10 Qualities of Good Leaders

We’ve all had bosses that are decent leaders and they get the job done. But if you’ve ever had a boss that is a true leader, these are the ones that we remember. The real leaders are the ones that have a vision and can inspire their employees to believe in it. They have excellent communication skills, always hold themselves accountable, and exude confidence without being too prideful. These are the types of leaders we’ll be discussing in this post. 

If you’re looking to add some leaders to your team, contact American Recruiting & Consulting Group. We know it takes more than just finding a candidate that has the experience and skills needed for the job. A good fit will have qualities like initiative and dependability, that can’t always be measured quantifiably. 

Integrity

Integrity in every employee is important but is essential in a leader. Employees need an example to follow. When leaders have integrity, you can tell by their behavior. They will give employees credit for the work they have done, be appreciative of the time and hard work that each of their employees puts in, and will apologize when they are wrong.  

Employees will not respect someone without integrity. If a boss is constantly being caught in lies or taking credit for other’s work, their employees will not respect them and therefore not continue to give their all. Bosses without integrity tend to cause higher turnover rates with their employees. 

Communication Skills

Communication skills are necessary to be a good leader. On a day-to-day basis, leaders need to be able to communicate clearly with their employees. They have to be able to set clear expectations so that everyone knows what their job is, and give both positive and constructive feedback, effectively. 

Leaders also need to be able to communicate their vision for the business, and this takes more than just average communication skills. Their employees must be able to understand what their leader’s vision is, but the leader also needs to communicate it in a way that inspires their employees to believe in it as well. 

Accountability

Nobody likes a boss or any other employee for that matter, that never takes responsibility for their actions. A good leader will take more blame than necessary for mistakes, and take less of the credit when something goes well. They will ensure that when something doesn’t go quite as planned that they take it upon themselves to work on the problem; blaming others for what goes wrong is not an option. And they will make sure to give credit where it is due to their employees when something goes well. 

Confidence

Employees will only follow someone who is confident in themselves. A leader needs to be sure of their vision, where they see the company going, and absolutely positive that it is the best decision for the company and the employees. Without confidence, a boss cannot be a leader. A leader requires followers and without confidence, they are not likely to have many. 

Vision

A true leader has a clear vision for their company. They can see what the company will be five or ten years down the road, and they know how to get there. They have a plan that involves hard work from them and their employees. 

Ability to Inspire

A leader will be able to see their vision and inspire their employees to work towards the goal. Inspiration comes from effective communication and leading by example. The more genuinely the leader believes in their mission, the more the employees will too. Excitement and commitment can be contagious when the right person is spreading the message. 

Humility

Humility is important for us all, but especially for leaders. Humility allows us to see our flaws, and you can’t work on your shortcomings if you can’t see them. A good leader will always be working on making themselves better, taking their company in a forward trajectory, and motivating their employees to continue to grow. 

A good leader is not full of themselves or too prideful. They focus more on their employees and team building; a leader with humility puts the company and employees first. 

Loyalty

Good leadership takes loyalty. A company is most successful when they have loyal employees, and employees are much more likely to be devoted if their leader is loyal to them. A good leader will ensure that their employees have the training and tools to do their job and stand up for them whenever necessary. Loyalty goes both ways, and a good leader understands that. 

Ability to Make Decisions

A good leader needs to be able to make the correct decision, and usually quickly. Knowing how to make the right decision comes from experience, education, and intuition. The leader is the person that everyone comes to with their questions when they have searched and can’t find an acceptable answer. When that happens, they need to be able to make a decision that is good for the company and the employees.

Charisma

Charisma is something that is not quantifiably measurable, but that doesn’t make it any less important. Employees are more likely to work harder for a leader that they like. When someone is charismatic they are easy to approach, likable, pleasant to be around, and make you feel good about yourself. 

A charismatic leader will exude confidence without being prideful and is great at influencing others. These are the leaders that you feel like you can talk to without hesitation and will always help steer you in the right direction without making you feel foolish. 

Contact American Recruiting & Consulting Group

If your organization could use a good leader or any other employee who has good communication skills, humility, loyalty, charisma, or any of the other qualities found in this article, consider American Recruiting & Consulting Group. Of course, we make sure that our candidates have the right skills and qualifications, but we also consider qualities such as dependability, initiative, and working well with others. Contact American Recruiting & Consulting Group today for staffing, recruitment, IT consulting, and professional services.