Six Traits You Need in Future Leaders

If you’re looking to promote someone who hasn’t held a position managing people before it can be a tough decision to know whether they will be able to manage a team successfully. Just because someone hasn’t had the opportunity to lead previously doesn’t mean that they won’t perform well in the role. Looking at candidates you should evaluate whether they possess the traits that an effective leader needs to have. Here are six qualities of an effective leader to look out for when selecting new leaders.
 

  1. Honesty

It is easy to speak your mind when you’re sharing a popular opinion, but it takes courage to share your thoughts when you may be sharing something that others don’t want to hear. Leaders need to be able to be completely honest and share what they believe is in the best interest of the business. Honesty also means they stick to their word and demonstrate integrity and take ownership.
 

  1. Problem-solving

It’s easy to bring a problem to someone, it’s harder to reflect on a problem and develop a potential solution. Transparency is only half of the equation, problem-solving skills are what distinguish employees among their peers.
 

  1. Self-awareness

Self-awareness is an important trait, it shows an ability to be introspective and a willingness to learn. Leadership takes practice, and mistakes will be made as people are put in new situations for the first time and have to respond as a leader. A person who is self-aware will be able to look back on their interactions and identify areas of improvement and ways to handle something differently going forward.
 

  1. Positivity

I am sure you have heard the statement that people don’t leave jobs, they leave managers. Your leaders create a bulk of the culture for your employees. A leader should be able to cultivate a positive atmosphere and be friendly with the people on their team as well as the other areas of the business. Being positive also sets an example for the team, building camaraderie and bringing the team together.
 

  1. Self-management

If a person cannot manage themselves, it is likely that they won’t be able to effectively lead others. Leaders should be able to manage their own time, tasks, emotions and workload while identifying other areas of meaningful work and business improvement.
 

  1. Effective communication

Leadership means a lot of communicating, being able to communicate effectively one-on-one and with the broader team. Being able to relay the vision of the organization and how the work of the individual contributes to the team and the company is necessary to bring focus and drive to daily work. The other half of communication is being a good listener, hearing out any concerns or feelings from employees and being able to display understanding and empathy. Carefully listening has more than just an emotionally positive impact, it allows your leaders to find out what barriers they can remove for their employees and how they can help them succeed in their position.

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