Core Attributes of a Successful Leader

Honesty

There are many attributes that go into being a great, quality leader. Of all those attributes, I believe the most important one you can have is honesty. When it comes to leading people, they have to know they can trust you in order to follow you. In order to see success, everyone needs to give 100%, and that’s only going to happen if your people trust that you can lead them to an end goal.

Vision

The second most important attribute is vision. Call it strategy…call it planning…I prefer the word “vision” because I like the metaphor of “seeing the big picture” when working toward an end goal. When you’re leading people, especially a big group of people, it’s critical to be concise and efficient in your strategy. The only way you can do that is if you can visualize your end goal and work backwards to determine the steps necessary to reach it.

Commitment

The third most important attribute is commitment, both to your cause and to your people. The journey to an end goal isn’t always an easy one, and it’ll take passion and commitment to get you there. Whether the process isn’t going so smoothly or the people on your team just aren’t performing to the best of their ability, it’s up to you as their leader to show commitment to them and the cause – to show that no matter the circumstances, you all will fight through it and work towards success.

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Communication

And lastly, the fourth most important attribute is communication. Many interpret this word as verbalizing a plan effectively, but it’s also incredibly important to listen. You have to understand the needs of your team and make them feel heard in order to achieve success. Sometimes communication is more about listening instead of preaching your plan.

As a leader, you may make mistakes or slip up in utilizing these attributes, and that’s okay as long as you acknowledge it and strive to be better. Once you learn to fully embrace and utilize these attributes, you’ll see how it changes the performance of your team and the efficacy of a plan in action.