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Communications Leadership Success Secrets

7 Attributes Great Leaders Share

Leadership is a daunting task, and theories abound about how to best lead others. Regardless, you can imagine great leaders share attributes. With the right blend of attributes, you can thrive within any leadership system. Having trained and led over 100 professionals in a span of years, I’ve seen firsthand that it’s possible to develop these characteristics with study, effort and an ample dose of enthusiasm.

Ideas are easy, but it’s the consistent execution that’s challenging. Big ideas require multiple people to bring them to life, and leadership is all about getting everyone on the same page and moving them in the same direction.

Leadership requires attributes you can adopt. Photo by fauxels

Consider developing these qualities that enhance leadership ability:

  1. Communication. I deliberately named my company Candid Communications because I’ve seen the value of open, forthright and candid communications. To effectively communicate your vision to the others in your group, you must be willing to be open, to listen to new ideas and to provide perspective required for others to do their best. Communication skills are paramount to all leaders.
    • If you’re looking for a single skill to enhance, communication is a great place to start.
  1. Confidence. Confident people inspire confidence in others. When your team sees your confidence, they believe you know what you’re doing, where you’re going and how to get there. Confidence is contagious and elevates morale. No one else will be confident if you’re not.
    • Even when facing setbacks, keep morale high by dealing with it confidently.
  2. Trustworthiness. One of the most important attributes of a great leader is character. People need to trust someone before they will follow them. This is accomplished through honesty, walking the talk and showing respect. Keep your word and follow through.
    • It’s challenging for a team to accomplish anything without trust.
  3. Enthusiasm. I mentioned this earlier, but be enthusiastic about the task at hand, your position and the opportunity to lead. You have to act as though no one will exceed your level of enthusiasm. Demonstrate the type of enthusiasm you’d like to see in your team members. Let everyone know you believe in your mission and its importance.
    • Because we’re all human, know that sometimes a break is in order to recharge enthusiasm, which can fade under a never-ending workload.
  4. Steadiness. All leaders face obstacles and times of uncertainty. But great leaders weather these situations and demonstrate the steadiness necessary to keep the rest of the team focused. These are the times your team will look to you for strength. Be positive. Be confident. Be a rock.
    • It’s natural to have doubts. It’s not effective to share them. If you need someone to talk to, reach out to your spouse, partner or best friend. Keep all negativity out of the workplace.
  5. Focus. It’s easy to become distracted, especially when things go awry. I’ve seen the best path is to ignore the noise and stick to relevant facts. Avoid looking too far ahead (that can paralyze progress, too). Deal with the current situation and maintain your commitment.
    • Focus can begin to creep in when projects drag for an extended period of time. Return to your mission statement, values and goals frequently to keep your focus fresh.
  6. Flexibility. Nearly anyone can hold the course, but only great leaders can change course without tipping over the ship. Be open-minded enough to find the elegant solution to the challenges that arise. A few course corrections are the rule rather than the exception.
    • Avoid confusing steadfastness with stubbornness. It’s important to realize when it’s time to make some changes.

Regardless of the leadership strategy guiding your company, these attributes can serve you well. They can help you become an admired leader. Why? Because great leaders have developed many of the same attributes. Learning to demonstrate these attributes will enhance your leadership abilities and increase your power and influence at work.

Even with all the enthusiasm you can muster, leadership skills can’t be learned and developed in a day. But bringing an idea into the marketplace requires a leader, so make yourself the obvious choice.