Qualities of a Successful Leader and Leadership

Qualities of a Successful Leader

1. Intelligence

A successful leader must have above average knowledge and intelligence. Mental ability to think precisely, analyze accurately, interpret clearly and consciously are necessary to consider the problems in the right perspective. 

2. Maturity

A leader should possess a high level of emotions stability and cool temperament. He needs a high degree of tolerance. 

3. Sound Physique

Sound physical and mental health is essential to bear the burden of leadership. Sound physique includes physical stamina, nervous, energy, mental vigor and important leadership qualities.

  

4. Self Confidence

The leader should have confidence in himself and a strong will power.

  

5. Empathy

The leader must have the ability to see things from other’s point of view. He must respect the viewpoints and feelings of others.

  

6. Foresight and Vision

He should have the capability to look forward and anticipate the events. He should have a high degree of imagination, moral courage, breadth and determination. 

7. Decisiveness

A leader must have sound judgement and the ability to take quick decisions. 

8. Human Relations Approach

A leader must have the capacity to understand people, work with them and to gain their confidence, loyalty and voluntary cooperation. He must be able to motivate people towards higher performance. 

9. Objectivity

A leader should be fair and objective in dealing with subordinates. He must be free from bias and prejudice.

Qualities of Successful Leadership

Leadership is an important part of management. It is the ability to secure desirable action from a group of followers voluntarily without using force. Leadership is a personal quality of behavior and character in a man, which helps him in exercising personal influence on subordinates. A leader must have different qualities. Some of the important qualities of the leadership are as follows: 

Qualities of Effective Leadership

1. Influence Behavior 

A leader must have influencing behavior as there are many followers to follow him. Whatever he does will be followed by his subordinates. So, he must be able to influence other in order to make work done. 

2. Controlling Power 

Controlling is one of the qualities of leader. Leaders should be supportive so that organizational goals can be achieved easily without any deviation since controlling takes the necessary corrective action for this purpose, leadership holds the controlling power to control the people and process. 

3. Organizing 

Organizing is another quality that the leadership must possess. In organizing, he must be able to organize all the necessities to fulfill the objectives of an organization like men, machine, material, money and so on. 

4. Trustworthy 

A leader must be trustworthy. It means, he must have a good faith so that the other i.e. superior and subordinates can believe him. He must speak truth all the time so that his subordinates can put the trust on him. He should not decide against his subordinates as he is the one to do the organizational job on behalf of his subordinates without their participation.

5. Followers 

A leader must have many followers as one cannot be leader without followers. The followers make a person a leader to whom the followers obey. Therefore, one cannot imagine becoming a leader without followers. 

6. Convincing Ability 

A leader must possess convincing ability. He must have ability to convince the situation to the other. Otherwise, he cannot be a leader. To convince means to make the people or subordinates understand and accept. 

7. Common Objectives 

A leader must work for the common objectives. His objectives should not be different from the objective of his followers. It means both of them must have common objective in order to achieve the goal of an organization. A leader who is effective does not get carried away by emotions. He should be fair and objective in his dealing with his subordinates. 

8. Situational 

Leader must act according to the situation. If he cannot cope with the situation, then the situation may take the wrong steps. Therefore, he must work in accordance with the situation. In other word, he cannot be tactful to cope the situation. 

9. Self Confidence 

A leader must be self confident. Confidence about one's leadership ability makes it possible for a leader to avoid and to face different situations as well as adopt a suitable style. Lack of self confidence often prevents managers to adopt participative style. Self-confidence always leads to success. 

10. Knowledge and Intelligence 

Effective leaders must have knowledge of group behavior, human nature, technical and professional skills. He must have intelligent perception of human psychology and ability to think clearly so that he can easily handle the difficult situation. 

Besides above qualities, a leader must have courage, sense of direction, judgment, tact, courtesy, integrity and positive attitude to be effective and to lead the organization successfully.

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