At WorqIQ, we’re constantly looking for insight into what makes great leaders… well, great. After all, one of the indicators of a high level of Workplace Intelligence (or WQ) is “transformational leadership.”
Of course, the definition of a great leader is often a matter of perception or preferred style. Some might say that charisma is a primary trait of great leaders, for example. Others might say confidence or decisiveness. We, though, found this terrific infographic from the good folks at BrianDownard.com that outlines some truly admirable leadership traits – and felt we had to share.
Here, you see Brian’s version of six qualities of great leaders: vision, humility, self-awareness, integrity, commitment and the desire to help others. Just as important, Brian goes into detail on what each of these qualities might mean to those who follow you, or how the traits might show up in every day interactions.
Three Types of Great Leaders
We have several favorites here, but the one that strikes a chord for us most is “help others.” Why? In part because we believe those in management fall into three categories:
- A “manager” focused on process, compliance, and conformity; a person focused almost exclusively on driving results
- A “leader” who inspires people to do their best work by sharing their vision and being committed to positive outcomes
- A “mentor” who cares enough to, as Brian points out, influence people both at work and in their personal life
Do you take pride in helping others succeed? Is your mindset one where you focus on helping your entire team achieve agreed upon goals? Do you take the time to nurture those who follow you, and impact both their professional and personal lives? If you can answer yes to these questions… you just might be a mentor.
Take Brian’s advice on becoming more self-aware. Take a few minutes to reflect on your current leadership style. Then begin to close the gap between where you are now… and where you want to be.
Soon, you’ll find yourself in the category of a great – perhaps even transformational – leader!