A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.

— Lao Tzu, Chinese Philosopher

With the ever-evolving and dynamic business environment, emphasis on leadership has grown like never before. A strong and able leadership is the need of the hour in the organizations to drive their vision and mission.

Unlike before, when managers were expected to manage stuff, today’s managers are required to lead the organization and its people from all directions through strategic business management. They have to anticipate risks, mitigate challenges and find innovative ways to keep the organizations at the top of their game.

There can be many leaders, but only a few who are effective in their roles. Here is a comprehensive list of traits that characterize the personality of an effective leader.

Visionary

An effective leader is a builder, creator and dreamer. He clearly knows what he wants to achieve and aligns his goals according to the vision. You can become a good leader only when you lead your followers or team towards that vision and make them dream the same dream as yours.

Optimism

People want to follow someone who remains positive in difficult situations. An effective leader must be optimistic enough to encourage and motivate people, no matter what the circumstances may be.

Integrity

A leader must exhibit a true, honest, sincere and transparent personality who judges all the team members equally and sets up examples of integrity before them.

Supportive Attitude

True that some mistakes can prove costly, but it is human to err. An effective leader supports his team by pointing out their mistakes and flaws in a manner that it becomes learning.

Confidence

More than anything else, an effective leader moves towards vision with confidence. The more confident the leader is about winning, the more the team is inspired to move ahead progressively.

Communication

A leader can win everyone’s heart by communicating effectively. Two-way communication encourages employees to recommend new ideas and makes them feel involved in the organization’s progress. New decisions regarding the project should be communicated to each and every team member involved.

Decisiveness

While it is important to communicate, it is extremely important for the leader to be decisive. As circumstances demand, leaders must be capable of taking quick and firm decisions. Sticking to their decisions is also a leadership quality that matters.

By adopting these essential traits, you will climb up the leadership ladder, and there will be no looking back.