The most important contribution that psychology has made to the field of business over the past years has been in determining the key traits of acknowledged leaders. Psychological tests have been used to determine what characteristics are commonly noted among successful leaders. This list of characteristics can be used for developmental purposes to help managers gain insight and develop their leadership skills.
The increasing rate of change in the business environment is a major factor in this new emphasis on leadership. While in the past, managers were expected to maintain the status quo in order to move ahead, new forces in the marketplace have made it necessary to expand this narrow focus. The new leaders of tomorrow are visionaries. They are both learners and teachers. Not only do they foresee important changes in society, but they also have high ethical qualities and work to build integrity in their organizations.
The traits of an effective leader include the following:
- Emotional stability. Good leaders must be able to tolerate frustration and stress.
- Dominance. Leaders are often competitive and decisive and usually enjoy overcoming obstacles. Overall, they are assertive in their thinking style as well as their attitude in dealing with others.
- Enthusiasm. Leaders are usually seen as active, expressive. They are often very optimistic and open to change. Overall, they are generally quick and alert.
- Honesty. Leaders are often dominated by a sense of duty. They usually have a very high standard of excellence and an inward desire to do one’s best. They also have a need for order and tend to be very self-disciplined.
- Bravery. Leaders tend to be spontaneous risk-takers. They are usually socially aggressive and generally thick-skinned. Nevertheless, they are responsive to others and have high emotional stamina.
- Practicality. Good leaders are practical and logical. They tend to be low in sentimental attachments and comfortable with criticism. They are usually intensitive to hardship.
- Self-assurance. Self-confidence is a common trait among leaders. They tend to have little or no need for approval. They are generally secure and free from guilt and are usually unaffected by prior mistakes.
- Prudence. Leaders were found to be controlled and very precise in their social interactions. Overall, they are very protective of their reputation and consequently tend to be aware of what happens.
Beyond basic traits, leaders of today have to be able to motivate others and lead them in new directions. Leaders of the future must be able to envision the future and convince others that their vision is right. To do this, they must have the following personality traits:
- High energy. Long hours and travel are usually a prerequisite for leadership positions, especially when a company grows. Remaining alert and staying focused are two of the greatest obstacles one will have to face as a leader.
- Intuitiveness. Rapid changes in the world today combined with information overload result in an inability to “know” everything. In fact, more and more leaders are using their intuition and trusting it when making decisions.
- Maturity. To be a good leader, personal power and recognition must be secondary to the development of your employees. In other words, maturity is based on recognizing that more can be accomplished by empowering others than can be by ruling others.
- Team orientation. Business leaders today put a strong emphasis on team work. Instead of promoting an adult and child relationship with their employees, leaders create an adult/ adult relationship, which fosters team cohesiveness.
- Empathy. Being able to “put yourself in the other’s person’s shoes” is a key trait of leaders today. Without empathy, you can’t build trust. And without trust you will never be able to get the best effort from your employees.
- Charisma. People usually perceive leaders as special people. Charisma plays a large part in this perception. Leaders who have charisma are able to arose strong emotions in their employees.
Leaders are rarely born. Circumstances and persistence are major components in the developmental process of any leader. So if your goal is to become a leader, work on developing those areas of your personality that you feel are not up to “leader standard”.
