Qualities of a good leader: everything that makes a leader indispensable. What should be an effective leader

Who are you: a performer or a leader? What qualities are important for the success of a leader, the site told the portal Svetlana Nefedova, consultant of the international personnel holding.

It is no secret that employees in companies are divided into two categories: those who make decisions, manage all business processes, and those who implement these changes. The first are called leaders, and the second - performers. This article will discuss what personal and business qualities a leader should have in order to direct the company to growth and prosperity.

The qualities of a leader are the same for both corporate executives and heads of small departments. This is what helps to cope with the tasks set, successfully build a career and relationships with others.

The main components of a successful leader are three categories of qualities:

Personal (psychological) qualities - with the help of them they gain respect and authority among subordinates and superior colleagues;

Business qualities - the ability to organize work and distribute responsibilities, leadership, communication skills, the ability to convince, initiative and self-control;

Professional qualities are good special education, erudition, competence in their profession, high learning ability, as well as the ability to plan their work.

Consider the main personal and business qualities of a leader. I emphasize that the points below are more applicable to managers in international companies with a well-organized business management system, clear goals and standards.

1. Systems thinking is the basis of the personal qualities of a leader. In the process practical activities it is necessary to be able to think - to determine in advance possible difficulties and ways to overcome them. The skill of systems thinking helps to cover all aspects of the case and influencing factors.

2. Ability to make decisions. Leaders face a myriad of challenges every day, and they need to do so based not only on an understanding of the situation, but also on personal values and principles. If personal values are not clear to the leader and others, they will be perceived in a distorted way.

As a result, the effectiveness of adoption and implementation management decisions will decrease. A leader who is not able to define his goals cannot achieve success in management activities, and is limited by this fuzziness.

3. Creative thinking. The ability to think outside the box, combining the benefits of accumulated experience with original, innovative management methods. The skill of developing non-standard management decisions in conditions where alternative courses of action are unclear or doubtful is necessary.

4. Result orientation. A successful leader quickly reacts to changes in the situation, independently accepts effective solutions in the conditions of lack of time, consistently and purposefully achieves the goal, separating the main from the secondary, without drowning in the turnover.

5. The ability to introspect, a sober assessment of one's actions, the ability to make the most of the positive experience of others. A person must understand the role of a leader in an organization, be able to see what impact he has on the organization.

6. Sociability. An effective leader builds a communication system in the organization, receives reliable information and evaluates it effectively. Any leader spends a significant part of his working time on communication. Therefore, an important professional quality for him is the ability to carry out business communications with people regardless of their own emotional assessments.

He must control his behavior - a negative attitude towards someone cannot affect the character business relations with him, and a positive attitude towards the employee works as an additional incentive to increase activity.

7. Leadership. The manager encourages the participation of employees in the discussion of problems, is able to abandon his point of view if they prove that it is not effective. Expresses only constructive criticism to subordinates, trying to help them to better express themselves professionally.

Gives them as much freedom as possible for official actions, while allowing compromises, but without showing unscrupulousness. A good leader wins favor.

8. Stress resistance. A modern leader must have a high resistance to frustration, be cold-blooded to some extent. Those who do not know how to manage themselves, deal with conflicts and stresses, use their time, energy and skills effectively, are limited by this inability and cannot manage other people.

9. Constant self-development. Professionalism is a self-increasing value. The leader is called upon to be an example of raising the level of his theoretical knowledge and practical skills, general cultural growth. It is extremely important to systematically demonstrate to him a good command of the technology of intellectual self-expression in the development of managerial decisions.

10. Responsibility for your actions and delegation. In other words, the leader sets an example for others. The standards used to assess the quality of work should be the same for all. The leader shares with his subordinates both the joy of victory and the bitterness of defeat.

I bring to your attention an interesting article by Fedor Nesterov, in which he gives vivid image“right and wrong” leader.

If you want to become a good leader, you must first understand what a good leader looks like and how he behaves.

You need to imagine what his correct image is. In means mass media, literature and cinema, the leader is very often presented in the form of a person who goes ahead of everyone and leads everyone along with his personal example. Like a commander who, before the attack, was the first to get out of the trench under the bullets and shouting “Hurrah! Forward! Behind me!" ran forward, hoping that his subordinates would also crawl out under the bullets and run after him. I have to disappoint you - this is the wrong image of a leader. It's just that most writers and screenwriters have never been good leaders, so they don't know what he really looks like.

If you want to better remember this wrong image, so as not to get caught, imagine it in the form of a “burlak on the Volga”. Remember, there is such a picture - "Barge haulers on the Volga" - a huge barge, the only driving force which are the emaciated barge haulers who pull this barge forward by the rope with their last strength? The leader, who carries everyone along with him, is the same barge hauler. And his company is a barge that he pulls alone.

All the negative consequences of such behavior are obvious:

The strength of one person is limited, so his energy may simply not be enough to move the company from its place.
While you are overworking, you are holding back the energy of your subordinates, they are bored, waiting for a chance to prove themselves.
It is worth the barge hauler, that is, you, to stop, and the forward movement will stop ...

The correct image of the leader is completely different - the subordinates rush forward, and he only directs their movement and regulates the speed. The correct image is the coachman natachanka (high-speed wagon).

Horses (subordinates) are harnessed to the cart, which rush forward, and the coachman (leader) only directs and regulates their movement. He pulls on the reins when he wants to turn. With his voice, and if necessary, with a whip, he spurs the horses on and makes them run as briskly as he needs. Pulling on the reins - restrains movement, up to a complete stop, if it considers it necessary.

This behavior provides the manager with significant advantages:

The speed of the cart is determined by the number and agility of the horses, and not by the energy of the coachman.
The task of the coachman is not to move the cart, but to determine where to go.
If the coachman gets tired or drunk, in general, for any reason he breaks down and falls into the cart, then well-trained horses will take him home ...

A good leader primarily focuses on creating and training himself. good team subordinates: energetic, professional, manageable, united by a single goal. After such a team has been created, the leader focuses on determining the strategy - where to go - and organizing the ongoing management of the team. So as not to overload subordinates with detailed instructions (in the jargon of managers, this is called “rearranging legs”). And, on the contrary, - to set more general tasks for subordinates, giving them complete freedom in working out small details. This frees the manager from minor troubles and gives subordinates the opportunity for self-realization.

Only after that, the company's cart will briskly run in the direction the leader needs, without requiring petty control on his part. And as a reward, he himself will get the opportunity to personally do what he considers important and necessary (for example, throw the reins, fall into the cart and look at the sky).

Being a true leader is incredibly difficult. And not only because of responsibility, but also from the fact that in large teams the leadership is always treated with indignation. In addition, it just so happened that leaders are not shy to attribute unflattering traits, for example, excessive self-confidence. Of course, in most cases, leadership is worthy of respect. No one is born to be a good boss, and they have to go through a thorny path to become one.

Before appointing a person to a leadership position, his candidacy is considered for the presence of certain qualities. Management psychology helps to understand what qualities an effective leader should have. First of all, always look at individual character traits. If these traits match psychological portrait a good manager, then a person can count on a quick career and the coveted executive chair.

Key personality traits of a boss

Self-esteem

It is unrealistic to become a good director if you are not able to control your actions and are not able to evaluate them from the outside. In working with people, one cannot do without critical self-assessment; it is necessary for normal relations with one's subordinates. A leader who has this quality will not demand impossible things from his people, because he perfectly understands what is possible to do and what is not.

ambition

This is one of the key factors that makes a person move forward, pushing his way to the top of the food chain. All the actions of an ambitious employee are aimed at improving their own work. This is what allows him to stand out favorably and get an enviable promotion. Ambition is extremely important in private business. If a person does not have it, then he is unlikely to move further and will remain the owner of a couple of small shops or cafes.

Perseverance and determination

If a person is afraid to make a mistake, malleable to the opinions of other people, he is unlikely to be successful. Of course, it is silly to argue, we are all human and we all have our own fears and thoughts about possible mistakes. That's just to give free rein to your fear, too, is not necessary. A good boss is also afraid, but despite this, he still moves forward and achieves his goal.

Patience and self-control

A leader who is not able to control his emotions and loses control after the first failure, or breaks down on his subordinates, will never achieve respect. Any boss is respected for his calmness and self-control. You must lead the team by your own example, inspire them to new work feats.

A responsibility

A real leader understands that he is responsible not only for himself, but also for all his subordinates. You can not move away from the team, so you will not be able to effectively manage it. If people feel that the boss has moved away from them, then they will work carelessly, and this will negatively affect productivity.

exactingness

All subordinates must clearly and quickly complete the task. If you let them work, as mentioned above, carelessly, then you can forget about efficiency and discipline. Every boss must remember that he is also responsible for discipline in the team. So that all instructions are carried out qualitatively and for short term, orders must be given without shouting, and all subordinates must be treated fairly. Shouts, threats, raising the tone - the wrong tactic.

Equality

It's no secret that different people treat their employees differently. But we must not forget that people do not like it when they single out one person. Do not take pets, all subordinates must be treated equally.

Sense of tact and mutual respect

In a large company, any employee has the right to expect respect, even if it is a night guard. No need to belittle the dignity of people, on the contrary, help and support them, then you will definitely win their love. All psychologists assure that a good boss will not forget to ask about the well-being of his subordinates, empathizes with their grief or loss, etc. An ideal leader is always perceived by a subordinate as not a stranger, which has a beneficial effect on the quality of work.

Personal professional qualities

The success of the organization directly depends on the knowledge and skills of the leader. Therefore, the manager must meet the following requirements:

Advanced Knowledge

Any leader, like the captain of a ship, must know the answers to all questions and be a role model. Also, do not forget about such qualities as: the desire to move forward, self-education and comprehensive development, the skill of detecting and quick decision problems, the ability to listen to others.

Organizational skills

The skill of organizing work is one of the most important for an effective leader. After all, the coordinated work of subordinates is the key to the success of any business.

Fast Decision Making

The leader is obliged to immediately solve critical situations, to be able to calculate everything a few moves ahead. It often happens that delay is like death, because the boss is responsible not only for material and production values, but first of all for his subordinates. Therefore, you need to clearly understand how to act in critical cases.

Business qualities

Do not discount the business qualities of the leader. The key features are:

Full responsibility for decisions taken. Simply put, the head himself should make important decisions, and not entrust this to his deputies;
Regularly develop yourself and monitor the development of the skills of your subordinates. The leader must find new options that will help increase the efficiency of the workflow. It doesn’t matter in what area the company operates, if you forget about the constant movement forward and the use of modern technologies, then you can forget about success.
The ability to adapt to modern trends and the ability to change the scope of activities if the company did not succeed in this one.
The ability to choose management methods suitable for the assembled team. After all, achieving the goal is not always possible. Therefore, set only realistic and feasible goals for your subordinates.

Various events regularly happen in the team. conflict situations, therefore, the boss must act as a kind of "father of the family", be able to encourage and punish. Just don't forget about fairness. Sometimes, the leader has to become a general on the battlefield and make difficult decisions to get out of this situation. But do not forget that you are responsible for all the decisions you make. Sometimes you need to be able to become a friend in order to support colleagues. Just do not forget that you are the boss, which means that the interests of the company are higher than yours.

If you have most of the above qualities, do not hesitate, you will definitely be promoted soon. career ladder. And if not, then try to develop them, starting with your own ambitions. Moreover, now there are enough various trainings, where people are helped to develop certain qualities.

All of us, occupying not the most key positions in a company or organization, as a rule, show dissatisfaction with certain qualities and behaviors of our superiors. And, of course, each of us assures ourselves that, if I were in their place, I would be a good boss, in which employees. However, upon reaching the desired position, we are seized by fear, and we constantly ask ourselves the question of Tom, leader. Today we propose to figure out what a real leader should be and what qualities he should have.

leader and lead people behind you?

Experts identify several basic skills with which a person will be able to succeed in the position of chief. As a rule, in large organizations they try to promote people who already have most of the necessary abilities to key positions. The missing skills will have to be developed in the process of work. We propose to dwell on each of them in more detail.

Employee motivation

A good leader is, first of all, a person who knows clear answers to the following questions. Why does your organization need these employees? What keeps them in your company and prevents them from leaving for competitors? What makes employees stay in your organization even after tough times? A talented boss, of course, understands that the reason here is not money at all. More precisely, not only them. There are many other reasons that you, as a leader, need to understand. Therefore, in order to be a good, class teacher, you must follow the recommendations:

Remember that we are primarily driven by our values and self-respect. So, if you show respect to each of your employees, regardless of their position, you can be sure that the team will respond to you with 100% dedication.

As much as possible, talk heart to heart with your employees. Try to find out how much they like their daily work, whether they get satisfaction from it. This information will help you in the future.

Offer your employees some perks that are important to them. So, if your employees are concerned own health and physical form, then give them the opportunity to visit gym. If the priority for them is the family, then let them take the children to school in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon. Believe me, people will appreciate your care for them, which will have an extremely positive impact on both the microclimate in the team and productivity and labor efficiency.

Goal Setting

If you are wondering how to become a good head of sales or another department or even an organization, then keep in mind that very important aspect is the ability of the boss to clearly identify So, each employee must clearly understand what the boss expects from him. Having specific goals, it will be easier for a person to focus on the current work. Therefore, clearly convey to each of your subordinates your expectations and deadlines for completing tasks, and also explain what you will then do with the results obtained and why you need them.

Job evaluation

Although the vast majority of people view criticism negatively, it is an essential element of a well-established workflow. However, make every effort to explain to your employees that a conversation with a small assessment of the results of their work is by no means a reason to find fault with their work. Set a schedule for such discussions in advance so that employees can plan their time.

Delegation of responsibility

This point is one of the most important when talking about how to become a better leader. So, of course, if you become a boss, then you are doing your job well. However, this does not mean that you have to do everything yourself. One of them is to teach other employees how to work well. You need to start small. At first, give subordinates such tasks that, if performed incorrectly, can be easily corrected. Gradually train your employees and empower them. In doing so, consider their strengths and weak sides and move on to more complex and responsible tasks. This will help your employees not only grow into professionally but also increase their value to the company.

Communication

The qualities of a good leader are inconceivable without sociability and openness to their subordinates. So, make it clear and periodically remind employees that if they have any questions or difficulties, they can always contact you directly. Communication built in this way will help you quickly learn about problems and, accordingly, quickly solve them.

In addition, show genuine interest in your subordinates. You should not communicate with them using an exclusively business tone. Ask employees about their well-being, how they spent yesterday evening, who they cheered for during the last football match, etc. Tell us a little about yourself. In other words, connect with them. Believe me, people appreciate attention to themselves and will definitely answer you with loyalty. However, do not go too far. So, do not ask subordinates about too personal things, such as family life, religious views etc.

Learn from mistakes

First of all, let your employees make mistakes. Of course, one should not turn a blind eye to such phenomena, however, as they say, one should not give a thrashing to subordinates over every trifle either. Otherwise, people will be afraid to come to you with their problem or even try to hide the fact of the mistake, which can have the most negative impact on the results of your organization as a whole. Therefore, remember that we are all human, and we have the right to make mistakes.

Another important principle that helps answer the question "how to become a better leader" is the ability to admit your own mistakes. So, if something doesn't go the way you expected, don't be shy and discuss what happened with the team, trying to figure out what should have been done to achieve the result. This approach will show employees that you, too, can be wrong, and will also teach you how to correct your own flaws.

Use egalitarianism

If you are seriously thinking about how to become a better leader, then pay close attention to this item. After all, most of us are actually not as egalitarian as we think. Quite often, we highlight favorites and favorites on a subconscious level, without realizing it. As a result, we all know that it is not uncommon for a boss to recognize for the most part the merits of those people who constantly remind him of themselves and express their devotion and loyalty in every possible way. At the same time, the contribution of employees who modestly and painstakingly carry out their work is often underestimated. Therefore, pull yourself together and try to give people their due, not in connection with their attitude towards you, but according to the results of their work.

In addition, always follow the rule that absolutely all your subordinates must be treated well. Believe me, this will have an extremely positive impact both on the microclimate in the team and on the results of work.

Can the fair sex be a great boss?

This question is in recent times is highly relevant. Therefore, if you are thinking about how to become a good leader for a woman, then take into account that there is no special secret here. However, practice shows that it is ladies who are often more effective bosses than representatives of the strong half of humanity. This is pretty easy to explain. After all, a woman throughout her life has to simultaneously concentrate on more tasks and goals than a man. Accordingly, this is reflected in her ability to lead.

Additional Qualities of a Good Leader

Always remember that respect, understanding and recognition of our merits makes us move forward. In this regard, always be as loyal as possible to your subordinates. So, a good leader always knows his employees by name, and is also aware of their affairs. Always support your employees by giving them a helping hand in difficult times. May your doors always be open. In addition, the qualities of a good leader are inconceivable without honesty and responsibility to subordinates. Do not hide from them the state of affairs or your plans. Believe me, all people appreciate the trust placed in them.

Is his secret in charisma, persuasion skill or something else? What manager we are ready to consider good? This is discussed by Claire Liu, director of Know Your Company, which develops online programs for team training in companies.

1. A real leader does not lead in the truest sense of the word.

Based on the title of the position, it can be assumed that the leader should lead others. It's obvious, isn't it? But what does “lead” really mean?

Instead of "lead", words such as "direct, control, check" are often used. And all this, in my opinion, is not at all what a leader should do.

I am convinced that the best leaders focus on one single task: trying to understand what motivates people and create an environment in which employees will feel comfortable working under the influence of their own internal motivation.

You do not need to manage or influence anyone. You don't even need to expand someone's powers. On the contrary, you should assume that your colleagues already have the necessary abilities, talents and skills.

2. Clarity and clarity - above all

Start by making all processes in the company as clear and transparent as possible. Are your colleagues aware of what is about to happen? Why is their work important? What should the result look like? Do they know how their work affects the life of the company as a whole? Do they know what standards the results of their work must meet?

Good leaders continually clarify these issues in meetings, mailing lists, and face-to-face meetings. They are always interested in employees, what is not clear to them, what confuses them and what issues they would like to discuss in more detail. Only by ensuring the clarity and transparency of work, you can achieve good results. In addition to the leader in the team, there is no one who could take on this responsibility.

3. Always provide the necessary information

Personnel must be adequately trained, familiar with the history of the company and have necessary tools to solve the tasks, as well as to understand what kind of result the owners of the company and other interested parties want to get. In a word, workers need information.

Otherwise, people will act blindly. There is nothing worse when an employee is expected certain actions and he doesn't know about it. In this situation, the person feels helpless.

Questions “What difficulties do you have?” or “What can I do to help you achieve results?” given to subordinates will help you figure out what information they need to work confidently and productively.

4. Take care of psychological comfort

Your success as a leader depends on how honest your subordinates are with you. If it's hard for them to be honest with you, you risk losing control of the situation if things go wrong.

For example, if the implementation of the project becomes impossible as scheduled, will someone inform you in advance and on their own initiative in order to take immediate action? Or will you only find out about it when a partner or client starts writing you angry letters after hours?

Creating a comfortable environment for communicating with employees is that you take the first step and show your own vulnerability as a leader.

For example, do you admit that you find it difficult? If so, then others feel entitled to admit that it is difficult for them too. Or if an employee talks about their mistake, would you thank them for being honest? If so, then the willingness of your employees to tell the truth greatly increases.

5. Ask the right questions

It is generally accepted that a successful leader has all the answers. Society values people who can answer correctly. Schoolchildren, for example, get fives for this. TV show contestants who answer quiz questions correctly win millions of dollars. However, in our society, the skill of asking questions is practically not valued. It's a pity.

It is the ability to set the right questions, in my opinion, is hallmark good leader.

This is how you show that you want to learn more about your colleagues. They become psychologically comfortable with you to communicate. In addition, you get the opportunity to learn completely unexpected things about your company.

6. Reply within 24 hours

About five years ago I worked for another company. One day my employee told me that she asked her manager to give her a 3-day vacation next summer, after several weeks after the appeal, and there was no answer. She was very disappointed.

This behavior of a leader is blatantly disrespectful. Take note of this. The involvement of your employees in work processes directly depends on how willingly you respond to their ideas, comments and requests.

7. Learn to trust

As long as you are a performer, you do everything yourself. The moment you become a leader, everything changes. Your task now is to create an environment in which other people can do their work most effectively. There is no need to interfere in their affairs - they need to be trusted.

You will be visited by thoughts like "I can do better" - drive them away. It's hard for some to admit, but this approach is pure oversight, in other words, micromanagement. If you do too much on your own, the wrong habits will be fixed in subordinates, well-coordinated work will be very difficult to achieve, and employees will be dissatisfied with the lack of freedom.

8. Be an example to others

If you want your team to complete a task, show by example how to get the result.

If your goal is for people to be on time, be the first to arrive yourself.

To make your colleagues more willing to take responsibility, try to take on things yourself more boldly. No one in your environment will change if you don't change yourself.

9. Be consistent

Employees are often prohibited from spending more than a certain amount on business trips. But it happens that the leader allows the one with whom he has friendly relations to break this rule. "This is the first and last time, he says to himself. No matter how!

By applying different standards to different employees, you give people a reason to think that this is normal. Thus, your employees will sooner or later become as inconsistent as you.

Regardless of how long a particular employee has worked in the company and what kind of relationship you have with him, you must treat everyone equally impartially and fairly.

10. Build human relationships

Many people are skeptical of the authorities. Recent studies have shown that one in three employees do not trust their manager. Try to avoid it. Start lining up trusting relationship with the team.

Your employees want to see in you not only a leader, but also an ordinary person. The same as they are. Share your thoughts with them, talk about a wide variety of topics, talk about your hobbies, in general - discuss something with them that is not related to work.

It is not your task to please your subordinates without fail. But the more you act like a common person the more trusting your relationship will be. And the more they will believe in you as their leader.

I want to admit that I do not always manage to follow all the points. It is not simple! Just last week, I realized that I should provide colleagues with more information and trust them more. Nevertheless, here are my ten points - so it will be easier for me to follow them myself. I hope they will be useful for you too.