Traits and Skills of Leaders
Posted on April 06, 2024 by Martin Hahn, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.
This article discusses the traits and skills that makes a leader effective and successful.
When asked to name people they consider leaders, most people can easily come up with names such as Martin Luther King Jr., Margaret Thatcher, Mahatma Gandhi, and Oprah Winfrey. But why are these people considered leaders? When asked, many people explain that these leaders have charisma, intelligence, a strong vision, and a determination to achieve their goals. But do personality traits or skills really predict who will become a leader?
Because people differ in so many ways, it is natural to think that some people have certain unchanging characteristics or special gifts that enhance their abilities to lead. Describing the personal traits of leaders is also the way leadership researchers first thought about leaders. The first systematic research studies on leadership investigated individual traits that included intelligence, birth order, socioeconomic status, and child-raising practices. These early attempts to isolate specific leadership traits were generally unsuccessful and led to the conclusion that no single characteristic distinguishes leadership.
Later research on leadership traits and skills had better success in identifying some traits and skills relevant to successful leadership. Leaders seem to have higher energy levels, higher internal control orientation, emotional maturity, intelligence, self-confidence, determination, integrity, and social and interpersonal skills.
The list below describes some important leadership traits and skills.
Determination: leaders overcome obstacles and achieve their goals through initiative, drive, dominance, and a motivation to achieve.
Emotional maturity: effective leaders control their emotions rather than letting their emotions control them.
Energy levels: leaders have the energy to work hard toward their goals and can create excitement and enthusiasm in others.
Integrity: leaders who behave honestly and earn the trust of followers are more effective at motivating them.
Intelligence: leaders must scan, interpret, and integrate large amounts of information; identify patterns; and devise courses of action based on the information.
Internal control orientation: leaders tend to believe that they are able to control their environment rather than merely reacting to events around them.
Job-relevant knowledge: leaders make decisions and set appropriate goals and strategies based on their understanding of how their unit and firm works.
Self-confidence: leaders who demonstrate self-confidence and a belief that their chosen course of action is correct develop followers who are more committed.
Social and interpersonal skills: leaders who are good at relating to other people are able to build trusting relationships with followers.
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is a person’s ability to recognize and manage emotions and relationships. This characteristic gained popularity in the 1990s when psychologists, sociologists, and management consultants claimed that one’s emotional quotient (EQ) was twice as important as their intelligence quotient (IQ) or even technical skills when it comes to job performance. One research study found that emotional intelligence accounted for 85 percent of what distinguishes stars from low performers in top leadership positions. Organizations, including American Express, use emotional intelligence programs to improve team and organizational effectiveness. Some of the biggest supporters of emotional intelligence have called the awareness of others’ feelings and ability to recognize and control one’s own emotions an indispensable ingredient of leadership.
Emotional intelligence is composed of five dimensions:
◗ Self-awareness: being aware of what you are feeling.
◗ Self-motivation: persisting in the face of obstacles, setbacks, and failures.
◗ Self-management: managing your own emotions and impulses.
◗ Empathy: sensing how others are feeling.
◗ Social skills: effectively handling the emotions of others.
Part innate and part trainable, emotional intelligence has been receiving increasing attention in leadership development programs. Emotionally intelligent leaders know their own limitations and strengths and have the ability to communicate clearly and convincingly, manage conflicts, build strong personal bonds, and motivate employees and customers. Because leadership involves such a high degree of social interaction, emotional intelligence is likely to enhance leadership effectiveness.
