16 Personal and Managerial Qualities of a Good Leader

Traits/Qualities of Good Leadership

As we look, leadership is the ability to inspire and influence other behaviors. It is the ability to motivate others to accomplish pre-determined objectives. For this, a good leader must possess several leadership qualities, traits, and skills.

A leader does and shows the way how to do work to his team members. But I mostly love the way John Quincy Adams states, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, and become more, you are a leader”.

Organizational performance totally depends upon the ability of the manager. A manager is a leader of his middle and lower-level managers. There must be leadership qualities in the manager to produce a tremendous impact on subordinates’ performance and behavior.

Here, we look at 16 leadership qualities that make good leaders and that are necessary for the success of both personal and professional life. To become a great leader, you must have good personal qualities and managerial qualities too.

Top 16 Leadership Qualities That Define A Good Leader

• Physical Fitness
• Self Confidence
• Intelligence
• Vision and Foresight
• Sense of Responsibility
• Human Character
• Optimistic Outlook
• Flexible Attitude
• Technical Knowledge
• A Moderate State of Mind (Patience)
• Organizing Ability
• Motivation and Communication Skills
• Human Relation Expert
• Wider Perspective
• Ability To Judgement
• Knowledge of Psychology (Empathy)

Here, we look at these qualities of leadership in two ways, the first is the personal qualities of a good leader and the second is the managerial qualities of a good leader.

Let’s understand,

8 Personal Leadership Qualities of a Good Leader

8 personal leadership qualities or skills of a good leader are as follows:

Physical Fitness

A leader’s physical attitude is defined by his or her physical fitness. A leader must be in good physical shape. In terms of appearance, he should be impressive. Only a healthy and fit individual can devote his or her complete energy and effort to his or her profession. A physically fit leader can boost his mental stamina, which is essential for successful leadership.

Also Read: Staffing Function of Management: Definition, Objectives, Process, and Importance

Self Confidence

Self-confidence is the certainty of one’s own judgment and behavior. A leader must have faith in the task he or she is doing. He should be aware of the results of his decisions and actions.

He must guide and lead his subordinates along with the most passionate courses of activity as a leader. As a result, he must make judgments on his own, demonstrating to his subordinates that he is capable of doing things better.

Intelligence

A leader’s mental trait is intelligence. A leader must be capable of boldly dealing with complex and challenging problems and situations. A leader should be able to study, evaluate, and make confident decisions.

When new or difficult challenges develop in the organization, he should never be perplexed. He must use logical analysis and study to address a variety of challenges.

Vision and Foresight

A leader must be able to put his vision into reality in front of his subordinates. To go to the destination, i.e. to achieve goals, a leader’s skill is required. A leader must have the vision and foresight to know how to get started and achieve the goals that have been set.

He must do it by systematically preparing strategies, policies, and processes. He must lead his followers by offering clear direction and instructions so that the objectives can be met in the hereafter.

Responsible

This leadership quality emphasizes the need for a leader to be responsible. He must believe that he is morally responsible for all activities that occur under his supervision. He should not hold his subordinates responsible for his mistakes as a collective.

In general, a leader conducts a variety of tasks with the assistance of his subordinates, and mistakes may occur during this process. And it is the leader’s moral responsibility to admit to such errors.

Also Read: The 3 Levels of Management – Top, Middle, and Lower

Human Character

First and foremost, a leader must be a man of integrity. Honesty, loyalty, self-discipline, and devotion to the company are all attributes that a leader should possess.

These attributes of a leader establish an example for subordinates, who might use their leaders as symbolic figures to create their own character. A leader with these characteristics may easily urge and inspire his employees to follow his directions and guidance.

Optimistic Outlook

A leader must be an optimist rather than a pessimist. In challenging situations, he must be able to confidently take initiation. He must be able to face the hardest situations with courage and determination.

An optimist leader may confidently manage his or her subordinates and carry out corporate goals quickly and effectively. As a result, a leader’s upbeat attitude motivates his or her followers to achieve common goals.

Flexible Attitude

As Lao-Tzu said, a tree that is unbending is easily broken.

A dynamic or flexible leader is required. It is commonly understood that the social environment changes over time. An effective leader must be able to adapt to changing circumstances.

He must shift himself according to the time and situation in order to be adaptable. In some cases, he must change his decisions and accept the facts and suggestions of subordinates in order to make the best decision possible.

8 Managerial Leadership Qualities of a Good Leader

Besides, personal qualities, a leader must have leadership qualities or skills related to various functions of the organization. And, that is a must for success in the workplace.

Technical Knowledge

A manager must have a fundamental understanding of all of the organization’s activities. Only an experienced leader can technically direct subordinates to the most efficient execution of specified tasks.

He must also be able to persuade subordinates of his understanding and provide them with appropriate direction. As a result, technical expertise is required to make the best option possible at the correct time.

A Moderate State of Mind (Patience)

A leader’s ability to maintain patience when making decisions is highlighted in this leadership talent. A leader is a decision-maker who must have a cool head.

It is critical to make a sensible judgment that is free of bias and emotions. When making decisions, a leader must be patient. He must be able to assess the consequences of his actions.

Organizing Ability

This leadership quality focuses on the leader’s capacity to organize. He should be able to set up the physical infrastructure and current technology in accordance with needs. He must develop clear, productive relationships with all of his subordinates.

Related: What is Organizing? Definition, Features, Principles, Process, and Importance

He must make every effort to keep the personnel in sync. This is necessary in order to increase productivity while keeping costs and effort to a minimum.

Motivation and Communication Skills

These leadership skills are required to initiate and maintain a smooth flow of information to subordinates. An effective leader must be able to motivate others. He must be able to persuade his subordinates to put up the full effort. For this, he must understand his subordinates’ wants and requirements, as well as use relevant motivational methods at the proper times.

A leader must also have communication abilities in order to keep in touch with subordinates and other authorities. He is responsible for ensuring that the organization’s communication system is open and two-way.

Human Relation Expert

An effective leader is a human relations expert. Customers, visitors, subordinates, suppliers, stockholders, and other members of the organization must all be dealt with by him. As a result, he must cultivate good human relations skills using all available resources.

He must communicate with his subordinates in a kind and cordial manner. Even if there is unexpected conduct from others, he should never become emotional.

Wider Perspective

A leader must be able to see the big picture. He must be able to carry out organizational activities in accordance with the plan and system. He must assess if the group’s performance is in line with the organization’s goals.

As a result, excessive focus on the performance of a single workgroup must be avoided. He must oversee the organization’s performance while keeping the big picture in mind.

Ability To Judgement

An effective leader must be able to keep his or her objectivity and judgment. In diverse scenarios, he must make a variety of decisions. As a result, he must be able to make the correct judgment at the appropriate time. He must resist feelings of closeness, friendship, favoritism, and so forth when making any decision. He can only make decisions based on the organization’s goals.

Knowledge of Psychology (Empathy)

A manager’s psychological expertise is required as the organization’s leader. Empathy, friendliness, self-awareness, and subordinate awareness are all necessary leadership qualities.

Empathy refers to the ability to put oneself in the shoes of others. A leader must put himself in the shoes of his subordinates and make decisions based on their input. He must be able to mingle with his subordinates and treat himself as if he were one of them. As a result, an effective leader must understand psychology.

Thus, a successful leader possesses all these leadership qualities, skills, and traits and successfully applies them to every stage of life to achieve both personal and professional goals.