10 Characteristics All Great Leaders Share

Being a leader is an undertaking not to be underestimated. While there are many good leaders, great leaders are few and far between, just ask the Labour Party, or the Republicans. Being the man to step up, the one who others look up to, depend on and possibly even aspire to emulate isn’t a role anyone can simply fill. Think of all the great leaders, Sir Alex, Winston Churchill, JFK, Rupert Murdoch, they all have these 10 characteristics in common…

Confidence

Because you can’t stand up in front of a crowd and squeak like a mouse… confidence is paramount to the success of any endeavour, especially leadership.

They Know How To Take Responsibility

Shirking duties is far from the sign of a great leader, being able to shoulder accountability and carry out key tasks without relying on anyone else is essential.

Ability To Delegate

At the same time, a great leader knows he can’t do everything for everyone. Delegating to your time smartly and sensibly is key; Prime Ministers have a cabinet and managers have coaches after all.

Great At Communication

It’s no use being able to delegate, if you’re not putting that across articulately. The same goes with speeches and sales, you can’t be leader if you can’t get your point across in a way everyone understands.

Committed

Sir Alex Ferguson was at Manchester United for nigh on 27 years, dedicating the time and energy to the cause is crucial for others to take you seriously and to actually get the job done.

They Have A Positive Attitude

Cynicism and pessimism may come naturally to us Brits but try inspiring others with a restrained attitude. Motivating a team is hard when you’re constantly focusing on the negatives.

Strategic

Politicians have to be thinking a move or two ahead to be successful, the same goes in business and many other endeavours. Planning ahead, making the correct moves and for the right reasons will have you climbing the ladder in no time.

Decisive

There simply isn’t always time to dally over decisions. Lingering around a thought could put you behind rivals and competitors, be decisive and even cutthroat when you need to be.

They Can Manage Failure

Despite your best efforts, there will be failures but they don’t have to be the end of the world or your stint at the top. Learn to manage, overcome and retaliate against the missteps in a discerning manner.

Empathetic

A leader has to manage people and manage them well. As we’ve already discussed, a great leader knows how to run a team and get them on side. Empathy should not be underestimated when it comes to understanding and getting people onside.