Leadership qualities for success

Leadership Qualities for Success Having a solid idea and assembling a good team to help bring the idea to life are often the first steps to a successful venture. While finding a good and unique idea is not an easy feat, the ability to execute the idea is what separates the success stories from the dreamers. At whatever age or skill level you have when you bring on board your first hire, you have taken the step towards becoming a leader. And leadership comes with its set of responsibilities.

While debate abounds on whether leaders are made or born, to some extent every individual has some capacity to lead. However, it is individuals who work on their leadership qualities that often become effective leaders. The following are traits you can practice to make you a great leader in your team’s eyes.

Honesty Whatever ethical standard you hold yourself to, when you have a team working under you, then it is crucial to raise the bar even higher. Your business and team are a reflection of the values you choose to follow, and if you make honesty a key value, everyone else will follow suit.

Honesty and integrity go hand in hand. On some occasions, the temptation to cut ethical corners in order to accomplish a milestone may present itself. In such situations, always take the harder choice; it communicates that failing to achieve a goal is a good result if it doesn’t compromise one’s integrity.

Delegation For your team to help you achieve the goal and vision you have set aside, they need to know that you trust them with the vision. Delegating is a sign of strength, rather than a show of weakness. As your business starts to grow, knowing when and what to delegate will become crucial to growth.

Self-assessment Great leaders often take stock of their strengths and assess their weaknesses. Knowing which areas are your shortcomings allows you to delegate to people that have those abilities. Rather than clinging to the belief that you know it all, recognizing your weak areas and working on them makes you effective.

Communication As the leader, you know the vision you wish to see the business strive to, and it’s clear in your head. Explaining it to someone else, however, might be met with blank stares. When such a situation happens, then you probably need to work on your communication skills. For the success of the business, communication is important.

Juleigh Sitton is a practicing attorney and consultant in western NC. She is currently working with one of her clients, the small town of Fontana Dam, to accelerate its economic development.