Which of these 6 leadership traits do you exercise most?

We all recognise that today’s organisations are fast-paced and the idea of management is changing, placing more demands on managers than ever before.

It’s a complex environment out there. Managers now work with and within many teams, often across different counties and time zones, and our concept of management has moved well beyond commanding the troops to “get it done”. These days, managers need to demonstrate the key qualities that all good leaders share in order to thrive in their role.

When the pressure is on, stress levels are high and instant success doesn’t happen the way you thought, it’s easy to let the moment get to you and forget all you know.

So, take a deep breath, calm yourself down, and remind yourself of the qualities that all good leaders possess:

1. Decisiveness

The capacity and preparedness to make decisions, accept responsibility and take the initiative; provide clarity.

2. Drive

The energy, drive and enthusiasm to achieve; optimistic, less likely to become demoralised; not cautious or hesitant.

3. Influence

The ability to persuade others without deferring to the role; the ability to get own views across.

4. Empathy

Sensitive to the needs of others and able to appreciate other perspectives; tactful, patient and approachable.

5. Conscientiousness

Reliable, meets demanding deadlines, organises well and self-disciplined and instils the same in others.

6. Resilience

Copes with day-to-day pressure; fails fast and responds to setbacks.

Whilst you might naturally possess some of these qualities and characteristics, others might be underused and need exercising more, just as you would down the gym.

Call to Action

Take a moment and rate yourself on each of the leadership traits, using a scale of 1-5 – where 1 is ‘not at all’ and 5 is ‘all the time’.

How did you do?

Which qualities do you exercise consistently well?

…and which ones do you need to exercise a little more?