CHARACTERISTICS OF LEADERSHIP

CHARACTERISTICS OF LEADERSHIP

           Different people will have different ideas of what a great leader is like. There is no single mould to craft a leader, but leadership comes in all shapes and sizes. While great leaders can be found in a number of industries and walk their unique journeys to the top, there are certain traits and characteristics these great men and women often share. Whether you analyze leaders or ask people directly, the below set of qualities and abilities gets a mention.

1. Influencing Behaviour: Leadership envisages “the power of influence.” It involves an attempt to influence another group member. Chris Argyris says “Leadership is effective influence.” To influence is to cause some behaviour in another person. Some people are able to exert influence, hence they emerge as leaders.

2. A focused approach: Leadership deals with the implementation of a specific vision. This means a great leader is able to stay focused and ensure the team works efficiently towards achieving the objectives. A leader is the person who will guide the way and if the leader is unaware of where he or she is going, the team will quickly find someone else to follow.

A focused approach doesn’t just mean staying in touch with the here and now. Although it’s important the leader is always on top of what is going on, it’s essential to look ahead as well.

3. Personal Ability: Leadership is basically a personal ability and skill. It is a personal power which arises out of knowledge, experience and personality. According to Koontz and others, “It is the ability to induce subordinates to work with confidence and zeal towards the achievement of organisation goals.”

4. A decisive mind:

Leaders need to make decisions. If you aren’t able to decide between Plan A and Plan B within a set time frame, you are most likely doing something wrong: either you don’t have the knowledge to be a leader or you aren’t decisive enough to make a stand. No one has said leadership is easy.

Decision-making matters because leaders don’t often have the luxury of time. The business world moves fast and the leader needs to be always ready to make a judgment call on where to go next. 

5. ACCOUNTABILITY:  For accountability, an effective leader needs to follow the advice of Arnold Glasow when he said, “A good leader takes little more than his share of the blame and little less than his share of the credit.” A strong leader is accountable for the team’s results, good or bad. They hold themselves and their employees accountable for their actions, which creates a sense of responsibility among the team.

They give credit where credit is due, and take responsibility for blame when necessary. Being accountable and leading by example is one of the quickest ways a leader can build trust with their team.

6. Interpersonal Relation: Leadership involves group behaviour. It is interaction between a leader and one or more followers. It is a reciprocal relationship. In the words of Mary Follett points out, “A leader is not one who dominants the will of others but is one who knows how to relate the different wills so that they will have a driving force. Thus, a leader not only influence his group but is, at the same time influenced by it.”

7. All Managers are not Leaders: Managers are appointed and have legitimate power that allows them to reward and punish. In contrast, leaders may either be appointed or emerge from within a group. Leaders can influence others beyond the actions dictated by formal authority. They have personal capabilities to influence others.

8. HUMILITY. When it comes to leadership, it can be tempting to become enamoured with a new title or status. However, great leadership styles focus on problem-solving and team dynamics much more than self-promotion. A great leader will never be effective if they’re more concerned with themselves than with the well-being of their team. As Thomas Merton said, Being humble and vulnerable with their team members will make a leader much more relatable and effective.