Have you ever wondered what distinguishes great leaders from the rest of the pack? Is it true that they are born with leadership qualities? For decades, the dispute over whether leaders inherit the traits or evolve over time has sparked intense debates. Some believe that individuals are born with the characteristics of a leader and they are inherently bright, imaginative, creative, and appealing. They are capable of articulating a strategy and rallying their colleagues behind them. However, people on the other side of the spectrum feel that leaders are born, not made. They require continual experience, training, and guidance to become effective.
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Legendary football coach Vince Lombardi once stated, “Leaders are made, not born.” On the other side, the Great Man Theory claims that leadership qualities are passed down from generation to generation.
The Great Man Theory on Qualities of a Good Leader
In the nineteenth century, leadership studies centered on finding the personality traits and other aspects of successful leaders.
The Great Man theory’s central tenet is that leadership qualities are inherited and not created. In other words, only a couple of highly remarkable individuals are endowed with the attributes necessary to be good leaders and achieve greatness. These people were thought to be born with the characteristics of a leader, allowing them to guide others and create history.
The Great Man theory then led to another leadership theory that focused on determining the features and qualities of different successful leaders, further evincing that leaders are born with the ability to lead and these characteristics can not be developed.
Behavioral Theory
Behavioral theory, which is derived from trait theories, says that leaders are mainly formed, not born, and those specific leadership qualities may be learned to emerge as a figurehead. It focuses on leaders’ actual behavior rather than their attributes or characteristics, ignoring their circumstances and environments.
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Different patterns of behavior have been gathered together and labeled as styles due to research in this field. Blake and Mouton’s Managerial Grid is likely the best-known example of this approach in management training. This hypothesis is now exemplified by a plethora of leadership-development programs that focus on developing leadership qualities, abilities, and behaviors, bolstering the notion that a leader evolves over time.
What is Leadership?
There are a lot of definitions of a leader out there; for instance, Stodgill describes leadership as “an influencing process aiming at goal achievement,” focusing on persuading a specific group to accomplish determined goals and objectives. According to John Maxwell, leadership is “nothing more, nothing less” than the ability to influence others. However, there is no universally accepted definition of leadership.
The emphasis, in many definitions of leadership, is on an individual’s ability and the characteristics of a leader to influence and direct others toward the attainment of goals. As a result, we can define leadership as the art of persuasion that motivates subordinates or followers to work hard and attain desired outcomes.
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Leaders must be seen as individuals who are steadfast in their beliefs. When things go rough, a leader must work hard to ensure no one loses focus. In the workplace, the leader must be at the forefront, showing the rest of the team the way forward.
What are Leadership Qualities?
In both their personal and professional lives, influential leaders display the following five leadership qualities, motivating others to take action and charting a path to future success. Effective leaders also put essential habits into practice on a daily basis to maximize the benefits of these attributes. Take a look at these must-have characteristics of a good leader:
1. Communication
Influential leaders can communicate efficiently with individuals, business units, the entire firm, and external stakeholders. Having said that, effective communication skills entail more than just being able to convey information correctly and succinctly. Being able to listen is a crucial element of communication, especially as a leader.
People will feel more connected to you and your objective if you practice active listening and show interest in what they have to say. It will help to incorporate your team’s ideas and thoughts into the action plan. This will make them realize that they are heard and keep them motivated.
2. Delegation Capability
Delegating is one of the essential characteristics of a leader, although doing it effectively can be difficult. The idea isn’t simply to free up time for oneself; it’s also to assist others who are less experienced in learning more about the project at hand, which will help them set themselves up for future success. Influential leaders understand that delegating a task may be a powerful performance incentive, and so they are also aware of who the best individuals are to delegate specific jobs to.
3. Accountability
Being an accountable leader begins with being responsible for the entire team’s performance, even if the team has made mistakes. This may necessitate putting your pride aside to admit your team’s shortcomings. Competent leaders assess their involvement in a situation and devise a strategy for effectively resolving difficulties, disagreements, and roadblocks.
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Accountable leaders are willing to answer to the consequences of their decisions, behaviors, and actions in every situation. When things are rough, responsible leaders don’t point the finger at others. Instead, they make amends and take any necessary corrective action for the team.
4. Ability to Inspire
Most leaders expect their team members to follow what they’re saying, just because he/she is senior in the hierarchy. However, this does not imply that the leader motivates team members to perform at their best. It is the most critical aspect of characteristics of a leader that they must exemplify a strong work ethic in a team.
An inspiring leader motivates others to do their best work. Being an inspiration to your team not only helps you stay focused on your vision and goals but also keeps team spirit high. You will also be able to assist your team in demonstrating the qualities you want them to exhibit on their own, such as passion and determination.
5. Have a Positive Attitude
A bad attitude is the worst thing that can happen to a team’s morale. It depletes your group’s energy and diverts attention away from your task and performance. It might be damaging if the leader communicates poorly or has a pessimistic view.
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Having a positive attitude is an essential leadership quality for the work you’re doing in order to sustain a team’s momentum and keep people’s energy levels up.
How Can You Build Good Leadership Qualities?
Don’t worry if you lack some of these leadership qualities; there are ways to improve your ability to lead. We, at Talentedge, believe that leadership is a skill that can be learned and leaders are shaped through practice, study, and adaptation.
It’s also critical to remember that leadership is a social phenomenon. It’s less about a charismatic or powerful individual and more about a collection of people working together to achieve common goals. If you show some of the traits of a successful leader but don’t know how to execute this, you’re not going to get very far on your own. You may be well-liked and respected, but achieving organizational goals will be difficult.
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Regardless of the level, you achieve in your business, leadership isn’t a destination; it’s something you’ll have to work on throughout your career.
And if you’re someone who is open to growth and willing to put in the time and effort to improve yourself, you can strengthen any of these characteristics of a good leader. Organizations, likewise, can assist their employees in honing these leadership qualities through training and real-world experiences.
After the Covid-19 outbreak, the popularity of online learning has expanded expeditiously. Talentedge offers you online leadership courses to help you develop your skills while continuing your job.
Talentedge has partnered with some of the world’s most prestigious institutions to provide you with a variety of advanced online leadership programs. Diplomas from these institutions are highly valued and contribute to your professional development. There are multiple benefits of pursuing online courses from Talentedge, for instance,
- Professionals will find it easier to attend live lectures since classes are held on weekends
- In a virtual setting, live and interactive learning provide a real classroom experience
- Hands-on practical experience to apply what you have learned in the current workplace
- One-on-one doubt solving sessions
- Industry professionals will deliver guest lectures to help students better comprehend real-world scenarios
- Student and tech support
- On successful completion of the course, you will be awarded a certificate from the respective institute.
More Information:
Essential Skills for a Leader to Master
Leadership Skills Required While Developing Strategies
Top Leadership Skills You Need To Learn To Lead Your Team
4 Steps to Improve Your Leadership: Managing to Be the Best
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