TOP 10 QUALITIES OF A GREAT LEADER

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.
John Quincy Adams

Over the decades, many organizations could not stand the worldwide competition. Among the ones that succeeded, many of them could not sustain their position in the market.
Great leaders like Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Warren Buffet, with their vision, steady determination and relentless hard work led their respective organizations to great heights. With their conviction and strong leadership characteristics, they gave a whole new dimension to the business world.
This article is however not about them but about the great leadership qualities that assist individuals with making their organization extraordinary, achieve greatness and bring new transformations in the world.
Before plunging into the leadership qualities, we need to understand leadership in brief.
According to Donald H. McGannon, leadership is action, not position.
John Maxwell quoted leadership as influence – nothing more, nothing less.
If you google the word ‘leadership’, you will find endless meanings of the word ‘leadership’ by the extraordinary personalities and leaders. After working with some great leaders and managing a leadership position yourself, you will realize that leadership can impact the crowd to believe, act and work with persistence to meet everyone’s benefit.
Being a good and decent leader is not a cakewalk. One should have effective leadership qualities that assist them with accomplishing higher goals and objectives. Be it resistance or persistence of Mahatma Gandhi or the vision of Elon Musk.
While there are a wide range of qualities that can add to a great leader, there are a couple of common ones that can be useful when developing leadership skills. These qualities help leaders to achieve greater success.
#1 Integrity
Integrity is a core quality that each leader should have. You cannot run any business effectively if you do not have integrity. A famous author Brian Tracy says that at whatever point he holds an essential and strategic business meeting, the primary quality that every leader concurs on is integrity.
Business leaders know that integrity is the foundation of excellent leadership, and one should represent their convictions and beliefs. Regardless of how hard a circumstance, a good leader inspires everyone with his principles and standards without compromising. They avoid making fake promises or take shortcuts, choosing thoughts and action over personal benefits.

#2 Active listening
The roots of effective leadership lie in simple things, one of which is listening. Listening to someone demonstrates respect. It shows that you value their ideas and are willing to hear them. – John Baldoni
Active listening is an excellent quality that one can possess when it comes to leadership. Good leaders pay attention and listen to people with great sincerity. It largely helps them to understand people and their viewpoints. Active listening builds trust and connections over the long haul. Good leaders speak with care, focus on the person and the message. They don’t interrupt and recognize what is being said. Also, that is the thing that the world requires, leaders who listen to their people.
Procuring this skill is not an easy task. It needs self-awareness and down-to-earth attitude to respect others’ thoughts.
As leaders, they would be prone to receive feedback from their team members and they need to not only hear them but also really listen to them. What is the person attempting to tell you however may not be saying exactly? Leaders do well when they figure out how to pose the right questions to discover helpful information.
#3 Self-confidence
Self-confidence is found abundantly in the midst of true and great leaders. Hence, they are aware about their competencies and leadership qualities. They are certain with regards to their competencies and leadership skills. They have a sense of self-assurance and self-esteem and, accept that they can make a difference. As appropriately said by Rosalyn Carter, “You have to have confidence in your ability and be tough enough to follow through.”
Self-confidence is an important quality for leadership since it gives wings to face challenges, accomplish goals and fly high. Organizational leaders take responsibility themselves and walk with inspiration and confidence. It permits them to make immediate decisions, solve organizational issues and clashes. Good leaders take full responsibility and quick moves without passing on issues, disregarding or procrastinating.
#4 Growth mindset
Leaders do well when they take on a growth mindset. Circumstances regularly change from when a project, challenge or issue initially surfaced. Leaders need to think about that innovation might have advanced or private matters might have emerged for their team. If they can keep a growth mindset and are willing to adjust, they can usually keep the project moving – regardless of whether changes should be made.
#5 Visionary
According to Jack Ma, a leader should be visionary and have more foresight than an employee.
A visionary leader is far-sighted and driven and motivated by what an organization can turn into. Visionary leaders work hard for everyone’s benefit and keep themselves refreshed with time and change. A visionary leader does not keep down to face challenges and unconventional choices.

#6 Self-motivated
Napolean Hill once said, “The great leaders of business, industry and finance and the great artists, poets, musicians and writers all became great because they developed the power of self-motivation.”
One of the fundamental and essential leadership traits of good leaders is their capacity to motivate others. Good leaders consistently motivate their employees and lift their morale when needed. They sail their boat without a hitch, even in dangerous situations. They stay self-motivated and set a guide to follow.
#7 Decision making skills
Good leaders possess the right skills to decide and are aware of how to help the organization, employees, stakeholders and clients.
You could never imagine a leader who is unclear and unsure. Good leaders know about the reality of how their decisions can make or break businesses. They assess a given situation numerous times before coming to any conclusion. They gather the essential data needed prior to making any announcements. Likewise, they don’t believe rumors yet look at a circumstance or an issue themselves before making a decision.
#8 Problem-solving skills
Leadership roles are not just restricted to the management or delegating. Today for any business leaders, the range of leadership responsibilities have advanced. For the proper working of an organization, leaders should possess problem-solving skills and an eye for analyzing the situation to settle on better decisions. When it comes to effective leadership, problem-solving skills are important.
Good leaders have this natural capacity to react to issues. They are well - equipped with the ability to identify and define problems. Make the analysis, use information, and convey to settle the issues.
Developing strong problem-solving skills is important for any leader to eliminate barriers and boundaries.
#9 Excellent communicator
Excellent communication is the way to great leadership. An effective leader knows how to convey his message. They are excellent orators and communicate to get his/her work done. They are not harsh. They choose words and articulations which suit the circumstances and allow others to express their viewpoints and ideas.
They understand the importance of good communication skills. They are exceptionally conscious and learn from others’ practices, which provides them with a profound understanding of human intricacies.

#10 Accountability
Being an accountable and responsible leader is not an easy task. It implies you can take ownership of responsibilities and guarantees you made. It means being responsible to the actions and choices made by you and by those you lead. Accountable leaders establish clear objectives and targets. They center around the future and furthermore own up to their mistakes. They request help when required and give fair and honest feedback.
Each leader has a desire to lead, inspire and add to everyone’s benefit. This is the reason why you want the right leadership qualities to direct you. No one can possess all these leadership qualities overnight.
It is a consistent effort and self-conviction that clears the way and creates the required trajectory. Leaders ought to be careful, conscientious and practice these leadership skills for sustainable growth.
Focusing on and refining the qualities that make you a great leader can help you on your career path. Regardless of your career level or industry, investing time to practice leadership can lead to success exponentially.