thesis statement for qualities of a good leader

• Published December 1, 2023
• 9 Minute Read

12 Characteristics of a Good Leader

Leaders shape our teams, organizations, communities, and world.

We need good leaders to help guide us and make the essential decisions, big and small, that keep things moving forward.

Our society is usually quick to identify a bad leader, but how can you identify a good one? What would most people say are the qualities of a good leader?

What Good Leadership Looks Like

Based upon our decades of research and experience working with leaders at thousands of organizations around the world, we’ve found that the best leaders consistently possess certain fundamental qualities and skills. Here are 12 essential leadership traits.

12 Essential Leadership Qualities

• Self-Awareness
• Communication
• Learning Agility
• Collaboration

TIP: Download an action guide & summary of these essential characteristics of a good leader in PDF format to keep this list of leadership qualities at your fingertips as a reminder.

1. Self-Awareness

While this is a more inwardly focused trait, self-awareness and humility are paramount qualities of leadership. The better you understand yourself and recognize your own strengths and weaknesses, the more effective you can be as a leader. Do you know how other people view you and understand how you show up at work and at home? Take the time to learn about the 4 aspects of self-awareness and how to strengthen each component.

Treating people with respect on a daily basis is one of the most important things a leader can do. It helps ease tensions and conflict, fosters trust, and improves your effectiveness.  Creating a culture of respect  is about more than just the absence of disrespect. Respectfulness can be shown in many different ways, but it often starts with showing you truly value others’ perspectives and making an effort to build belonging in the workplace — both critical components of supporting equity, diversity, and inclusion.

3. Compassion

Compassion is one of the most powerful and important acts of leadership. It’s more than simply showing empathy or even listening and seeking to understand — as compassion requires leaders to act on what they learn. After someone shares a concern or speaks up about something, they won’t feel truly heard if their leader doesn’t then take some type of meaningful action on the information, our researchers have found. This is the core of compassionate leadership , and it helps to build trust, increase collaboration, and decrease turnover across organizations.

Motivating others and garnering commitment are essential parts of leadership. Purpose-driven leaders ensure they connect their team’s daily tasks and the values of individual team members to the overall direction of the organization. This can help employees find meaning in their work — which increases engagement, inspires trust, and drives priorities forward. You’ll want to communicate the vision in ways that help others understand it, remember it, and go on to share it themselves.

5. Communication

Effective leadership and effective communication are intertwined . The best leaders are skilled communicators who can communicate in a variety of ways, from transmitting information and storytelling to soliciting input and using active listening techniques . They can communicate well both orally and in writing, and with a wide range of people from different backgrounds, roles, levels, geographies, and more. The quality and effectiveness of communication among leaders at your organization will directly affect the success of your business strategy, too.

6. Learning Agility

Learning agility is the ability to know what to do when you don’t know what to do. If you’re a “quick study” or are able to excel in unfamiliar circumstances, you might already be learning agile. But anybody can foster and increase learning agility through intentional practice and effort. After all, great leaders are really great learners.

7. Collaboration

The most effective leaders can work with a variety of colleagues of different social identities , locations, roles, and experiences. As the world has become more complex and interconnected, good leaders find themselves spanning boundaries and learning to work across various types of divides and organizational silos. When leaders value and embrace collaboration, whether within their teams or cross-functionally, several benefits arise — including increased innovation, higher-performing teams, and a more engaged and empowered workforce.

8. Influence

For some people, “influence” may sound unseemly. But as a leader, you must be able to influence others to get the work done — you cannot do it all alone. Being able to persuade people through thoughtful use of appropriate influencing tactics is an important trait of inspiring, effective leaders. Influence is quite different from manipulation, and it needs to be done authentically and transparently. It requires high levels of emotional intelligence and trust.

9. Integrity

Integrity is an essential leadership trait for the individual and the organization. It’s especially important for top-level executives who are charting the organization’s course and making countless other significant decisions. Our research has found that leader integrity is a potential blind spot for organizations , so make sure you reinforce the importance of honesty and integrity to managers at all levels.

10. Courage

It can be hard to speak up at work, whether you want to voice a new idea, provide feedback to a direct report, or flag a concern for someone above you. That’s part of the reason courage is a key leadership trait — it takes courage to do what’s right! Leaders who promote high levels of psychological safety in the workplace enable their people to speak up freely and share candid concerns without fear of repercussions. This fosters a  coaching culture that supports courage and truth-telling . Courage enables both team members and leaders to take bold actions that move things in the right direction.

11. Gratitude

Being thankful can lead to higher self-esteem, reduced depression and anxiety, and better sleep. Sincere gratitude can even make you a better leader. Yet few people regularly say “thank you” in work settings, even though most people say they’d be willing to work harder for an appreciative boss. The best leaders know how to show frequent gratitude in the workplace .

12. Resilience

Resilience is more than the ability to bounce back from obstacles and setbacks — it’s the ability to respond adaptively to challenges. Practicing resilient leadership means you’ll project a positive outlook that will help others maintain the emotional strength they need to commit to a shared vision, and the courage to move forward and overcome setbacks. A good leader focuses on resilience, both taking care of themselves and also prioritizing leading employee wellbeing , too — thereby enabling better performance for themselves and their teams.

Download a PDF action guide and summary of these characteristics of a good leader, so you always have a visual reminder available of these 12 qualities of good leadership.

Develop the Characteristics of a Good Leader in Yourself & Others

Our 3 core beliefs about leadership & leadership development.

At the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL)®, we’ve been researching the qualities of a good leader and the role of leadership for over 5 decades. Here are 3 of our core beliefs about good leaders and effective leadership.

Good leaders are made, not born.

First, we believe that leaders are made, not born. Put another way, leadership is a skill that can be developed . Good leaders are molded through experience, continued study, intentional effort, and adaptation. So you can strengthen any of these 12 characteristics of a good leader, if you’re open to growth, use your experiences to fuel development , and put in the time and effort toward self-improvement.

Similarly, organizations can help their people hone these top leadership qualities by providing ample opportunities for training, offering support for learning from challenges, and providing access to coaching and mentoring programs .

Leadership is a social process.

It’s also essential to recognize that  leadership is less about one strong or charismatic individual, and more about a group of people working collectively to achieve results together . If you demonstrate several of the characteristics of a good leader, but fail to grasp this key point, chances are you won’t get very far on your own. You may be well-liked and respected, but it will be challenging to accomplish team or organizational goals. At CCL, we like to say that the  outcomes of leadership are about creating direction, alignment, and commitment, or DAC , within a group.

Good leadership never stops.

Also, we believe that leadership isn’t a destination, it’s a journey   — it’s something that you’ll have to work at regularly throughout your career, regardless of what level you reach in your organization or what industry you work in. Different teams, projects, and situations will provide different challenges and require different leadership qualities and competencies to succeed. So you will need to be able to continue to apply these leadership characteristics in different ways throughout your career. Just continually keep learning and growing, and you’ll be an agile learner with a long career .

We Can Help You Develop the Qualities of a Good Leader

Organizations can strengthen leadership qualities and foster deeper levels of engagement at work through providing a variety of on-the-job learning experiences, mentoring, and formal development opportunities. At CCL, we have many award-winning leadership solutions with clients around the world, and we’d be honored to work with you and your organization as well.

But individuals don’t have to wait to begin strengthening these leadership characteristics within themselves. If you decide you want to work proactively on developing your leadership qualities and skills,  download our action guide & visual summary  of this content. And get our tips on how to  convince your boss to make an investment in you  and your future. We’re here to support you every step of the way on your journey to becoming a better leader!

Ready to Take the Next Step?

After you download the 12 Characteristics of a Good Leader , keep on learning and growing: never miss our exclusive leadership insights and tips — subscribe to our newsletters to get our research-based articles, webinars, resources, and guides delivered straight to your inbox. 

Keep these qualities of a good leader top of mind in the future: download a PDF summary of this article as an action guide and visual reminder of the leadership qualities to nurture in yourself, on your team, and at your organization in the future.

This article was written by our Leading Effectively staff, who analyze our decades of pioneering, expert research and experiences in the field to share content that will help leaders at every level. Subscribe to our emails to get the latest research-based leadership articles and insights sent straight to your inbox.

Table of Contents

Don’t miss a single insight! Get our latest cutting-edge, research-based leadership content sent directly to your inbox.

Related Topics

What to explore next.

With over 30 pages of insights gleaned from our research, this collection of resources includes actionable tips and team discussion questions to help you become a (better) leader with a focus on compassion, wellbeing, and belonging.

This introduction to our leadership philosophy explains how direction, alignment, and commitment (the elements of our DAC framework) are key in how leadership works, connecting exponential potential with collective progress.

Want to set yourself apart as a leader? Arm yourself with these 6 essential skills. Our global research study found that organizations will need these 6 key qualities that their leaders presently lack.

Do you know how to effectively communicate at work? It's the core of everything we do, and yet many of us have significant room for improvement. Get our top tips for leaders.

Stepping into a management role requires a fundamental shift of identity. Learn how to be an effective boss and succeed in your new role with our leadership tips for first-time managers.

Related Solutions

Learn more about our flagship Leadership Development Program (LDP)®, the most widely known and longest-running leadership development training in the world.

Professional leadership coaching deepens and sustains leadership development. Learn more about our world-class leadership coaching services.

Learn more about our leadership training courses, which are targeted to develop the skills leaders need to succeed at all levels of your organization.

The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL)® is a top-ranked, global, nonprofit provider of leadership development and a pioneer in the field of global leadership research. We know from experience how transformative remarkable leaders really can be.

Over the past 50 years, we’ve worked with organizations of all sizes from around the world, including more than 2/3 of the Fortune 1000. Our hands-on development solutions are evidence-based and steeped in our work with hundreds of thousands of leaders at all levels.

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

8 Essential Qualities of Successful Leaders

• Rebecca Knight

And how to cultivate them.

Becoming a great leader is a journey of continuous learning and growth. It’s a process — one that thrives on embracing challenges, seeking feedback, fostering connections, and cultivating understanding. In this article, the author outlines the eight most essential leadership qualities, according to Harvard Business School professor Linda Hill, one of the world’s top experts on leadership. Star leaders aren’t born with superhuman capabilities, Linda explains. Rather, they tend to have intentionally put themselves in situations where they have to learn, adapt, and grow — a crucible for developing the tenacity and fortitude to motivate and guide others.

Do you have what it takes to be a great leader ?

• RK Rebecca Knight is a journalist who writes about all things related to the changing nature of careers and the workplace. Her essays and reported stories have been featured in The Boston Globe, Business Insider, The New York Times, BBC, and The Christian Science Monitor. She was shortlisted as a Reuters Institute Fellow at Oxford University in 2023. Earlier in her career, she spent a decade as an editor and reporter at the Financial Times in New York, London, and Boston.

Partner Center

Leadership Essay

27 August, 2020

12 minutes read

Author:  Richard Pircher

As a college student, you must write essays on a regular basis since the latter is one of the most common types of home assignments. All this means is that in order to get good grades and be successful with writing the papers, you need to have a sound understanding of the structure. Additionally, what you should never neglect is the variety of essay types. Indeed, your essay will significantly differ from one type to another: description essay will most likely have a structure that is slightly different from an argumentative one.

What you may have already encountered in your academic life is the work on a leadership essay. Although it sounds pretty complicated and vague, it is mostly possible to master an essay on leadership. Below is a guide for you to get an insight into this particular essay type.

What is a good leadership essay?

A good leadership essay is the one in which the essay writer has fully covered the topic of leadership and understood its core ideas. More specifically, to end up with a flawless leadership essay, you will need to indicate what makes a person a good leader. For achieving the latter, you will most likely need to conduct research and trace how a particular person reaches his or her goals. In other words, the task is to discover which actions the person undertakes, what their followers say about him or her, and how the person organizes the work. So, a leadership essay implies providing real-life success examples and further revealing them.

Above all, a good leadership essay is the one that follows a precise, clear, comprehensive structure. Structuring your essay about leadership in the most coherent way leads to a win-win situation: you have fewer troubles and barriers to writing a brilliant essay, and your teacher is able to comprehend the essay easily. This guide is what you will need to refer to to get an insight into how the flawless structure for a leadership essay looks like and how it will let you take a benefit.

How to write a Leadership essay?

To write a leadership essay that stands out, you first need to brainstorm all the ideas that you have and come up with a topic for your essay. If you are struggling with this step, you may think of some of the most influential people, read about them, and find out what makes them unique. Or, you can pick any topic which is mentioned at the end of this article. After you have chosen an issue, it is time to structure your essay appropriately.

As you already know, an essay constitutes three essential sections: introduction, main body, and conclusion. Below is the more detailed description of each of the parts.

Introduction

Of course, your leadership essay introduction will always vary depending on the topic of the essay. However, you can always begin by stating your vision of leadership regardless of the topic. Additionally, to motivate the reader and instantly catch his or her attention, you may use a quote of a famous leader, or simply a quote which you find relevant to the topic. Be aware that you should avoid outlining the essence and the role of the leadership in your introduction; leave it for the body paragraphs.

What you may also do in your leadership essay is ask a question, which will most likely intrigue the leader. Or it will at least give your reader an overview of what you will dwell on  in your essay.

Body Paragraphs

You will need to divide the main body into 3-5 paragraphs to make the structure more comprehensive. What you have to do at this point  is  give your reader a sound understanding of your ideas. Therefore, try to fit each idea in a single body paragraph so that you do not confuse your reader. Do not hesitate to indicate your examples to strengthen your arguments. For instance, you may explain a fact that makes a particular person you are writing about a real leader.

Also, always stick to your thesis statement and don’t forget that the body paragraphs should reveal the parts of your thesis statement.

As you may already know, you need to restate your opinion and briefly summarize all the points from the main body in conclusion. For instance, if you wrote your essay on qualities of an effective leader, state the most fundamental qualities and indicate why they matter the most. Besides, try not to copy what you have already written in the body – it is better to restate your opinion using different words. And, of course, beware adding any new and extra information; indicate only those points that you have already outlined in the text. Finally, keep in mind that it is always favorable to keep your concluding remarks short.

Leadership Essay Examples

Writing a leadership essay requires some research and time. In case you feel the necessity to go through an essay example, below is a leadership essay sample you can refer to.

Is leadership an inborn or an acquired feature?

Is everyone capable of becoming a leader, or is this ability innate? A lot of researchers have been struggling to answer this question. One assumption about leadership implies that the leader is the person who possesses particular characteristics. Another assumption claims that leaders are capable of acquiring specific features over their life span. As the evidence shows, leaders own many features that distinguish them among others and make more and more people become their followers. These might be cognitive abilities, psychological traits, professional qualities, and a lot more, and all of them will be either acquired or innate. Based on the importance of leadership qualities, such as commitment, stress resistance, and the ability to make quality decisions, it is reasonable to claim that leaders are made, not born. 

One can deem commitment as one of the top fundamental qualities of the leader. In essence, such a feature indicates that a person is passionate about the common goal, strives to be a team player, and makes every effort to reach a shared goal. As the history shows, none of the successful companies was uncoordinated by an influential, committed leader: Apple, Amazon, Microsoft – all of these companies are examples of dominant teams led by a dedicated leader. A committed leader also inspires his or her team to achieve common goals and put more effort into the shared activity. Besides, commitment is unlikely to be an innate feature; it instead comes with experience. This is so, since commitment implies dedicating oneself to the shared task, and one can reach it only via learning and continuous self-improvement.

Stress resistance is another incredibly important feature that every good leader should possess. This is because only a stress-resistant leader has sufficient capabilities to overcome any complexity and not let the anxiety and stress prevent him or her from making proper decisions. Besides, such a leader will most likely have a positive influence on the team, as long as leading by example will motivate the team members to attain the same emotional stability. What is so far familiar about stress resistance as an effective leader’s feature is that it can be either innate or attained. However, although some researchers admit that emotional stability is something one is born with, it is not entirely true; many people still put a great effort into self-improvement, changing the attitude to unfortunate situations, and so on. Therefore, being resistant to stress can be mostly attributed to a personality.

An ability to make high-quality decisions most likely determines the chances for an enterprise’s success. In particular, such quality is incredibly fundamental for a company of any size and professional orientation. Additionally, it is one of the top tasks of a good leader to make final decisions. What he or she should do implies brainstorming, discussing various opinions in the group, making forecasts, analyzing all the pros and cons. However, the leader is the one to make a final decision. Thereby, he is in charge of researching the market, discovering all the hidden truths, and analyzing the organization’s potential and capabilities to result in the most effective decision. As it flows logically from the latter, an ability to make sound quality decisions is purely a professional quality. This leads to the conclusion that one has to work hard to become a genuine leader and master the skill of making effective decisions. 

Overall, the leader may possess a multitude of different skills and master them perfectly. However, what has so far become transparent is that any leader, regardless of which team he leads, must possess three essential qualities. These qualities are commitment to the common goal, ability to handle and resist stress, and, finally, an ability to make effective decisions. All of the three qualities are most likely to be acquired over a lifetime. The statement below leads to the conclusion that even though some qualities can be innate, most are not the ones that leaders are born with. Hence, this answers an essential question: leadership feature is acquired, and not necessarily inborn.  

20 leadership essay topics

When coming up with your next leadership essay topic, it is imperative to brainstorm ideas and think of what leadership might be related to. If you are struggling with a topic of the importance of leadership essay or any relevant type of essay, you may quickly take a look at some of the possible topics we prepared for you:

• What are the main qualities of the leader?
• Successful Time Management as a feature of an effective leader
• The role that rhetoric plays in leadership
• The most exceptional leader in the history of the 20-th century
• The role of female leadership
• What are the challenges of the leader of the 21-st century?
• How college helps students develop leadership skills?
• Qualities of the leader that motivate people to follow them 
• Top things to avoid doing to become a team leader
• Examples of effective and ineffective leadership in the history
• Top techniques for developing leadership skills
• The interconnection of creativity and leadership 
• Is a university’s role fundamental in developing leadership skills?
• Dictatorship as an anti-example of leadership
• Liberal vs Authoritative leadership: which one works better?
• The influence of the leader’s role model on the followers’ mindset
• Main difficulties that the new leader may face in a new team
• Leadership of today vs leadership of the past: what has changed?
• Reasons why I want to become a member if the leadership program
• The role of cognitive abilities for the leader 

A life lesson in Romeo and Juliet taught by death

Due to human nature, we draw conclusions only when life gives us a lesson since the experience of others is not so effective and powerful. Therefore, when analyzing and sorting out common problems we face, we may trace a parallel with well-known book characters or real historical figures. Moreover, we often compare our situations with […]

Ethical Research Paper Topics

Writing a research paper on ethics is not an easy task, especially if you do not possess excellent writing skills and do not like to contemplate controversial questions. But an ethics course is obligatory in all higher education institutions, and students have to look for a way out and be creative. When you find an […]

Art Research Paper Topics

Students obtaining degrees in fine art and art & design programs most commonly need to write a paper on art topics. However, this subject is becoming more popular in educational institutions for expanding students’ horizons. Thus, both groups of receivers of education: those who are into arts and those who only get acquainted with art […]

Qualities That Make You a Good Leader Essay

Introduction, evaluating emotional intelligence, self-awareness, self-regulation, social skills.

Apart from, toughness, vision, determination and intelligence, Goleman identified another qualities associated with leadership. Social skill, empathy, self regulation, motivation and self awareness are the qualities to consider in determining high degree of emotional intelligence (Harvard business review on what makes a leader, 2001).

Many businesses have failed because of poor leadership determined by the level of intelligence and skills the reason why Goleman insists that leadership is more than art and science. It is therefore the high degree of emotional intelligence that makes a leader effective.

Emotional intelligence is the sine qua none of leadership,- meaning, one can gain better training from all aspects but that will not make them effective leaders. In relation to performance, emotional intelligence can still be identified in paces of work. Golman explores all the components such as empathy, social skill, self regulation, empathy, self awareness and emotional intelligence (Evans, Lindsay and Evans, 2008).

In order to evaluate emotional intelligence, most companies employ well trained psychologist who develop competency models that assist in training and identifying the leaders to promote. The same happens to the lower level staff. In his quest to determine the personalities that drive performances in organizations, Goleman analyzed 188 models used by large and global companies.

Goleman combined technical abilities including forecasting and accounting into one. Cognitive attributes together with competencies which indicated emotional intelligence were also categorized separately.

The competency model used by companies focuses on the competency of leaders and division’s profit. This information is inquired from the manager after which the individuals’ are tested and their capabilities are compared. Golman’s findings indicate that, in comparing the ratio of emotional intelligence, IQ and technical skills, he found out that emotional intelligence is more important for performances at all levels (Robbins, 2009).

As a component of emotional awareness, self-awareness involves understanding people’s drives, needs, weakness, emotions and strength. It also helps one realize the effect of his feeling to the people, their job performance and to oneself. People with high self awareness can work under tight schedule and still do a good job. They can handle a demanding client because they understand how they feel. Self-awareness also builds ones morality especially when one is tempted by a good deal that is not in line with his principles.

Self-regulation involves controlling the biological impulses that drive emotions and managing ones moods. Goleman gives an example of an employee who gives a presentation of a botched board of directors. The executive may lose their tempers and do something stupid but self-regulation takes a different approach. He would first take time to know the cause of the failure and his role in finding solutions. Self-regulation creates an environment of equality and trust where production takes the center stage and not politics.

Companies can consider it as strength because people who have self-regulation do not easily break apart. They adapt to changes easily and are ready to take leadership roles. David Goleman lays emphasis on the role self-regulation plays in enhancing integrity which acts as strength to the organization and as a result guard against impulsive behavior to the organization. It is easy to see emotional self-regulation.

Motivation drives effective leaders towards achievements beyond expectations. Big salaries and status symbol of a prestigious company motivate few individuals but effective leaders are motivated by desire to meet their goals and for the sake of their goals.

They also seem restless and eager to make advancements. They set standards and raise performance bar (Harvard business review on what makes a leader, 2001). As leaders try to track process of their own trough motivation, market shares and profitability are improved. Self-regulation when tied together with achievement motivation, it guard against depression and frustration that comes as a result of failures.

According to Goleman, we can always recognize the presence and absence of empathy in a sensitive person. In business, people are not rewarded or praised for their empathy. Effective do not have to adopt other people’s emotions to show empathy, it involves having employee’s feelings at heart and other factors to consider in intelligent decision making.

The words a manager speak to acknowledge fear of the employees can show empathy. Empathy increases unity in teamwork improves international business and helps the organization to retain talent (Morse, 2010).

Social skills and empathy help to save relationships by creating relationship management mechanisms (Reece, Brandt and Howie, 2010). It is friendliness with a purpose because nothing important can be done in seclusion. For better relationship, emotional control and empathy are important. People, who are motivated to talk a lot about their achievements, socialize more than fuzzy individuals.

People with social skills can combine such attributes and be effective leaders (Manning and Curtis, 2003). At times, they are perceived as lazy individuals who just talk because they are more interested in building relations hoping one day they will need help from the ties they create. Because no leader is an island, this component is considered by organizations unlike the others. It is therefore important that all the components are learned.

Evans, J. R., Lindsay, W. M., & Evans, Jr. (2008). Managing for quality and performance excellence . Mason, OH: Thomson/South-Western.

Harvard business review on what makes a leader . (2001). Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

Manning, G., & Curtis, K. (2003). The art of leadership . Boston, Mass: McGraw- Hill/Irwin.

Morse, M. K. (2010). Making room for leadership: Power, space and influence . Sydney, N.S.W.: Read How You Want.

Reece, B. L., Brandt, R., & Howie, K. F. (2010). Effective human relations: Interpersonal and organizational applications . Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.

Robbins, S. P. (2009). Organisational behaviour: Global and Southern African perspectives . Cape Town: Pearson Education South Africa.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2022, March 15). Qualities That Make You a Good Leader. https://ivypanda.com/essays/what-makes-a-leader/

"Qualities That Make You a Good Leader." IvyPanda , 15 Mar. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/what-makes-a-leader/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'Qualities That Make You a Good Leader'. 15 March.

IvyPanda . 2022. "Qualities That Make You a Good Leader." March 15, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/what-makes-a-leader/.

1. IvyPanda . "Qualities That Make You a Good Leader." March 15, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/what-makes-a-leader/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Qualities That Make You a Good Leader." March 15, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/what-makes-a-leader/.

• The "Emotional Intelligence" Book by Goleman
• Intelligence in What Makes a Leader? by D. Goleman
• "Destructive Emotions: A Scientific Dialogue With the Dalai Lama" by Daniel Goleman
• The Type of Leadership Described by Daniel Goleman
• Emotional Intelligence: Term Definition
• Daniel Goleman Introduces Emotional Intelligence
• Emotional Intelligence and Its Impact on Success
• Self-Regulation, Depletion, and Motivation
• Self-Regulation and Motivation in Sports
• Emotional Intelligence
• Jeffrey Dahmer: Serial Killer
• Beauty Perception and Media
• American Society Affected by Substance Abuse
• Dreams and Nightmares
• Influencing of Suppressing Thoughts on Dreams

Qualities of a Good Leader

• First Online: 31 May 2018

Cite this chapter

• Meera Kotagal 6 &
• Carlos A. Pellegrini 7  

Part of the book series: Success in Academic Surgery ((SIAS))

1199 Accesses

Leadership can come in many forms, but good leaders are able to use a combination of skills – including emotional intelligence, collaboration, and communication – to create a meaningful vision and influence others to act in support of that vision. While some believe that individuals are born with innate leadership skills, these strategies and tools can also be developed and honed. Six key styles of leadership – authoritative, affiliative, democratic, pacesetting, coaching, and coercive – have been described and successful leaders recognize that no single style will work in isolate and utilize a combination of these styles depending on the setting. Great leaders possess both self-awareness and situational awareness and use all of these leadership tools and styles to be most effective across a variety of situations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

• Available as PDF
• Read on any device
• Instant download
• Own it forever
• Available as EPUB and PDF
• Compact, lightweight edition
• Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
• Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Carlyle T. On heroes, hero-worship, and the heroic in history. Boston: Houghton Mifflin; 1841.

Google Scholar  

Spencer H. The study of sociology. New York: D. Appleton and Company; 1896.

Kail E. Leadership character: introduction. Washington Post, June 10, 2011, On leadership blog edition.

Zalenik A. Managers and leaders: are they different?. Harvard Business Review , March 1992.

Goleman D, Boyatzis R, McKee A. Primal leadership: realizing the power of emotional intelligence. Boston: Harvard Business Press; 2002.

Goleman D. Leadership that gets results. Harvard Business Review, April 1, 2000.

Hock. Birth of the Chaordic Age. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers; 1999.

National Leadership Preparedness Initiative. Crisis preparedness and crisis response: the meta-leadership model and method. In: Homeland security handbook. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2012.

Kouzes JM, Posner BZ. When are leaders at their best? Santa Clara Magazine. 1985;27(3):2–6.

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC), Cincinnati, OH, USA

Meera Kotagal

University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

Carlos A. Pellegrini

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carlos A. Pellegrini .

Editor information

Editors and affiliations.

Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA

Charles R. Scoggins

The James Comprehensive Cancer, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA

Raphael E. Pollock

Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Colombus, Ohio, USA

Timothy M. Pawlik

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature

About this chapter

Kotagal, M., Pellegrini, C.A. (2018). Qualities of a Good Leader. In: Scoggins, C., Pollock, R., Pawlik, T. (eds) Surgical Mentorship and Leadership. Success in Academic Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71132-4_15

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71132-4_15

Published : 31 May 2018

Publisher Name : Springer, Cham

Print ISBN : 978-3-319-71131-7

Online ISBN : 978-3-319-71132-4

eBook Packages : Medicine Medicine (R0)

Share this chapter

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

A Full Guide On How To Create Good Leadership Essay

Attempting a leadership essay isn’t such a daunting task, provided you have a grasp of the necessary information needed for a leadership paper. To write this special essay, you’ll need to redefine what exactly an essay on leadership is, how to choose the perfect topic, what should be in the content, and how to organize and structure the paper. Let’s delve deeper!

What Is A Leadership Essay?

A leadership essay is a well-formatted, organized and specialized type of formal writing which elaborates on a generic leadership topic or a superior human figure exercising a great influence on people and transmitting desire and optimism to achieve goals.

What Makes A Good Leader Essay?

There are some peculiarities needed to infuse in your write-up if, for example, you’re trying to learn how to write a leadership essay about yourself.

Also, if you’re just trying to produce leadership essays for college, then you’d first and foremost, learn  how to structure an essay , among other skills needed for this type of essay. Here are some qualities which can be found in a good essay about leadership.

• Choose a creative topic
• Avoid the passive voice (the active voice sounds stronger)
• Search for and study leadership essay examples
• Follow the appropriate essay style
• Focus on the essay structure
• Review the essay

How To Choose A Topic And Make A Great Title?

To choose a topic for a paper on leadership, you need to do some research on the concept of a leader (whether in the corporate industry, political society or even in the criminal world). You have to know the current leadership tendencies in organizational groups or society. You can choose to make a leader the point of your reference by explaining the consequences of their leadership abilities or inabilities.

In the body of your essay, don’t forget to mention several types of leadership styles and point out which one the subject portrays. Finally, you should not rule out making comparisons of famous leaders in the modern world or in history. An example of a great prompt for a leadership essay that deploys the comparison technique would be the leadership styles of President Trump and The Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte as both leadership styles have been subjected to political reviews in recent times since their emergence as president of their respective countries.

Outline For A Leadership Essay

When writing a college or professional essay such as -long and short essays on leadership, planning is the key to perfection. The general outline for any essay, including leadership papers, include an introduction, the body paragraphs (which must be properly linked with transition words and/or phrases) and a recapitulating or finding-based conclusions. Here’s what your outline should look like:

Introduction

Knowing how to start a leadership essay depends on your introduction writing ability. The introduction is the gateway to the essay. Aided by punchy opening words, which are the hook, the purpose of the introduction is to draw the reader’s attention. The introduction presents the thesis statement and leaves the body paragraphs to sustain the reader’s interest.

Body Paragraphs

Having informed the readers of the topic of the essay in the introductory paragraph(s), the body paragraphs follow immediately.

Here, you can elaborate on the concept of leadership and do a meaningful interpretation of the subject – the topic or the thesis statement. Don’t forget to talk about your leadership philosophies and leadership experience in whatever capacity you might have found yourself in. Remember, people are more interested in personal experiences. They are great in helping to sustain readers’ attention.

Remember to state a thesis or hypothesis in the opening paragraphs – which is the intro. In each of the body paragraphs of the essay, try to relate your points to the thesis and use each point to prove its validity.

The conclusion is the end part of any well-structured essay. Its purpose is a no-brainer. You don’t want to leave your reader hanging by ending the essay cold turkey. Any standard essay without a conclusion is just as useless as an essay with no purpose. However, be careful not to present new ideas not mentioned in the body.

As mentioned, the conclusion serves to summarize the developed points, restate the thesis and/or present the findings. It is your last opportunity to create an impression on the reader, and this is where they take the message away. If your conclusion is weak, then we might say the essay’s objectives are not achieved.

What To Include In A Leadership Essay?

Here are some tips on what your leadership essay should include.

Your Definition Of A Good Leader And Why He Or She Is Important

Since your essay revolves around leadership and the traits of a good leader, you’ll need to define what it takes to be one. You may also take this opportunity to trash some common myths on what a leader is (i.e., a manager being confused for a leader).

For reference purposes, the concepts of leadership and being a good leader are explained:

Leadership is the quality of a leader and is that person capable of exercising a great influence on people and transmitting desire and optimism to achieve goals. A leader is a guide; someone with ideas and goals that can spread to a large group of people who still believe he or she can lead them in the right direction.

There are many types of leaders and therefore, of leadership since people generally always look for a person or group that shows them a direction to follow. You can find religious, political, social, or philosophical leadership. Leadership can be exercised in a traditional way. In many countries, there is a monarchy. The king or queen is a leader with limited political power, at least in western democracies, but still have the respect and consideration of the people. Their words continue to be heard and taken into account, especially in problematic times. There are other types of leadership that are not given by birth, such as legitimate leadership exercised by, for example, political leaders freely chosen by their people, or charismatic leaders.

In a way, charismatic leaders are what many understand as leaders since they are people who, by their way of behavior and characteristics, get many people to follow and adhere to their ideas. Some charismatic leaders can become legitimate leaders if they choose the path of politics. A traditional leader can also be charismatic. There have always been kings loved by his people more than others. But it can also be a person who prefers independent movements outside of power.

Charisma is the personal magnetism a person has. It is something very difficult to define but makes one capable of convincing others without too much effort, making people follow and trust the leading figure. Charisma can be used positively or negatively. The leaders of the most destructive sects are very charismatic people that are capable of convincing their followers of the eeriest ideas, including donating all their belongings or committing collective suicide.

Examples Of Your Leadership Style

In the content of your essay, you may consider giving an interpretation to your (or your chosen leader’s) leadership traits. Below are some examples of leadership qualities that separate a good leader from a bad leader.

What qualities are necessary for leadership

• Communication
• Emotional intelligence
• Strategic thinking
• Commitment and passion
• Knowledge and experience
• Leading by example
• Active listening
• Ability to enhance talent
• Setting goals and expectations
• People investment
• Discernment
• Concentration
• Positive attitude
• Problem-solving
• Self-discipline

Leadership Essay Example

To know how to do essay fast, you’ll need some ready-made essay examples for the sake of guidance and inspiration. You may find below a leadership essay written by Oliver Smith useful in your leadership paper.

Writing a leadership essay should be easy. A good essay on leadership starts from the hook, and the thesis statement in the introduction. The points developed in the body paragraphs help affirm the hypothesis. Finally, the conclusion offers the reader a summary through the restatement of the essay’s main idea.

As required for every essay type, your essay on leadership has to follow a definite style and format. Examples are MLA, APA, Chicago and AP styles. Take your time in choosing a creative but new topic and also in writing the content. By following this guide, everything should be as perfect as possible.

Don't waste time

Get a professional assistance from certified experts right now

• How It Works
• Prices & Discounts

How to Write Leadership Essay in College

Table of contents

If there is one skill that is revered across educational institutions and organizations, it is leadership.

Being the boss or in a position of power is not enough to make you a good leader. Effective leadership comes from the impact you have on people, the respect you garner, and how you manage to walk the talk.

Owing how important the role leadership plays in our personal and professional life, it’s no surprise that students are asked to write leadership essays in college.

The purpose of this assignment is to get them to understand the concept of leadership, reflect on their own experiences, or even assess the leadership style of a prominent leader. Apart from writing skills, this assignment also puts students’ critical thinking skills to the test.

This article will tell you what goes into a good leadership outline, along with 12 practical essay writing tips.

12 Tips on How to Write a Good Leadership Essays

If you think you can go ahead and write an essay on your favorite leader, you are mistaken - grade 5 is long gone.

Leadership essay writing is a lot more layered. It requires you to demonstrate your understanding of the concept excitingly and back it up with solid examples and research.

Don’t panic. Here are 12 tips to help you write powerful and effective leadership essays.

Brainstorm interesting topic ideas

If you are fortunate, you will be given a specific leadership essay topic to write on, but most of the time, students are given the flexibility to come up with a topic of their choice.

Leadership essays need to be personal. By the end of it, the reader needs to understand your leadership abilities. Now you can throw light on that aspect of yourself by recounting your leadership experiences, relating it to the leadership style of a prominent leader, or even comparing two leaders. Regardless of your chosen topic, it’s important to connect it back to yourself.

So, start with enlisting potential topic ideas that would help you throw light on your leadership abilities. Don’t rush through this step - take your time to pick a suitable topic.

Think out-of-the-box

Surprise your audience by thinking of innovative topics and ideas for your leadership essay.

Plain and dull essays are predictable and can get boring after being overused by multiple students for their multiple essays. Your professors can also feel that you are trying to play it safe by not thinking outside the box and giving you an average grade for your essay.

Extraordinary and new ideas get the attention they deserve, and your readers are more likely to find them interesting and get hooked on your essay right at the beginning.

Hook the reader

The introductory paragraph is a crucial one as it lays the foundation for the rest of the essay. Does your introduction entice the reader to know more, or does it induce yawns? It all depends on how you choose to begin your essay.

It’s essential to start with a bang and write an interesting hook from the first sentence. A good hook is written in 1 - 2 sentences and manages to get the reader interested. You can start with a funny experience, raise a startling question, or state an interesting fact - there are various ways to begin your leadership essay and capture the reader’s attention.

Use active voice

“I performed the task with great precision” vs. “The task was performed with great precision” - what is more impactful in the context of leadership essays? The former one.

Unlike an essay or any other academic paper, leadership essays are meant to be personal. They are supposed to be about you. As you share your perspective or experiences, you should use an active voice to make a more significant impact and ensure your message reaches the reader.

Follow the format

Adhere to your academic institution's standards for formatting and styling your leadership essay because, first and foremost, your professors would want to see that you have tackled how to format your essay.

Secondly, it is always good practice to format your essays for an excellent structure and a good presentation of the content in the essay. Some institutions are very strict about their formatting standards and can choose to cancel or give unsatisfactory grades to students who do not follow their specific formatting guidelines.

Avoid cliches

Generally, in leadership essays, cliches are most commonly used to describe the person in the essay at large. Avoiding these set cliches will do you and your essay good.

Cliches like “leaves no stones unturned,” “ahead of the curve,” etc., have been used so much by students that they have become weak, lost their meaning, and have minimal effect on the essays.

Your professors are looking for originality and creativity, whereas an essay full of cliches will appear lazy and uncreative.

Select good references

Leadership holds a variety of sub-topics that addresses the quality of leadership, the style and attitudes that leaders have, historical references of the lifework of distinguished leaders, or how certain leaders influenced events.

That’s why researching is key for a thorough leadership essay. With credible sources and references to take inspiration and quotes from, your leadership essay will gain authority and stature. Each method, skill, or event can be further detailed through helpful resources such as Google Scholar, JSTOR, etc.

Ask questions

Ask yourself questions while re-reading your essay to identify any missing pieces you may have overlooked.

Asking questions also address your essay's efficiency and will help you figure out what your readers could ask while reading your essay. You can then confront each of these questions and create a more precise understanding for your readers.

Share anecdotes

Another element that can really strengthen your leadership essay and take it from good to great is anecdotes.

Yes, don’t shy away from sharing anecdotes and personal experiences related to leadership. It adds credibility to your writing and justifies the points you have made. It can be humorous or life-changing, but sharing anecdotes helps keep readers invested and adds immense value to the essay.

Here’s a helpful video by Matthew Singleton on how you can use anecdotes while writing essays

Focus on key qualities

We know how effective leadership constitutes certain key traits and qualities such as empathy, collaboration, good listener, visionary, ownership, decision-making capabilities, delegation, communicator, and more.

Your essay needs to reflect some of these traits. Instead of choosing to enlist all these traits and not focussing on either of them well, it’s important to first choose which are the traits you want to explore in your essay and then work towards highlighting them while writing.

Get feedback

It is always better to have more than one pair of eyes to read and evaluate your essay. Getting feedback on your writing is crucial for the betterment of your essay, as the limitations and problems that you may not have realized while writing your essay can be identified by a fresh set of eyes or a new perspective.

These errors or misses can be rectified, resulting in a quality, no-error leadership essay.

Edit and proofread

A leadership essay requires attention to detail, a set organized structure, and a logical flow of sentences. Editing your essay and proofreading it will overcome any misses that may come your way.

As you proofread, you can double-check the leader’s name and designation, dates, sources, factual, spelling, and grammatical mistakes, punctuation errors, out-of-place references, and transition flows.

So, now you know that leadership essays are not as ‘vanilla’ as they sound. They need to be descriptive and logical while capturing your leadership abilities.

If you don’t have the time to write a compelling leadership essay or doubt your writing skills, don’t worry. We at Writers Per Hour are pleased to write an essay for you that will get you noticed.

From choosing a suitable topic to outlining and writing a thoughtful leadership essay from scratch, our writing experts promise to deliver precisely what you need - high-quality essays that meet your budget and deadlines.

Share this article

Achieve Academic Success with Expert Assistance!

Crafted from Scratch for You.

Ensuring Your Work’s Originality.

Transform Your Draft into Excellence.

Perfecting Your Paper’s Grammar, Style, and Format (APA, MLA, etc.).

Calculate the cost of your paper

Get ideas for your essay

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Developing Strong Thesis Statements

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

These OWL resources will help you develop and refine the arguments in your writing.

The thesis statement or main claim must be debatable

An argumentative or persuasive piece of writing must begin with a debatable thesis or claim. In other words, the thesis must be something that people could reasonably have differing opinions on. If your thesis is something that is generally agreed upon or accepted as fact then there is no reason to try to persuade people.

Example of a non-debatable thesis statement:

This thesis statement is not debatable. First, the word pollution implies that something is bad or negative in some way. Furthermore, all studies agree that pollution is a problem; they simply disagree on the impact it will have or the scope of the problem. No one could reasonably argue that pollution is unambiguously good.

Example of a debatable thesis statement:

This is an example of a debatable thesis because reasonable people could disagree with it. Some people might think that this is how we should spend the nation's money. Others might feel that we should be spending more money on education. Still others could argue that corporations, not the government, should be paying to limit pollution.

Another example of a debatable thesis statement:

In this example there is also room for disagreement between rational individuals. Some citizens might think focusing on recycling programs rather than private automobiles is the most effective strategy.

The thesis needs to be narrow

Although the scope of your paper might seem overwhelming at the start, generally the narrower the thesis the more effective your argument will be. Your thesis or claim must be supported by evidence. The broader your claim is, the more evidence you will need to convince readers that your position is right.

Example of a thesis that is too broad:

There are several reasons this statement is too broad to argue. First, what is included in the category "drugs"? Is the author talking about illegal drug use, recreational drug use (which might include alcohol and cigarettes), or all uses of medication in general? Second, in what ways are drugs detrimental? Is drug use causing deaths (and is the author equating deaths from overdoses and deaths from drug related violence)? Is drug use changing the moral climate or causing the economy to decline? Finally, what does the author mean by "society"? Is the author referring only to America or to the global population? Does the author make any distinction between the effects on children and adults? There are just too many questions that the claim leaves open. The author could not cover all of the topics listed above, yet the generality of the claim leaves all of these possibilities open to debate.

Example of a narrow or focused thesis:

In this example the topic of drugs has been narrowed down to illegal drugs and the detriment has been narrowed down to gang violence. This is a much more manageable topic.

We could narrow each debatable thesis from the previous examples in the following way:

Narrowed debatable thesis 1:

This thesis narrows the scope of the argument by specifying not just the amount of money used but also how the money could actually help to control pollution.

Narrowed debatable thesis 2:

This thesis narrows the scope of the argument by specifying not just what the focus of a national anti-pollution campaign should be but also why this is the appropriate focus.

Qualifiers such as " typically ," " generally ," " usually ," or " on average " also help to limit the scope of your claim by allowing for the almost inevitable exception to the rule.

Types of claims

Claims typically fall into one of four categories. Thinking about how you want to approach your topic, or, in other words, what type of claim you want to make, is one way to focus your thesis on one particular aspect of your broader topic.

Claims of fact or definition: These claims argue about what the definition of something is or whether something is a settled fact. Example:

Claims of cause and effect: These claims argue that one person, thing, or event caused another thing or event to occur. Example:

Claims about value: These are claims made of what something is worth, whether we value it or not, how we would rate or categorize something. Example:

Claims about solutions or policies: These are claims that argue for or against a certain solution or policy approach to a problem. Example:

Which type of claim is right for your argument? Which type of thesis or claim you use for your argument will depend on your position and knowledge of the topic, your audience, and the context of your paper. You might want to think about where you imagine your audience to be on this topic and pinpoint where you think the biggest difference in viewpoints might be. Even if you start with one type of claim you probably will be using several within the paper. Regardless of the type of claim you choose to utilize it is key to identify the controversy or debate you are addressing and to define your position early on in the paper.

ThesisBusiness

Commited to Explore Knowledge

21 Essential Characteristics of A Good Leader

Leadership is a complex and multi-faceted subject. There are different leadership styles, and no one is necessarily better. No matter how better leader you are? One must continuously evolve and practice good habit to stay efficient in the workplace. Some characteristics might help to become even more productive and effective while leading a big team.

In this article, 21 characteristics of a good leader listed below are a mix of essential qualities for effecient leadership.

Table of Contents

21 Characteristics of A Good Leader –

1. self-confidence:.

Confident people are often seen as natural leaders. They’re the ones who step up and take charge when no one else is ready, and they’re not afraid of taking risks. They’re also usually good at inspiring others and helping them to see their potential.

Simply put, confidence is the belief in oneself and one’s ability to succeed. It’s about having faith in your skills and abilities and feeling capable of taking on whatever challenge.

Confidence is an essential quality for anyone who wants to be a leader. If you lack confidence, don’t give up – you can develop this vital skill with some effort.

Refer to Best self-confidence books to enhance your self-confidence and be a good leader.

2. Effective Communication :

A leader is someone who can communicate effectively to lead others. Communication is a vital characteristic of a leader, as it is essential to convey messages and instructions clearly to those being led.

By communicating effectively, leaders can communicate their message to their team and ensure everyone is working towards the same goal. It can make all the difference in your success.

3. Honesty:

Leaders are those who set an example for others. A leader is someone who is followed by others, someone who is looked up to and respected. And one of the essential characteristics of a leader is honesty.

Honesty is vital in a leader for several reasons. First, an honest leader will be trusted by those who follow him. Trust is essential in any leader-follower relationship. Your followers won’t trust you if they don’t believe you.

4. Integrity:

Integrity characteristic of a leader is significant to achieve success. Leaders with integrity are trustworthy and dare to do what is right, even when it is not popular or easy.

Why is integrity important for leaders? Integrity is vital for leaders because it is the foundation of trust. People must be able to trust their leaders to follow them.

How can leaders develop integrity? Leaders can develop integrity by being honest in their words and actions. They should also have the courage to do what is right, even when it is not popular or easy. Leaders can also model integrity for others by living up to their values and principles.

5. Passion:

A passionate leader can inspire and motivate others to achieve their goals. Passionate leaders can also create a vision and a sense of purpose for their team.

Passionate leaders are constantly learning and growing. Passionate leaders are also great communicators. They can communicate their vision and inspire others to follow them.

6. Persistence:

When it comes to leadership, many different characteristics can make someone successful. However, one of the essential traits of any leader is persistence.

Persistence is defined as the ability to keep going despite difficulties or setbacks. It is a critical quality for any leader, as they will inevitably face challenges and obstacles during their tenure.

7. Positive Attitude:

It is essential to have a positive attitude to be a successful leader. A positive attitude is characterized by optimism, hope, and general well-being. Leaders with positive attitudes can see the best in people and situations and inspire others to do the same.

Leaders with positive attitudes can see the best in people and situations and inspire others to do the same. A positive attitude is essential for any leader who wants to be successful.

8. Proactive:

A leader is not born but made. It is the continuous effort of the leader which makes them successful. An essential characteristic of a leader is proactivity. A proactive leader is always ready to take the initiative.

Proactive leaders always have a vision and strive to achieve it.

9. Respectful:

A leader must have certain qualities to be respected by others. He must be honest, reliable, responsible and have integrity. A good leader must be able to make quick and appropriate decisions.

A leader must be able to motivate and inspire others. A leader must be able to work hard and be dedicated to their work. A leader must be able to set an example for others to follow.

10. Flexible:

A leader can adapt to different situations and still be effective. It is essential for any leader, as the world is constantly changing and evolving. A leader must be able to change with the times and still maintain their vision and goals.

Flexibility is an essential quality for any leader. It allows them to adapt to different situations and still be effective.

11. Visionary:

A leader must be able to see the future and have a clear vision for what they want to achieve. They must articulate this vision to others to inspire them to follow. Leaders must also be able to adapt their vision as circumstances change and articulate it in a way that keeps others motivated.

A visionary leader can see the future and clearly understand what they want to achieve. They must communicate this vision to others to inspire them to follow.

12. Self-Motivating:

To be a leader, you must possess certain traits. Some of these characteristics include being passionate, having a vision, being decisive, and being able to communicate effectively.

A leader must also have a vision. A vision is a clear and concise statement of what the leader wants to achieve. Motivating others to achieve a common goal will be easier with a vision.

13. Decisive:

What is the one most decisive characteristic of a leader? Is it the ability to inspire others? Is it the ability to think strategically?

Leaders who can empathize with their followers can build strong relationships. Followers feel their leader cares about them and is interested in their well-being. As a result, they are more likely to follow their leader’s vision and direction.

14. Innovative:

A leader can vision, inspire and motivate people to achieve a common goal. A leader is innovative, can think outside the box, and always looks for new and better ways to do things.

A leader is someone who is always looking for ways to improve and always looking for ways to help others. A leader is always trying to impact the world positively and looking for ways to make a difference. Leaders are willing to stand up for what they believe in and are not afraid to speak their minds.

15. Open-Minded:

A leader can see the big picture and make decisions based on what is best for his team and the organization. A leader is also someone who can be open-minded and consider different perspectives. Being open-minded is a crucial characteristic of a successful leader.

There are many benefits to being open-minded. When leaders are open to new ideas, they can solve problems creatively. They can also build better relationships with others because they are seen as more flexible and understanding. Being open-minded also allows leaders to learn from their mistakes and grow as individuals.

16. Coachable:

When it comes to leadership, one of the most coachable characteristics is the ability to be open to feedback. Leaders who are receptive to feedback can learn and grow from the experience of others.

This coachability allows leaders to continuously improve their skills and knowledge, making them more effective leaders.

17. Empowering Others:

A person can’t do everything by his own. The collective efforts of his team is significant to achieve their objectives. A great leader always empower and encourage his teammembers to take initiative. Great leaders believe in producing another great leaders.

Hence It is the most characteristic of a leader. It isn’t their title, their position in the company, or even their wealth. Leaders who empower others provide them the power to make their own decisions, take their actions, and create team results.

18. Passionate:

When it comes to leadership, many different qualities can make someone successful. But one characteristic that is always essential for any great leader is passion.

A leader without passion is simply someone who is going through the motions. They may be successful, but they could be more genuinely passionate about their actions. And that’s why they’ll never be a great leader.

19. Self-Driven:

What defines a leader? Many qualities make up a leader, but one of the most important is drive. Leaders must be driven to achieve their goals, no matter their obstacles.

A driven leader is always looking for ways to improve. They are never satisfied with the status quo and always look for ways to take things to the next level. A driven leader is also unafraid of taking risks. They know that sometimes you have to take risks to achieve great things.

20. Caring:

A leader must have many qualities, but compassion is one of the most important.

Compassionate leaders can create a feeling of trust and safety within their team. It builds a strong bond between leaders and followers. When people feel they are being cared for, they are more likely to open up and be honest.

21. Christ-like:

Many qualities can lead to success. But if you ask me, the essential quality for a leader to have is Christ-like characteristics.

So, what are Christ-like characteristics? There are many, but the most important ones are love, compassion, forgiveness, and humility.

Conclusion:

Characteristics of a leader are challenging to define because there are so many different types of leaders and leadership styles. However, the 21 characteristics listed above are a good starting point for understanding what it takes to be an effective leader.

Recommended Articles –

6 Characterristics of A Bad Leader

11 Characterristics of Visionary Leader

11 Characterristics of Tranformational Leader

How to improve leadership skills in the workplace?

Best Leadership Attitude & Behaviour

Leadership Activities & Examples

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.