Although the world is a fast-changing place, one thing has remained the same throughout time: the importance of leadership. This can be seen in everything from how important leaders are in education to how crucial they are in politics, and it is also true to say that good leadership in business is critical. Without senior figures managing teams or setting a strategic direction, no company could thrive in the long term.
This means that all higher-level roles in the business world involve having to lead and show great leadership. If you plan to move up in your career, it is wise to think about how to become a great leader first. What qualities do you need, and how can you build them?
Developing excellent leadership qualities
Although you may already possess some of the top qualities required, there may be some that you feel less confident about. It is also worth continuing to work on any leadership qualities you feel are already there in order to evolve further as a senior figure in business. The best option for accomplishing this is completing an academic course of study that helps develop and refine great traits for leadership. The online EdD in leadership program from Spalding University is one such program and is perfect for aspiring leaders. As an online program, it is ideal for those who are already working and offers world-class learning from your own home, whenever you want it.
Staying on top of the latest education news is also advisable so you can pick up on any new advances in the sector related to learning for business leaders.
What qualities of good leadership can course like this help you hone?
Passion
One of the top qualities all great leaders have is passion for their work and their business. This is crucial because it rubs off on any staff you manage. Sincere passion is something people recognize instantly and can be contagious in terms of how people around you feel. By showing true passion as a leader, you can inspire those around you to achieve more and feel more invested in their job.
Integrity
Top leaders also possess unquestionable levels of integrity, but what does possessing true integrity mean in terms of business management? In essence, it is about treating people fairly, doing the right thing and always being honest.
This could mean making decisions that are ethically correct but could actually be bad for a business’s bottom line. You may, for example, see that working conditions for some members of your team are unsafe and sanction buying expensive equipment to address this issue. Although it may not be popular with senior board figures or the finance director, showing true integrity means you still make this decision because it is the right thing to do.
Communication
Another quality of good leadership is the ability to communicate effectively with team members across all relevant channels, from email to phone, text, video call and in person. Without a knack for doing this, you run the risk of not being understood by staff or your team not being sure what your point is.
In addition, you may also risk upsetting team members if the manner in which you say things is inappropriate or comes across as rude. Being a good communicator goes hand in hand with another key leadership quality: emotional intelligence. If you can work on your empathy and ability to deal with situations sensitively, you should find that you also boost your communication levels.
Decisiveness and strength
While being able to show empathy when called for is essential to good leadership, being decisive and strong when required is also important. The trick is to know when to use strength and not be too overbearing with staff in day-to-day work. Strong leadership is very useful for dealing with troublesome team members who may be consistently undermining your authority or when you have to talk to an abusive customer who has been rude to a member of your team.
By the same token, all good leaders are decisive and not afraid to make tough calls. Decisiveness as a leader is a good quality because it helps build your authority with team members and gives people confidence in your abilities.
Essential characteristics for top-quality leadership
When you also think about how important listening and behaving ethically are for leaders, you can see that there are some vital qualities to show in more senior business positions. If you aspire to work at this level, it really is worth doing all you can to develop these qualities in yourself.
