5 Key Habits of Great Leaders

I don’t want to pass up the opportunity to share an article I read about 5 Key Habits of Great Leaders. Here are a few highlights:

A great leader isn’t a great leader because they run their own company or department. Nor are they great because they excelled in their industry early on in their career or employed a team that fulfills all the needs of the business. All of that helps, of course, but those things just make someone a leader. What is it that makes them great?

Effective leadership is the difference between a mediocre leader and a great one. Not only that, but strong leadership creates a strong workforce — research shows one of the most common reasons employees in the US are unhappy in their jobs is due to negative management. They feel less stressed and under pressure when they’re able to engage with leaders well.

Many habits distinguish average leaders from great ones; here are five of the most common.  

1. They work to improve their emotional intelligence

Forget IQ – it’s all about high EI when it comes to strong leadership. This refers to emotional intelligence, which is the ability to recognise and understand emotions in yourself and others. People then use this to manage their behavior and communication.

In today's world, leadership requires development through intentional practice and awareness, and the best leaders among us take time to invest in their own emotions and others. This means dissecting why employees might be acting or responding in different ways — and seeking to understand the reasons behind this.

2. They openly admit their mistakes

Mistakes happen to all of us, and making one isn’t a sign of poor leadership. When a leader makes a mistake, the worst thing they can do is ignore it or pretend it didn’t happen. This sends a message to their team that they either don’t care about what’s happened, they’re completely unaware of it or it’s more important to look good than take responsibility. In turn, employees will lose trust in that leader — and eventually, they’ll lose respect, too.

A great leader will do the opposite. They’ll assess and analyse what happened. They’ll admit any errors or blunders, and their main focus will be working out what happened, what there is to learn from the experience and how it can be avoided in the future.

3. They communicate well

Employees naturally look to a leader for a vision, direction and clarity. If a leader can't communicate well, their employees' performance and understanding of the company will falter. Ultimately, the business will suffer.

Active listening is an approach to communication that defuses potentially tense situations and helps seek solutions. For example, when employees say they want their voices to be heard in a company, they mean they want leaders to listen to their needs. Leaders may find it challenging to know what their employees are thinking at work, so taking the time to listen to them allows both parties to truly understand one another.

Want to know more? Head on over to the full article here for more ideas and perspective. Afterwards, why not drop me an email to share your thoughts at robert@vicleaders.com.au; or call me on 0467 749 378.

Thanks,

Robert