Becoming a great leader generally takes a lot of hard work, vision, and time. The experiences that you gain and go through will help you to become a great leader. It doesn’t typically happen overnight. If you’re committed to doing the work, becoming a great leader for the team you have (or desire to have) is a great thing to aspire to. Here are 10 Qualities Of A Great Leader for you to save and reference back to often.
10 Qualities Of A Great Leader
1. Communicates Clear Vision
Communication is so important as a leader. Your team wants to know where you’re headed as a business owner and why they should be excited about following along. Make sure to communicate a clear vision. Great leaders know where they are going and understand how to effectively communicate it to their teams so they can be excited too. When your team is excited and on board, you will be unstoppable.
2. Connects Vision To Daily Tasks
It’s one thing to be excited. But to connect it to tasks that get the job done is an entirely different skill. Make sure you are providing your team with a list of things to do that will move the vision forward. It doesn’t make sense to be excited and moving nowhere fast. Are the tasks you’re providing to your team allowing them to take action? Is this action forward moving? If not, reevaluate. The vision needs to match the tasks so you can achieve goals together often.
3. Sets Clear Expectations
Don’t be passive aggressive with this one. Not everyone is YOU, and their excitement may linger from time to time. Setting clear expectations for each role on your team will help your teammates to stay on track. Even when their excitement wanes, they will still have actionable items to accomplish that will continue pushing the vision forward. Excitement may come and go, but clear expectations won’t waver. When it’s clear, everyone knows what to expect.
4. Provides Feedback and Coaching
Your team has likely joined you because they want to learn from you. And if you have a decent amount of experience, they probably have good reason to want that! Go above and beyond with providing feedback about how they are doing in their role. Coach them to become the best version of themselves. Training your team to aspire to the same work ethic that you have can create an unstoppable force. Coaching and feedback are long term goals that will help them ongoing. So don’t stop paying attention to the ways you can do that for them.
5. Cares About Employees
When you care about your business more than the employees who are helping to build it, it shows. Bring people onto your team and then take time to get to know them. Discover what makes them tick. Find new ways to show them that you care. Then, don’t stop learning and growing in this. Kindness goes a long way in this current day. Caring for people and showing them that you love building your business together is essential.
6. Shares Personal Experiences
Being a leader doesn’t mean that you hide your mistakes and growth experiences from your team. Quite the contrary! You should aim to continuously be growing as well and sharing that growth along the way. Personal experiences make you seem human instead of intimidating. Break down the barrier by sharing often and showing your team that you are still growing can help to alleviate any perfectionism stress that may be looming.
7. Makes Work Fun
No matter what kind of business you’re building, work to make it fun! Nobody wants to be a part of a team that’s boring, stressful, or just plain mean. Plan events together, hang out outside of work occasionally, and create experiences in the office or on your team that will make people want to be there. When work is fun and your team feels cared for and valued, they will never want to leave.
8. Values Employees Opinions
Everyone wants a place at the table. Being part of a team means that everyone should be heard at one time or another. Create a world space that values your employees or team members opinions. You never know what brilliant idea might emerge from someone on your team! When they feel safe enough to speak up, ideas can abound. And while each and every one might not be a winner, the safety in the room is what you’re after.
9. Develops Strong Teams
Great leaders put all of this things into practice and as a result, strong teams can be developed. With different goals of each team, when each are strong then goals can be achieved. As your teams are achieving goals together, they are learning more and more about one another. In that process, they bond together and strengthen as each day passes by. Strong teams that are working towards a common goal will become unstoppable. So as a leader, work towards developing strong teams that understand how to work together well.
10. Rewards Good Performances
When your team or employees are going a great job, rewards are essential. Everyone loves to be rewarded for their work. Look for ways to reward the people on your team for things big and small! It creates great morale and the desire to do MORE good within the team and work atmosphere.
These 10 Qualities Of A Great Leader are not exhaustive. There are many ways to become a great leader for the teams that you are building. Commit yourself to growing in this area, solving problems, and finding people with the same mindset to join your team. You will be unstoppable!
Have a stellar day!
Jess xo
PS: Maybe you struggle with Imposter Syndrome as a leader. It can be a giant challenge to overcome it! Check out this blog post I did with tips on How To Fight Past Imposter Syndrome.