It takes a range of qualities to be a great business leader. Here are just several qualities worth developing if you want to be successful.
Confidence
Confidence is trust in one’s own abilities and the willingness to take on new challenges. When it comes to taking risks in business and inspiring staff, being confident is essential.
There are many ways to become more confident. One way is to know your stuff. A lot of people can be held back by ‘imposter syndrome’, which is the belief that they are not capable of their job and that they will be found out as a fraud. By educating yourself and becoming an expert in your field, you can reduce this fear by always having answers to give.
Confidence is also down to positivity. By banishing negative thoughts and embracing an ‘I can’ attitude, you can improve your confidence. Motivational coaching can be worth looking into – there are coaches that specialise in helping leaders to become more confident. You may also be able to improve your confidence by reading self-help books and surrounding yourself with positive people.
Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm is infectious. It can help to secure sales and motivate staff by making people equally enthusiastic about your business. Whilst we all have bad days, the best business leaders are able to stay positive in spite of life’s setbacks and tragedies.
Being enthusiastic requires energy. Getting a good night’s sleep and regularly exercising can help you to have the energy to be enthusiastic at all times. Embracing a positive outlook is also important – rather than dwelling on problems, focus instead on finding solutions.
Organization
Running a business is often a juggling act and so being organized is important so that important details don’t get missed. This involves establishing routines, drawing up plans in advance and knowing how to delegate.
Becoming a more organized person isn’t easy but can be done. Procrastination and forgetfulness are the two worst enemies of organization and you should work on getting rid of these negative qualities. To prevent procrastination, start rewarding yourself for completing organizational tasks – such tasks can be mundane, but by treating yourself after you can find the motivation to complete. Forgetfulness meanwhile can be eliminated by always writing everything down and creating alerts on your phone.
Empathy
Empathy is the ability to relate to people’s emotions and see things from others’ perspectives. Most people think a good business leader has to be ruthless and emotionally detached, but too much ruthlessness will make your employees hate you. It’s important to not just treat your staff as resources but as people – by sensing and aiming to solve their problems, you can create harmony in the workplace and build a happy team.
You can improve your empathy in the workplace by not making every discussion about work and by getting to know staff on a personal level. Your employees don’t have to be your friends, but it is important to see eye to eye.
Integrity
Being honest and owning up to mistakes is also an important quality to have as a business leader. If you constantly blame others for mistakes or deny issues, you’ll cause others to distrust you. Among your employees, it could even encourage a toxic environment in which nobody wants to own up to their mistakes.
Allow yourself to make mistakes and encourage others to open up about their mistakes without chastising them. Focus on finding solutions to problems – people will forgive you for making mistakes if they know you’re intent on fixing them.
Creativity
Business leaders need to be able to think out of the box. This is a key skill involved in the problem-solving process and it can be important for inspiring people.
Too much structure can prevent creativity – whilst it’s important to be organized, you should be willing to improve upon routines by experimenting with new ideas. Consider holding brainstorming sessions to help share ideas and read inspirational stories by other business owners.
Decisiveness
Being able to make fast decisions is also an important business skill. Modern businesses are very fast-paced and whilst you should take time to meditate on all your options, it’s important to know when to commit yourself to one option before it’s too late.
Perfectionists often have trouble with decisiveness – it’s important to realise that no decision can ever be perfect and there will always be downsides. Make a habit of listing the pros and cons when making big decisions and decide whether the pros outweigh the cons. You can also take votes to get your employees involved in decisions.
Eloquence
Being a good communicator is also vital. By being able to get across your message articulately and concisely, you’ll build trust. This involves written and verbal communication.
You can become more eloquent by taking time to communicate – whether it’s speaking slower or taking time to write an email. Stick to layman’s terms and keep sentences short and to the point. You may be able to seek out speaking coaching to become more eloquent.
