“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” -John C. Maxwell
You will see a leader in almost any group setting we’re a part of. Not only that, we see a variety of ways people attempt to be leaders. So what are the three best traits every great leader should have?
Excellent Communicator:
This one is crucial. You can be the most intelligent and knowledgeable person on a subject, but if you can’t properly communicate it to the people you are trying to lead, what good does it do? Like the quote above, you have to know the way, go the way, and SHOW the way. It’s no mystery that people usually respond better to visual, hands-on leadership. Being able to communicate in an effective manner also helps keep your goals and message clear to your followers. The clearer the vision is, the more productivity you will get from your followers.
Adaptive:
This plays along with being an excellent communicator. Not everyone you’re going to work with in your lifetime is going to be the same. We all have different traits, behaviors, and ways of doing things. This is why being adaptive is key in excellent leadership. Learn to be flexible in how you do things, how you teach people, how you lead in general. People respond to different forms of leadership in different ways, find out what works best for your specific situation. You can start by trying out your usual way, but if you notice that the team isn’t responding as well, then try a new leadership style. Usually, based on your follower’s responses and body language, you can get a better idea of what type of leadership will make them tick.
Motivational:
So you can communicate properly and you’re adaptive to how things can be done. Great. But what about the motivation? The ability to inspire your team? Well, try showing your passion. Think of a time you were not feeling motivated to do something, did you put in your best work towards that? Odds are, probably not. A motivated individual can do a lot of great work, but a motivated team can take on the world. So try out a variety of ways to motivate your team. You can offer incentives for performance, do weekly team-building exercises, give a great pep talk, and much more. Similar to being adaptive, find out what motivates your team and run with it.
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