Strong leadership makes employees truly become members of a team who can then face challenges and achieve goals together. A strong leader motivates, influences, empowers, and inspires people to do their best work.
If your goal is to become a better leader, you need to work on leadership development. Here are nine qualities of strong leadership.
1. Effective communication
Effective communication is essential to strong leadership. You need to communicate clearly with the team members you are leading, even if, and perhaps especially if, everyone is working remotely.
It’s also essential for you to be a good listener. Pay attention to what your team is saying, and always ask questions before you provide advice or guidance.
Remember that poor communication skills make it difficult for your team to stay organized and productive.
2. Emotional intelligence
A strong leader shows emotional intelligence, which allows them to build healthy relationships with their team members. This is about respecting others, having empathy for them, and being able to consider how they feel and how your words or actions might impact their feelings.
Instead of reacting strongly to a conflict, a leader with high emotional intelligence will find the proper response.
A strong leader must naturally inspire trust and make people feel comfortable around them.
3. Accountability
Accountability is another important quality of strong leadership. Strong leaders hold their team members accountable for the work they do, but they also hold themselves accountable.
A strong leader will not blame their team when a goal isn’t met, or a task isn’t completed on time. They will take accountability. They will closely examine the situation, explain why things did not go as planned, and suggest solutions.
Strong leadership recognizes setbacks as opportunities for growth and inspires others to do the same.
4. Self-awareness
Another quality a strong leader should have is self-awareness. They need to be aware of their skills and their strengths, but also of their weaknesses.
They must recognize that they will always have something new to learn and have the right not to always know the answer to a question or the solution to a problem.
They also need to be able to see each team member’s skills, strengths and weaknesses and take them into account.
5. Supportive
A strong leader provides support and guidance to their team. They want to help them develop their skills and grow in their career.
But a strong leader also aims to empower their employees. Instead of closely monitoring everything their team does, they trust their team. They encourage and motivate their team and allow each member to share their ideas and perspectives and reach their full potential.
And whenever someone needs help or assistance, strong leadership will make them feel seen and supported.
6. Goal-oriented
Although strong leaders are there to help each individual in their team grow, they are also goal-oriented and able to steer their entire team in the right direction.
They develop strategies and guidelines that will help their team achieve results, and they monitor their progress. They can motivate their people and show them why reaching their common goals matters.
When an issue arises, a strong leader will work with their team towards finding a solution that will allow them to keep progressing.
7. Problem-solving skills
Having great problem-solving skills is another important quality of strong leadership. Team members will look to their leader whenever they face a problem or a challenging situation, and their leader has to be able to help them overcome these difficulties.
It doesn’t mean that strong leaders have to know all the answers all the time. But they need to be able to look for these answers and to make decisions.
Problem-solving skills can also involve listening to what someone is telling you and providing the guidance they need to feel empowered to solve their problem independently.
8. Visionary
Strong leaders are often visionaries. They can look ahead to see how a good idea could come to life and imagine all the work their team could accomplish.
Having a vision and knowing how to share it with others helps them make long-term plans. It also motivates them and makes it easier for them to motivate their team.
9. Passionate
Finally, strong leaders are passionate about what they do. They believe in their team and goals and are excited about achieving results. Above all, they love learning new things, developing their skills, and encouraging others to grow and succeed.
