9 characteristics that distinguish good leadership

28 de August, 2024

Good leadership in companies is fundamental, both for the success of the business and for the experience of employees.

But leadership goes far beyond managing teams and people. It is an art that involves various angles: communication, strategy, integrity, authenticity, trust, inspiration, among others.

Leaders play a crucial role in employee satisfaction and motivation. And they have a huge influence on the lack of it. 80% of workers have considered changing jobs because of their direct manager, while 45% of professionals have even decided to resign.

But what does it really mean to be a good leader? Discover with us 9 characteristics that distinguish good leadership.

1 – Effective and transparent communication

Good leaders necessarily have good communication skills. Without communication, it is difficult for any of the other characteristics associated with good leadership to have value and succeed on their own.

Clear and transparent communication is essential if leaders are to build a relationship of trust with people, involve them and guide them towards what is expected of them. It allows professionals to understand their role without ambiguity and to know how they can contribute to the company’s common goals and success. It also helps to minimize mistakes and misunderstandings.

Conversely, when there is no good communication, employees can feel more discouraged and lost, resulting in lower motivation and even productivity.

When we talk about good communication, we are also referring to non-verbal communication – body posture, gestures, eye contact – which must be congruent with verbal communication and reinforce its messages.

2 – Active listening

Everyone likes to feel listened to and, of course, in a professional context this is no exception. Leaders must be open to listening to their people and have the ability to pay attention to their opinions, problems, doubts, challenges or insecurities.

Being a leader is not just about talking, but much more about listening. However, active listening is often neglected by professionals in leadership positions.

Listening attentively and with genuine interest is a matter of respect and empathy. It’s about dedicating your time and attention to the other person and making them feel considered and valued.

3 – Demonstrates empathy and emotional intelligence

Connecting with others on an emotional level is one of the defining characteristics of a good leader.

Emotional intelligence is linked to the ability to understand, manage and express emotions. Empathy is the ability to feel compassion, to put yourself in other people’s shoes, to understand their needs and to consider the complexity of the challenges they face (rather than jumping to conclusions about their behavior).

Since the role of a good leader is not to command, but to guide and inspire, these traits are fundamental to creating a healthier working environment in which people’s individuality is respected and understood.

4 – Encourages personal and professional development

A good leader devotes their time to sharing knowledge and helping others to grow. They also focus on providing opportunities for skills development and encouraging people to find something that challenges and excites them, both at work and outside of work.

Professionals value their managers and employers investing in their ongoing training. And several studies show that when this doesn’t happen, employees are very likely to look for a new professional challenge.

For this reason, leaders must work towards the growth of their teams, taking into account what each person would like to learn or develop.

5 – Has integrity and takes responsibility

Not all leaders have the ability to exercise their power and responsibility in harmony. Only true leaders do.

This implies that leaders take responsibility and accountability for their mistakes – and also for the mistakes of their teams, rather than blaming them.

In addition, leadership is expected to be authentic and upright, to behave and make decisions ethically and transparently. Employees need to feel confident in their leadership, to feel that it defends them and treats them fairly.

6 – Is open to change and innovation (and promotes it)

Adaptability is a key characteristic of leaders, especially in today’s constantly evolving market. More than being prepared to manage change, leaders must drive it.

Driving change means encouraging the sharing of new ideas, creativity and experimentation. And it also means accepting risk and error.

By being part of an environment and organizational culture that embraces innovation and allows for failure, employees feel that their perspectives are valued.

7 – Has a positive and optimistic attitude

This doesn’t mean that people in leadership positions have to be upbeat all the time. But it is absolutely essential that they maintain a positive and optimistic attitude, especially when things go wrong.

Good leaders have the ability, even in the face of adversity, to foster enthusiasm, maintain motivation and show that they believe in better results in the future.

8 – Always looking to learn

A true leader doesn’t aspire to be the smartest person in the room, but that doesn’t mean they don’t try to acquire the knowledge and skills to do their job properly.

A common trait of great leaders is their constant curiosity and desire to learn more. They seek to learn because they want to perform well in their work, but also for personal development and fulfillment.

On the other hand, managers who don’t show this drive to keep up with the latest trends and best practices are bound to find it more difficult to adapt to change, innovation and the challenges of their sector.

9 – Ask employees for feedback

The truth is that there is always room for improvement and this also applies to leaders. And who better to identify points for improvement in managers than their employees?

A confident leader asks his teams what’s wrong. He conveys to people that his honest feedback is essential if they are to improve. He gives people space and time to develop their opinions and share their views on what can be optimized.

In short, leading people in a positive, transparent, empathetic and inspiring way can be a highly challenging task. Being a good leader takes time – and requires a lot of focus and practice.

After all, we’re talking about interpersonal relationships that involve complexity and therefore require a lot of flexibility and adaptability.