Seven Essential Qualities of the Modern Day Leader

As I connect with leaders throughout the United States, there is one issue that is consistently on their minds – staffing. Yes, staffing is a very broad term, but staffing is the one area that impacts every aspect of your organization and in 2023 staffing has tested our leadership.  So what do we do and what shall we focus on?  For now, let’s focus on the needs of your leadership team.

Perhaps you have a vacancy or two on your leadership team, maybe you have leaders that you need to make some strides to yield higher results, or maybe you can’t quite figure out the exact problem.  As our world continues to change, so do the qualifications and qualities for what we consider successful leadership. This article will present seven essential qualities that can transform your leadership team.  I would even say that as you hire new leaders you also include these things in your selection process.

Over the last decade, leadership has become much more relational and less hierarchal. As a result, to be effective in leadership you must possess:

Identity

As a leader, having a sense of personal identity is essential to make rational, ethical, and effective choices. When you are clear on who you are, you are also strong enough to stand by your principles and communicate them effectively to others.

Drive

Intrinsic motivation is essential to maintaining personal momentum and inspiring others. Because progress is not a straight unobstructed path, leaders must have the will to move forward even in restrictive situations.  

Intelligence

A great leader can communicate effectively, think analytically, and make rational decisions based on relevant data, best practices, and organizational needs.  Without critical thinking, you will not be able to engage in sustainable problem-solving the absence of which results in a loss of respect and trust.

Maturity

Strong leaders inspire confidence and keep the team moving forward even when faced with challenging situations. As a leader, you need to act with emotional intelligence and remain calm even when others become frustrated. This level of steadfastness comes with time-vested experience. 

Gratitude

Leaders who display gratitude improve the morale of their team and foster a positive work environment. Expressing gratitude can also increase overall productivity, because is creates a motivating environment and inspires others.

Accountability

In the workplace, accountability ensures mutual trust among team members and facilitates effective teamwork. It's essential to hold each individual within the team accountable for their actions and decisions to ensure success for the entire group. And yes, this includes you being held accountable as the leader.

Collaboration

Being able to understand how individual skills and knowledge can complement one another improves a team's overall success. As a leader, you need to be able to pull together the people necessary to better ideas, to innovate, and to create superior results.

In the quest for effective leadership, you must ensure that you take steps to develop these qualities, hire for these qualities, and embody these qualities.  Without these, no team will experience long-term success. 

These essential skills are the types of things that we will be addressing in our upcoming virtual series.  Get more information here.