What Qualities Make a Good Leader? 2 minute read Written by Justin Deonarine, I/O Psychologist The qualities that make great leaders are often hard to identify. When asked to define the qualities needed for an effective leader, many organizations produce traits that are vague. We often hear terms such as “charisma”, “integrity”, “passion” and “courage”, but these often mean different things to different people. It isn’t surprising that organizations struggle to identify what makes a great leader though, as it’s a complex role. However, given the importance and need of leadership, organizations often try to find and fit candidates to subjective models that capture these unclear descriptions. The belief that the best future leaders are those who “align” with these vague frameworks can be a costly mistake. Effective identification of leadership potential begins with understanding the objective traits and skills that a leader will need within the organization. While many of these qualities may differ from company to company, there are common traits that many successful leaders share across different environments. Our research with the Work Personality Index brings some clarity and objectivity to these characteristics. Across organizations, the style of leaders based on their results on twenty-one personality traits are highlighted below: Scale Leaders: Ambition Focus on setting and working towards tough goals, but not at the expense of collaboration. Analytical Thinking Synthesize information from multiple sources, and then work with others to put this information into action. Attention to Detail Align others with the strategic objectives of the organization, not the tactical activities. Concern for Others Build supportive and trusting relationships with others. Democratic Make many decisions independently, but involve others in ones that are complex. Dependability Meet their obligations, but can shift priorities as needed. Energy Embrace a challenging schedule. Flexibility Are quick to adapt, but recognize the importance of some structure in how work is completed. Initiative Identify and act on opportunities. Innovation Implement practical solutions. Leadership Set a broad direction for others, but give them the freedom to complete their work. Multi-tasking Balance multiple demands and responsibilities. Outgoing Enjoy building new relationships. Persistence Overcome obstacles and are not stopped by setbacks. Persuasion Pursue buy-in and get people on board. Planning Set broad plans, but willingly adapt the plan as new information arises. Rule-Following Challenge the status quo and are willing to bend the rules. Self-Control Are diplomatic and controlled, but still authentic and personable. Social Confidence Are self-assured and comfortable in social situations. Stress Tolerance Show resilience when facing difficult situations. Teamwork Encourage cooperation and team-spirit, but understand the value in approaching some tasks independently. Organizations can better develop their best future leaders by treating candidates as individuals and seeking to understand their unique strengths and challenges. Personality traits as measured by the Work Personality Index can highlight what those may be. Succession Planning Playbook Want to improve how you identify and develop high potentials? We’ve compiled a one-stop resource that includes both our own experience and high-impact research from the field. In this report, we explore: The benefits of succession planning What organizations are currently doing (and why it’s not working) How you can implement or improve your succession program How to identify and develop high potentials View the Playbook
