Leadership Question: What are personality traits of a leader?

If you have been following my work then you know that I love showing how my leadership principles apply in real life. If you haven’t, well then now you know. Here is the latest question I received and my response to the question:

“What are the personality traits of a leader?”

In order to simplify what is means to be a great leader and understand the personality traits behind great leaders, we need to simplify what are the core areas that all leaders demonstrate. There are:

1. Adaptable
2. Right Behaviours
3. Experience

In order to answer the question I will focus on Core area #2, Right Behaviours. Within this core area are 10 behaviours which all great leaders exhibit

• Communication
  • Make engaging communication your focus. Be open and honest by explaining why not just what. Communicate values to ensure alignment throughout the whole team.
• Sovereignty
  • Practice controlling your emotions and mind so that decisions are made rationally rather than emotionally. Behave as the sovereign as a leader.
• Language
  • Positivity + Inclusive + Clarity = Trust = Connection = Influence.
• Presence
  • Focus on your intangible abilities, like energy and behaviour to create a positive perception of you.
• Listening
  • Acknowledge that you do not know it all. Once you do this you can start to lean on others for a wealth of diverse knowledge, creativity and support.
• Authenticity
  • Authentic people are more likeable. Being authentic means staying true to your values and if you promise something, deliver. People create their own perceptions of you based on interactions. However, consistently exhibiting the right behaviours changes people’s perception of you in a positive way.
• Connections
  • Connections equal influence. As a leader, connecting first with yourself and then others should be your first steps.
• Trust
  • Building trust takes time but can be broken by not seeing through your actions. When someone trusts you, respect that trust and allow it to build over time. Do not however, use that trust for manipulation, but for positive influence.
• The compass
  • Become the guide, the calm within the storm. In times of struggle and clouded visions, be decisive.
• Confidence not ego
  • Egotistical behaviour destroys relationships. Rather than focusing on your own self-interest, show confidence by focusing on others.

I hope this helps, JT.

P.S. Have you read my In-Depth Leadership Review of Barack Obama?

If you are looking to develop the skills to Master Your Values, Time and Emotions, then you’ll want to check out my ridiculously affordable course, The Authentic Leader: Tools to Master Life.