Core qualities of a strong leader
Core qualities of a strong leader
There are many different qualities which a strong leader may possess but the following list covers the core many of the core competencies required. If you master these competencies, you will be well on your way to becoming a strong leader.1. Practice self-discipline
There is little point in trying to show leadership to others if you cannot lead yourself to doing the things which need to be done. A strong leader is able to keep the big picture in mind while focusing on the next action that they need to take. They are able to manage their time and energy effectively in order to pursue the most important objectives.
2. Keep your word
If you are going to be a strong leader, those whom you lead need to be able to trust you. Trust is built by delivering on your promises. If you cannot keep your word, why would anyone ever believe you? Naturally, there will be times when circumstances change and you cannot longer deliver on what you promised. When this happens, you can contact the other person immediately and renegotiate e.g. offer an alternative time. If you renegotiate in good time, people do not see it as a broken promise, unless it is a regular occurrence.
Also, there will be times when you are finding it tough. You may want to give up but if you do, you are sending a message to others i.e. ‘I will do it as long as it is not too challenging’. If you stay strong in the face of adversity and, you persevere through difficult times, you send a different message entirely i.e. ‘I am committed to this and I will find a way to get it done’. This positive message is a great way to motivate and inspire others and, it is a quality that any strong leader must possess.
3. Use your emotional intelligence
Strength and power are two of the most misunderstood words in the English language. Forcing people to follow your orders and, leading by fear, are not signs of strength. They are signs of weakness. To pursue these methods, you would need to have a lack of belief in your ability to communicate and influence others.
A strong leader uses their emotional intelligence to lead. They listen to those whom they interact with, so that they might find the best way to communicate with them. They realise that one leadership style does not work for everyone. They know that they do not need to lead by dictates; it is more effective to build quality relationships, based on mutual respect.
4. Share your goals
A great deal of leadership is about getting everybody travelling in the same direction. To do that, everybody needs to know what that direction is. Make sure that everybody that you work with knows what the objective is. When they know what you are trying to achieve, they can share in the vision and they will be able to contribute more than ever. One of the key reasons that a strong leader shares their goals with everybody working on them is that they know that they can learn from others.
For example, by ensuring that Tony is aware of the objective you can include him in the planning. Tony may have some expertise which you do not possess, allowing him to share some insights which you may not have thought of.
5. Use feedback properly
Too many leaders criticise others when they do something wrong. They then attempt to call this feedback. Feedback is not about attributing blame. Feedback is about ensuring that the necessary people understand what went wrong and, improving performance to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. Criticising does not achieve this. A strong leader will use both constructive and positive feedback rather than resort to criticism.
Constructive feedback is all about helping people to learn from the mistakes that they have made. The leader is focused on helping the other person to understand what went wrong and why it is important. Then, they work together to identify the best course of action to take the next time the situation arises.
A strong leader will know the importance of positive feedback. They will know that positive feedback should be the most common feedback. With positive feedback the focus is on learning through positive reinforcement. You catch the other person doing something right. Then, you tell them exactly what they did right and how important that is i.e. the benefits of getting it right.
If you want to improve your communication skills, check out How To Talk So Others Will Listen.
6. Get to know your team
You cannot be a strong leader unless you know the people that you want to lead. People are not just statistics. It is not enough to know their basic details; you must get to know them as a person. When you know them as a person, you can tailor your expectations, your communication and every aspect of your relationship with them. This allows you to build a relationship whereby you can get the best out of them while also getting the best for them. Important things to know about your people include:
- Ambitions
- Beliefs
- Values
- Expectations
- Preferred working style, etc.
And, if you want to know how to find these things out, it is quite simple – talk to them. Make them the focus of the conversation and listen intently.
Regardless of where your leadership role takes you, remember that the most important aspects of leadership do not come from the words that you use. They come from your deeds. If you want to be a strong leader, you must exhibit the qualities of a strong leader. You must live your life, and perform your work, in a manner which provides a positive example for your people to follow. A strong leader is able to focus on the team as well. Not only should you set a positive example, you should help others to develop themselves in a way which best serves them, while also serving the team. The tips provided above will help you to develop strong leadership qualities and become the strong leader that you wish to be. Image credit: ChanceTV