24 leadership qualities to develop

Organisations rely on leadership to drive growth and remain profitable. Good leadership makes them more likely to sustain business success and retain employees. 

In Malaysia, a hierarchical leadership style gives way to a collaborative one.

If you want to be a leader, you must learn about the qualities that make leaders effective. This guide explores what makes a good leader and lists effective leadership skills. 

Here's what we'll cover:

• What are leadership qualities?
• Leadership qualities: what makes a great leader?
• How do you improve your leadership skills?
• Conclusion
• FAQs

What are leadership qualities? 

What is leadership? 

Leadership is about guiding and inspiring others. It's to work together and achieve shared goals. Management focuses on achieving goals and coordinating tasks to ensure efficiency. Leadership focuses on having a vision and inspiring change and innovation. 

Great leaders build strong teams and guide them to organisational success. Their skills, which include communication, strategic thinking, problem-solving, integrity, and creativity, also help leaders progress and increase job satisfaction.

Leadership qualities: what makes a great leader? 

A good leader cultivates a supportive work environment by inspiring and guiding others. Some examples of famous leaders in Malaysia include Ananda Krishnan, Tony Fernandes, Lim Kok Thay and Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary. 

Here are some of the exceptional leadership qualities they have:

1. Empathy

Empathy is the ability to perceive and understand the thoughts and emotions of others. Empathetic leaders are usually approachable and create a work environment that feels safe. This results in better teamwork and organisational success. 

You need to be an attentive listener who doesn't judge the feelings and opinions of others. You should also lead by example and demonstrate compassion and care. 

2. Integrity

Integrity means adhering to your core principles. A strong leader shows integrity. They are honest and accountable and uphold business ethics. Being consistent and having high morals can make you a good role model for your team.

Show integrity at work. Stand by your values and be professional. You should also admit to your mistakes and be open to constructive feedback.

3. Communication

Communication is the effective exchange of information. Being a good communicator is a key personal strength of a leader. It helps you build trust, interpret information for team members, and influence and inspire them.

It also allows you to get along with the team and manage conflicts. A good leader is honest and direct, asks questions, and has open conversations. 

4. Active listening

Active listening is an essential part of being a good communicator. It means paying attention. You try to understand the other person's perspective. You only respond after reflecting on what you've heard. 

To be a good listener, you need to observe the speaker's body language, behaviour, and words without interrupting them. You should also keep an open mind and ask questions to better understand them. 

5. Accountability

Being accountable is a top leadership quality. It means taking responsibility for your actions and their outcomes, acting with integrity, and crediting team members when it's due. 

An accountable leader inspires others to take responsibility. They also improve internal communication, helping the team achieve business goals. To develop this trait, admit your mistakes and be responsible for your words, decisions, and actions. 

6. Positivity

Positivity requires perseverance and self-awareness. Good leaders stay positive during tough times. They boost their team's confidence. 

To maintain an optimistic attitude, focus on solutions and identify areas for improvement. 

7. Confidence

Being confident means believing in your abilities. This characteristic is a defining trait of effective leaders, allowing them to inspire and motivate their team. 

Confident leaders make decisions quickly during challenging times. They make plans and inspire the team to produce positive results.

You should improve your confidence by practising self-affirmation and being realistic. Confidence also impacts other leadership skills, such as taking calculated risks, correcting errors, and making changes to meet goals.

8. Innovation

Innovation is about thinking creatively and developing new ideas. Finding different ways of doing things drives organisational growth and is essential to good leadership. 

Malaysian leaders are innovative. They encourage risk-taking and embrace failure as part of learning. You could promote a culture of creativity by listening to domain expertise and being open to new ideas from the team. 

9. Resilience

Resilience is the ability to recover quickly from setbacks. Resilient leadership demonstrates courage, emotional strength, and professionalism. It enables you to make clear and rational choices and inspires confidence within your team. 

To improve your resilience, maintain a positive outlook and cultivate emotional intelligence. Building and nurturing a support network also helps you develop perspective. 

10. Strategic thinking

Strategic thinkers plan for the future by analysing patterns and trends. Leading requires you to expect challenges. You must plan resources and support for them. 

You must understand, analyse, and implement plans, especially in difficult situations. You could practise scenario planning and stay updated with industry trends to develop this ability. 

Good leaders typically set SMART goals - specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound - for their team.  

11. Transparency

Transparency is a strong leadership quality. It means that you have open and honest communication with your team. It supports a positive workplace culture by eliminating assumptions and misunderstandings.

You can build on this trait. Do it by explaining your decisions, giving clear and short information to your team, and sharing good and bad news. 

12. Vision

Having a vision means defining clear long-term goals. An exceptional leader establishes a clear path by anticipating and communicating challenges to the team. Vision helps you steer through challenging times and motivate the team. 

Leaders develop vision by practising self-reflection and having a positive attitude. They create a vision statement and communicate it effectively. 

13. Creativity

Creativity is the ability to think differently. It involves developing innovative ideas and working collaboratively to achieve shared goals. 

Creative leaders work with a diverse team, inspiring them to think outside the box and embrace mistakes. You can improve your creativity by maintaining your curiosity and experimenting. 

14. Problem-solving

Problem-solving is the ability to find solutions to difficult or complex issues. Good leaders identify the root cause of a problem, communicate it to team members, and propose potential solutions. 

They're open-minded and see mistakes as learning opportunities. Good problem-solvers typically use a systematic approach to identify and analyse problems.

15. Responsibility

Being responsible means being reliable and accountable for your actions. Responsible leaders take charge, make tough choices, and support workplace inclusion and diversity. 

They address issues as they arise and promote positive change. You are a responsible leader by prioritising tasks and following through with commitments.

16. Critical thinking

Critical thinking is an essential aspect of leadership development. It enables you to evaluate arguments, draw unbiased conclusions, and offer constructive feedback. 

You consider the facts before making decisions rather than making assumptions. You can improve this quality by questioning assumptions and considering multiple perspectives. 

17. Decision-making

Decision-making involves choosing a course of action from several alternatives. It's related to strategic thinking and helps teams move in the right direction. 

As a leader, you need all the info. You must combine intuition with experience to decide. That is key. You should also consult your team members and stakeholders while making important decisions. 

18. Decisiveness

Decisiveness is the ability to make decisions quickly and effectively. Good leadership involves making well-informed decisions swiftly, especially during challenging times. 

You must be agile, confident, and fair and then communicate your decision. Learn to trust your instincts instead of second-guessing your judgement. 

19. Building relationships

Great leaders excel at building relationships. They use interpersonal skills to establish and maintain positive connections with others.

Be genuine. Communicate well. Show appreciation for the team's efforts. By doing this, you can build strong relationships. They will support a healthy work environment. 

Participative management involves staff in decision-making. It can help team members feel included and improve collaboration.  

20. Delegation

Delegation is a key skill of great leaders. It refers to redirecting and assigning tasks to others. By delegating tasks to other team members, you can prevent staff burnout. 

They then acquire new skills, improving overall team performance. Understand team members' strengths and weaknesses so that you can match tasks to their skills. Provide clear instructions before delegating. 

21. Flexibility

Good leaders are flexible. This means they can adapt to changing situations and swiftly alter their course of action. Leaders willing to learn and adapt can build strong relationships with their team. 

You can develop a more flexible leadership style by being open to new ideas and willing to adapt your plans as necessary.

22. Mentoring

Many of the best leaders mentor, guide, and support less experienced team members. This provides encouragement and helps them gain clarity on specific issues. 

You can mentor well by sharing your knowledge, providing feedback, and encouraging questions.

23. Reliability

A reliable leader is dependable and consistent with their words and actions. Meeting expectations fosters trust within an organisation. Reliable leaders manage time effectively and consistently follow through on commitments. 

24. Commitment

Commitment is dedication to the job and vision of the organisation. Committed leaders set examples for team members through problem-solving and hard work. 

They're also resilient and encourage others to perform better. To strengthen this quality, set personal goals and work towards the organisation's objectives.

How do you improve your leadership skills? 

Here are some ways you can improve your leadership skills:

• Set goals: Develop a growth mindset by setting goals to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Commit to working on them to enhance your leadership style.
• Focus on personal development: Engage in regular self-reflection by developing an open mind and positive attitude. Accept responsibility for failures and learn from them.
• Take initiative: Step out of your comfort zone and take initiative during challenging situations. This can help you learn and grow as a leader.

Conclusion 

The best leaders work on their integrity, resilience, creativity, transparency, and strategic thinking. These skills allow them to build trust in the workplace and improve team performance to meet organisational goals. 

To excel, think about your leadership qualities. Commit to continuous learning and self-improvement. 

FAQs 

Here are some FAQs related to leadership abilities:

1. What are the top three qualities of a good leader?
   ⁠Important leadership qualities are integrity, innovation, and communication. Good leaders are reliable and build trust through open communication and constructive feedback. They encourage team members to think differently and collaborate. 
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2. How can I develop my leadership qualities?
   ⁠A good place to start is with communication. You can do this through active listening and working on your verbal and written communication skills. Take initiative and develop critical thinking skills while working on challenging projects. 
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3. Can you learn leadership qualities, or are they innate?
   ⁠The trait theory of leadership suggests that leadership characteristics are innate or inborn personality traits. However, individuals can cultivate and nurture certain traits through continuous improvement.
   ⁠For instance, you can work on active listening by being observant and paying attention when others are talking. 
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4. What role does emotional intelligence play in leadership?
   ⁠Effective leaders often have a high degree of emotional intelligence, which is the ability to understand and manage one's own emotions and those of others. 
   ⁠Emotional intelligence helps you communicate better, manage conflicts, and build good relationships with team members. 
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5. How do leadership styles impact team performance?
   ⁠Leadership styles can determine how teams function and perform. Transformational leadership, for instance, focuses on inspiring and motivating employees through innovation to achieve shared goals. It can enhance team performance, job satisfaction, and engagement.
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6. What is the difference between a leader and a manager?
   ⁠The main difference between a leader and a manager is their area of focus. Leaders guide and inspire others to work on shared objectives together. They develop relationships and foster a positive work atmosphere. 
   ⁠Managers coordinate, strategize, and oversee resources to meet organisational objectives. They also monitor employees, improve procedures, and ensure smooth daily operations.