7 Powerful Traits Of Successful Leaders

Leaders are needed everywhere. They help the country grow by driving the economy, solving the social issue and by setting an example of greatness. Everyone can be a good leader. Unlike popular belief, leaders are not born with leadership traits. Their circumstances force them to take initiative and lead other people.

From big corporates to small business, everyone needs good leaders. Even if you are a self-employed person, you have to lead yourself. Leadership is also key in social situations. If you don’t lead people in your family or friends circle, you will be left behind and you won’t be able to get your ideas through.

Here are 7 powerful traits of successful leaders.

1. Strong communication skills

Having strong verbal and nonverbal communication skills is one of the most important traits of successful leaders. Being able to express your ideas clearly is a quality that major organizations look for while hiring people in upper management positions. In today’s world, leadership is closely intertwined with management. A good leader should also be able to resolve conflicts between team members by using their conversation abilities.

A modern-day leader focuses on things like tonality, pitch, and resonance of your voice. Most people working in upper management jobs learn to speak with authority while on the job. But it takes them several years to perfect the skill. As a young employee or an entrepreneur, you should always be yourself without sounding like someone else. This will inspire people around you and also elicit the kind of responses you want from them.

2. Vision for the future

Leading with vision is the only way to inspire your team to work relentlessly until the completion of a project. Having a vision for the future is one of the traits of successful leaders. Sharing this vision with your team and making them realize it’s importance is what makes the team members stick to the task when things get difficult.

Most people only believe what they see. As a leader with a vision for the future, it is your job to make them visualize how things will look like once they achieve the common goal. A vision provides meaning and purpose to your life. The clearer your vision is, the lesser you have to work to make it a reality.

3. Good at building trust

A team without trust and belief in each other can never become successful. Good leaders know how to find people with the right mindset. Moreover, you can’t teach people to trust each other if they don’t like each other or don’t share common values. In fact, having a difference in opinion is the most common reason why there are so many disputes in team members today.   

To build trust and rapport with other people, always talk about things that interest them. Good leaders believe in asking questions and not boasting about themselves. By being genuinely interested in another person, you let them know that you admire and respect them. This will inspire them to respond with the same attitude. Being able to build trust is also one of the most powerful traits of successful people.

4. Good at team building

Most people prefer to work in teams than by themselves. Being a part of a team makes you feel motivated and inspired. Good leaders focus on team building and consider it a vital part of their job. It’s always better to have a team of people who appreciate and like each other. This way, they communicate better and understand each other well. Moreover, a close-knit and motivated team is more likely to have the focus and determination to solve difficult problems. A great way to enhance positive communication is by incorporating fun in-person games like Charades or online games like virtual escape rooms into work meetings.

For a leader, it’s not a good idea to be the go-to guy every time there is a problem. The team can only become self-sustaining if there are enough problems solvers in it. These junior leaders can one day become good leaders only if they have an opportunity to exercise their talents and skills. So, providing equal opportunity to others is also a trait of a successful leader.

5. Self-motivated

I have never come across a person in a leadership position who sought motivation from other people. I understand that we all have our good days and bad days but to rely on others as a source of motivation is not a trait you want to develop. Self-motivation is one of the most powerful traits of successful leaders. It is their ability to draw inspiration from within themselves and not from an external source that leads them to greatness.

There is a dearth of self-motivated people on this planet. This is why there are so many people blaming others or their own circumstances for their failures. Self-motivated leaders take responsibility for their own lives. Reading books, taking part in social activities and having a life purpose are some of the best ways to stay self-motivated.

6. Emotionally stable

Emotional stability is the ability of a person to overcome stress and difficult situations without letting their own emotional state get affected by it. Being neurotic is the opposite of being emotionally stable. Neurotic leaders do get things done but are toxic to the team and the organization. The best way to recognize the presence of a neurotic leader is to observe how open-minded the team members are.

7. Persuasive and influential

Getting someone to do something you want them to do is persuasion. Persuasion can be used in both good and bad ways. For instance, a political leader who fights for a cause has to persuade people to vote for him so that he can use the position to solve people’s problems. Influence is a lot different than persuasion. The correct way to influence other people is by setting an example yourself.

Having both persuasion skills and being influential is among the most powerful traits of successful leaders. To learn more about persuasion and influence, read Dr. Robert Cialdini’s book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. In this book, the author explains the psychology of why people say “yes” and how to get them to do so.  

In conclusion

To understand these concepts better, it’s really important to implement them in your life. You can do it at a job, in your social circle or while fighting for a good cause. You can always lead and provide other people with a sense of direction in their life.