just someone others look up to, but someone they look to for answers. One of the best qualities in the workplace especially, is to be solution-oriented, meaning you look to solve problems instead of dwelling on them.

This take a lot of mindset work in the beginning as it can be easy to dwell or worry about things going wrong. But once you’re able to use logic and look past the failures, you’ll be able to see solutions so much more clearly.

Life is mostly about how we react to situations, not the actual situations themselves. Getting worried or worked up about problems only makes things worse and prevents you from thinking logically. Once you start to separate yourself from the situation, the easier it becomes to make decisions. A good leader handles this task very well.

If you want to improve your leadership skills, consider taking part in a servant leadership mastermind. This will not only enhance your skills even further but also contribute to helping your company scale.

Understanding

You simple cannot be a good leader without being understanding. One of the most crucial desires of humans is to simply be understood, so when a good leader shows a sense of understanding and says things like “I know what you mean,” “that makes sense,” “I totally get it,” etc, then people will feel more connected and respected.

Leaders should show examples of great qualities and want others to be better, but they should never portray themselves as BEING better. A good leader isn’t someone who is better than others, a good leader is someone who brings out the potential in others so they can become leaders themselves.

Being Empathetic

Perhaps the most important quality to have among mankind. Empathy. Having empathy is the ability to truly put yourself in other people’s shoes. The ability to feel without truly understanding. To know what others endure without having to go through it yourself.

You see, when you have empathy, you have the ability to set aside your own feelings, beliefs and confusions to see what someone else goes through. Because there is nothing more full-filling than being seen, heard, understood and cared for. Good leaders will always make others feel this way.

What other qualities make a good leader?

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