5 Great Traits of Leaders

February 17, 2018 best leaders , leadership book , Leadership tips , leadership training , qualities of effective leaders 0 Comments

By Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt, PhD

There is a common saying: “Some people are born with leadership and others have it thrust upon them.” Regardless of whichever the case is for you, at one point dear reader, you are going to realize that there is no way around it. Your skills as the leader behind a business big or small, will decide the future of your company and those of countless others besides. After perusing the biographies of the most successful leaders of our age, below are given the top 5 traits that you will need to learn and hone, in order to grow as a successful leader.

1.      Keeping your word

Keeping the promises that you make is not just a quality that makes a good leader, it is something that makes a decent human being. Don’t ever give your word on something you can’t deliver. People are counting on what you’ve said, and when things don’t work out, your image as a reliable leader will be damaged. Doing what you say, will breed trust among your workforce and increase their commitment and loyalty to you, the leader of their company.

2.      Practicing humility

Having worked under several bosses and managers throughout my life, I can easily pick out the people I admire the least through a single trait – they all were the kind of boss who though their every single word was right. As a leader it is natural for people to look up to you for answers. However, it’s not necessary that you solve every problem by yourself, especially when you’re confused about the right choice. Ask your employees for thoughts and suggestions. Soon you will see that they are being able to solve the small problems by themselves.

3.      Take a little less credit, and a little more blame

As team leader, you will steer the company along ups and downs along the road to success. As a general rule, whenever something goes wrong, it is the role of the leader to take a little bit more of the heat than he or she should. Conversely, a success should not be put solely on the shoulders of the leader – more of the glory should be handed to the team. Giving each employee their rightful recognition motivates them more than you taking too much credit.

4.      Be decisive

A confused leader, constantly doubting his actions and unsure of the right way to go is of no use to anyone. Like I said before, wearing the leader hat makes you an automatic go-to for all sorts of problems and queries. You’ll need to be able to judge the situation and make thoughtful, correct decisions in seconds. Of course, that doesn’t mean you’ll need to make all the decisions alone. Take into consideration the thoughts and opinions of your supervisors to help you make fast decisions.

5.      Become the leader you want to follow

This is the main attribute that makes a successful leader. Your decisions and behavior should turn you into your idol. There are so many successful people out there to follow their habits on: Jack Ma, Nelson Mandela, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, and so many more. The day you become your idol, is the day you truly embrace your success as a leader.

Dr. Paul Gerhardt is a tenured professor of management, diversity and leadership lecturer and the author of several publications available on Amazon.com, including Diversity at Work and the new Leadership Handbook. You can get your FREE COPY of the Leadership Handbook by clicking this link: http://bit.ly/LeadershipHandbook

Invite Dr. Paul Gerhardt to do Diversity and Leaders Training at your workplace!

Thanks so much for your valuable time.

Have a great day! Only YOU get to choose how you feel about it.

Kindest regards,

Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt, PhD