What capabilities should a great leader have?
This question has bothered many for a long time (including those occupying leadership positions and aspiring leaders). Hence, that is why this article is appropriate for your reading.
Have you worked closely with professionals, especially coaches and mentors in the past? If so, you will agree that contrary to the assumption that “great leaders are born,” they are nurtured to become great leaders.
And as our environment and the workplace evolves, there will be new skills you need to develop to make you the best leader you could be. The skills will help you succeed in your leadership position and career.
So then,
What skills should a great leader possess?
In this article, we have assembled five indispensable capabilities of a great leader that will aid you in your career.
1. Demonstrate integrity
Integrity is the quality of having a strong moral principle and being honest to yourself and those around you. This characteristic remains an excellent leadership skill.
Why?
Because people love to work with leaders who have principles, leaders who are ethical since they will work for the interest of both their business and employees.
Employees must be able to comfortably approach you with any of their concerns. As a result, it is vital for you as a leader display integrity at all times. Your honesty will assist you to build trust with your customers and employees.
Furthermore, you will encourage team members and employees to demonstrate the same honesty and trustworthiness in the workplace.
2. Be accountable
A great leader is accountable for what happens at the company (that is both the failures and successes of your employees). To that end, be willing to accept responsibility for whatever the outcome of your business.
That’s why I love this quote:
“Every business makes mistakes. But It’s how you respond to your mistakes that makes all the difference. “
— Paul Dughi
It shows that things might not always go well in your business or organization. For this reason, the will be mistakes along the way. And when it does happen, how do you handle the situation?
- Do you blame others?
- Do you make excuses and hide from it?
- Would you willingly take responsibility for what happened?
In light of this, the above questions will put you in the right frame of mind and help you man-up to your responsibility, acknowledge the mistake, and provide the best solution to fix the problem.
3. Be a motivator
Motivation is a vital element in being a great leader. Why do I say so?
Because, as a leader, you have goals, mission statement, or vision for the interest of your company. Therefore, how do you make your team of employees work to accomplish your company’s objectives?
In this regard, no matter how you look at it, motivation moves people to the desired action. Considering this, it is your responsibility to become a motivator and inspire your team to work to achieve the common goal of your company.
Given this, whether you want to inspire others or to drive people to action, you need to develop motivational skill.
4. Develop self-awareness
In this competitive business environment, employees are looking up to their leaders–managers, CEOs, etc., to bring them closer to the company’s objectives. Therefore, to be efficient in your leadership position, you must develop self-awareness skills to aid you to bring the workforce together to achieve your aim.
You have to understand your strength and weaknesses, knowing that what you bring to the table can make or break your company. That’s where self-awareness comes in.
In fact, successful outcomes start internally. Due to this, when you are self-aware, that is, when you have a sense of who you really are, self-awareness will allow you to recognize oversights in your management activities.
It is all about being better informed. Accordingly, being self-aware will assist you in making better decisions and aid you to become a more effective leader.
Tips to boost your self- awareness
- Be open to new possibilities.
- Understand your strengths and weaknesses.
- Know your business environment.
- Request feedback from employees and customers.
- Recognize your limitations and set appropriate boundaries.
5. Relationship building
Building relationships are one of the best ways to set yourself up as a great leader and grow your business. In other words, links are the foundation of any successful businesses.
It enables you to build trust with partners and employees, improves your credibility, and helps fasten teamwork. Here are more reasons why you should develop relationship skills:
- Relationships enhance communication in the business environment
- Attract recurring business opportunities
- Helps you build brand awareness and promote your business
- Improves company culture and teamwork
- Boosts customer experience and satisfaction
Granted, it doesn’t matter how remarkable your business undertakings are. Without persistent and stable relationships, your business will NOT succeed.
6. Versatility in different areas of business
The era of having one set of skill and be comfortable with it no longer exists. The business environment has become more competitive–making companies and organizations to search for those who are versatile.
The more you get exposed to different job functions, the easier it would be for you as a leader to navigate the ever-changing business environment. As a result, you will be able to adapt to changing circumstances and provide value.
How to measure leadership skills
Do you gauge your leadership skills? Many believe that leadership skills cannot be measured. Are they right about that? Interestingly, you can measure your leadership skills to identify how qualified you are as a leader.
The most effective way to measure leadership capabilities is to quantify your performance in the primary areas that all excellent leaders are proficient.
The approach involves collecting information from team members, employees, and customers by conducting polls or surveys. Remember, when preparing your survey questions, make sure you ask the right questions and as simple as possible to enable you to receive the most responses.
Leadership assessment questions for measuring your leadership capabilities
The following questions will assist you to measure your leadership skills:
- Do you sincerely understand your industry and contribute to its overall improvement?
- Do your principles reflect the company’s mission and objectives, and in harmony with the company’s vision?
- Are you capable of building trust and credibility with partners, stakeholders, and employees?
- Do you demonstrate leadership presence, and are you comfortable working at all levels within your company?
- Can you motivate others to take action and build a formidable workforce?
- Do you have outstanding communication skills to communicate company message, listen, and provide feedback to team members when required?
- Are you a leader who is open to new ideas, suggestions, and can easily adapt to the latest trends?
- Do you have the ability and expertise to work seamlessly with employees of all levels to help your team succeed?
- Do you reward team members and employees for outstanding performance?
- How do you react when you receive constructive criticism from team members and others?
These are just a few questionnaires that will help you measure your leadership capabilities
What are the major leadership assessments every leader should take?
Let us consider a few leadership assessments:
- Clifton-Strength assessment – The Clifton Strengths assessment is among the most impressive and useful estimates every leader must take to discover more about themselves. It warrants you to know what you can sincerely do best and enable you to grow your strength.
- Energy Leadership Index Assessment – The Energy Leadership Index Assessment is a unique leadership assessment every leader should undertake. It offers you an overview of self-awareness and emotional intelligence. These are two major components of an excellent leader you must not ignore. Hence, circumstances or predicament awareness of yourself is paramount to empower you to respond suitably to those under you.
- The Leadership Circle Assessment – Leadership circle assessment is an assessment that calculates and offers leaders with feedback on how others experience and view their leadership. Like the Energy Leadership Index Assessment, it evaluates the two principal areas of leadership, namely, Creative Competencies and Reactive Tendencies. The result is that it helps leaders transition from reactive to creative leaders.
Wrapping up
Here we have covered the capabilities of an excellent leader, how to measure leadership skills, and the top-level leadership assessments every leader should take to boost your leadership skills.
Although there are many qualification levels to determine an outstanding leader, applying these tips will make you an active leader in the workplace. However, always remember that you have the power to nurture and develop each of these capabilities in yourself.
What did we miss to mention in this article? Please, tell us in the comments section!
