Free Custom «Qualities of a Good Leader» Essay Paper

The mindset that leaders are born and not made is to some extent true because some individuals tend to exhibit natural talents right when they are born, which makes them stand out from the rest. Good leadership skills are developed through every day relations with people around us (Adair 49). Just like everybody else, leaders come in varied shapes, styles and forms and their qualities also differ based on the company, team, or situation. In most cases, excellent leadership skills are not usually new to us but are daily things that we should all put our focus on only if we had the time. Therefore, time is a determinant in acquiring exceptional leadership skills and only those who invest their time and are enduring enough to put into practice these skills, can become exceptional leaders. Developing leadership skills requires that individual talents be matched with organizational needs as well as to build the skills in order to improve personal strengths and performance. This paper focuses on the qualities of a good leader.

Good Leadership Qualities

• Teamwork

                This is the act of collaborating and working together as one team. Teamwork does not only enable faster achievement of the desired results, but it also offers an opportunity for people to learn from one another. No one can execute a task alone and that is why it is vital to work in a team alongside others with diverse skills and abilities. It is important for a good leader to be able to know how to build and nurture a team (Klann, 25-30). In addition, a good leader should also be aware when to lead and when to follow.

• Confidence

                 Good leadership requires confidence both in words and actions. As a leader, confidence enables you to effectively manage people and be able to direct people in the right path. Being afraid or uncertain is detrimental for a leader because it reduces an individual’s level of dependability and trust.

• Planning

                According to Klann (25-30), planning is an extremely crucial part of our everyday life, and nothing substantial is attainable without proper planning. Planning consists of making assumptions of future occurrences and setting up actions that will affect them positively. Plans make us focused and guided. A good leader should always plan properly before undertaking his activities.

• Communication and Relationships

                Efficient communication is fundamental for every good leader. Other than being clear in speech, outstanding leaders should be proactive in their communication with others and in seeking or giving information. Relationships are built from excellent interpersonal and mass communications. A good leader should be a people’s person, for instance, he should enjoy dealing with people (Davis 100). Such a leadership quality depends on personal capacity as opposed to the rank of a person. Ability to build good relationships with people is an essential virtue for good leadership.

• Dedication

                 A majority of people tend to love and openly respond to leaders who show dedication in their work and works hard for the good of his people. Every good leader or hopeful future leaders should be zealous in their work and motivate people around them. This way, they stand a chance of being re-elected for another term each time there is an election.

• Excellence

                As Adair (49) affirms, good leaders should work hard to become the best in everything they do. Being second best is not a guarantee to success. Maintaining high standards is essential for effective leadership.

• Motivation

                Good leaders should be able to encourage and applaud their juniors, or people they lead for their achievements irrespective of whether they are big, or small. This creates healthy and competitive working environment which in turn, inspires employees to give their best performance in their work.

• Decision-making

                 A true leader should be able to make independent decisions that is sound and well-considered, when faced with a situation. According to Davis (100), being decisive is top qualities that every good leader should have. A majority of times, some people make decisions hastily, take too long to decide, or are not decided. This is dangerous as it hinders effective leadership.

• Adaptability and Flexibility

                Being adaptable and flexible is essential for today’s leaders. Every good leader should be able to move from one set of circumstance to the next with ease even when the shift is sudden. He or she should be able to embrace change and view as a learning opportunity.

• Persuasion

                This is the ability to sway people and make them view things from your viewpoint and follow it. The persuasiveness of leader depends on their reliability, communication and relationship skills.

• Patience

                Every good leader should exercise patience in life. This is important because some of the leadership qualities are acquired through practice, which necessitates that leaders patiently invest their time in it. Patience includes coolness, calmness and composure. As a leader, one should not panic when faced with complex situations instead; he or she should view tricky situations, crisis and emotions as part of problems that leaders undergo.

• Focus

                Focus is a necessity to effective leadership. Every true leader should be focused on the things that they intend to achieve without being sidetracked by impossibilities. Incase of challenges along the way, they should face them with bravery, and deal with them as part of their responsibility, as they strive to find better ways to advance to their final goal. This enhances their strength and preparedness to deal with even worse problems in the future.

 

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Conclusion

                Good leadership qualities are essential in managing daily life’s activities be it in homes, organizations or schools. Such qualities are at times natural and are apparent when one is born. However, one can also acquire good leadership skills through gaining experience, and it usually needs time and practice. Examples of such qualities include honesty, confidence, patience etc. The challenges we undergo in life if not properly handled can be a downfall to many people who desire to become future leaders. It is therefore important to be able to nurture and maintain good leadership qualities through good and bad times in case we are to become good leaders of tomorrow.