Great leaders lead through inspiration, persuasion and personal connections. Good leaders know how to not only create results but also how to convince others to join their team and work towards achieving a common goal. Born leaders know no position or title and are not always management. Not all leaders look, speak or express themselves the same way; however, they do share a few common characteristics such as:

Honesty- If you want people to trust you, mean what you say and do what you mean. If you are responsible for a team of people this is critical to your success and gaining the buy-in of others.

Communication – No matter who you are working with, a leader can communicate with anyone around them and knows how to verbalize their point. This is also not a one sided conversation and in addition to sharing their own ideas they are also skilled in being an active listener. You can’t conquer the world by yourself and visionaries know and understand that they need an awesome team to help them reach their personal and professional goals.

Confidence – If you want other people to believe in your idea you need to first believe in yourself. Your confidence and ability to genuinely believe in your team is the foundation of a successful leader.

Commitment - This should go hand in hand with motivation and the ability to motivate others. Leaders have the ability to make people want to help them.

Positive Attitude- A “can do” attitude can change someone’s day and certainly help you approach the countless problems that arise during a day. Leaders adapt to change and will try to accomplish anything they put their mind to. Being a good leader is less about being the smartest person on the team and more about understanding each member and what makes a team work together to reach solutions.

Motivation- This is one of the most important attributes of a good leader. Great leaders know how to improve productivity in others and inspire their team. Motivating your team is not an easy task but the best leaders recognize that there are unconventional ways such as listening, rewards systems, free lunches etc. that can have a huge impact on team morale.

Delegation- Great leaders know how to get things done, but they also know they can’t do it alone. Delegation done right is the only way to do 10 things at once and get others vested in your ideas. Handing off responsibilities demonstrates trust and allows leaders to increase their efficiency.

Identifying the leaders in your company can help you define and align your career goals. Learn more about key topics that make great leaders by joining our WBE members at their annual events and by visiting our Business Blog.