Four Common Characteristics of Effective Leaders
Have you ever wondered
if you or someone you know is a natural leader? Are you interested in learning
some characteristics of good leadership?
If so, here
are some common personality characteristics inherent in effective leaders:
Task-Oriented
Are you the
kind of person who likes to get things done? Do people come to you and ask you
to do something for them and know you'll do it? Not everyone is task-oriented,
but effective leaders often are. Being task-oriented means being a
"doer," the kind of person who focuses on getting something done and
not stopping until the task is finished.
Task-oriented
people generally follow through. This is important in a leader, because leaders
have definite goals to reach and people to lead, and people will stop following
you if you don't get things finished.
Also,
task-oriented leaders do not need "babysitting" to get something
done. They can take initiative on their own - the task itself is motivation.
Honest
Self-Image
Leaders tend to
be pretty honest about their weaknesses and strengths, but not to the point of
letting either one take over. For instance, a leader can balance between
recognizing his weakness and not letting that stop him/her, and a leader can
see his/her strengths without getting conceited. Those in leadership positions
may find that they garner more respect when they are honest and
"transparent" about their flaws than if they pretend to be perfect.
People Person
A leader tends
to be a people person - someone who derives lots of energy from being around
people. Such extroverted personalities make great leaders, but introverts are
not barred from leadership, either. You can have a love for people and be
introverted; you just respond differently to interacting with others.
In other words,
you can be a "people person" even if you find yourself tired of
leading at the end of a day. Extroverts and introverts can both be motivated by
a love for people and their wellbeing.
"Infectious"
Joy
Have you ever
been around someone who just seems happy with life in general? If a person
shares an idea or thought and seems really happy about it, do you feel like
joining him or her? Leaders tend to exhibit this kind of infectious joy that
draws other people to them. Positive-thinking leaders have a zest for life that
compels other people to join them.
The good news
is that strong leadership skills can be learned. If you don't have all of these
traits naturally, you can work on developing them to improve your leadership
abilities.
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