What are the qualities of a good leader? When you hear that question, other questions come to mind instead of the answer. A good leader? So, is there a bad leader? Just as it is good and bad in everything, there is good and bad in leaders also. But what we are going to say here is about the qualities of a good leader. Now if you google famous leaders, you can meet a lot of people who are blessed with a lot of good qualities. Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln, Napoleon Bonaparte, and so many leaders are there. These famous personalities demonstrate a variety of leadership styles and qualities. It takes a lot of good qualities to be a good leader. Let us get acquainted with some of them.

Photo by Pavel Danilyuk: https://www.pexels.com/ Being a leader means doing the right thing

Ability to lead (Leadership)

The greatest quality of being a good leader is being able to lead. It is one of the most important qualities of a good leader. The ability to influence and guide followers or other members of a group is called leadership. Being a leader means doing the right thing. To be a good leader, one should always lead from the front. It’s important that they motivate their followers and give them the right direction. A leader should always keep an open mind and he should always keep one’s mind open. Our mind is like a parachute. It only works when it is opened. Don’t forget that being a good leader doesn’t always mean doing your best. However, it will be better than the last time he did it. The ladder of leadership is often climbed slowly and incrementally rather than by making one big leap, which may result in a broken leg. Leadership is all about doing the right things. Sometimes we all know how to climb the ladder of success, but the art of leadership helps us in deciding as to which wall is to be climbed, which ladder is to be used, and how it is to be used. A leader should strive to command respect at work by providing his worth and by demonstrating success. He can only expect the same from others if he is good at work and possesses good qualities himself. Gandhi was a leader whose leadership was unmatched. He made the people obey him with his call. In response to Gandhiji’s call, his people felt waves of inspiration. Their leader was an embodiment of sincerity, according to them. It was evident to them that if they followed in his footsteps, they would benefit greatly. People listening to Mahatma Gandhi’s call made British imperialists fearful of the power behind him.

 Ability to make decisions

Leadership often requires leaders to make challenging decisions.  Before making decisions, a leader must have a clear vision. Views are not visions. The right perspective or foresight is essential for a leader to make decisions. The decisions a leader makes will affect society in a profound way. Hence, a decision must be taken after considering it carefully and deliberating on it. Sometimes decisions can go wrong. If it seems to be wrong, it should be corrected. Some may throw stones in our path, stones of criticism. This is where a good leader becomes different from us. People like us will build a wall out of these stones. But a good leader will build a bridge with these stones. Even unpopular decisions can sometimes have to be made by a leader. Despite the fact that life is full of tough decisions to be made, a leader may understand that hasty decisions aren’t always the right ones. A leader should not forget that what’s right isn’t always popular, and what’s popular isn’t always right when making decisions. When there are situations like that a leader should not be upset with people or their comments. The short-term pain of such a decision is offset by the long-term benefits.

Hard work or tireless effort

Hard work is another important quality of a good leader. The great leaders and movements of this world have all succeeded because they don’t give up until their goals are met. Be it Jesus Christ, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela or the movements they launched or led have all succeeded after surviving a lot of opposition. But they did not give up and kept trying. They overcame many obstacles and achieved their goal. Here are two things a good leader needs to remember. One is that the obstacles never go to the heart (depression). That is, do not give up because if the leader gets tired those who follow that leader will definitely get tired. And one more thing, success should never go to the head. So, when the Goliath of obstacles knocks on the door a good leader must send the David of hard work to open the door. Abraham Lincoln is one of the greatest leaders of the world and one of the greatest presidents of America. He stopped the slavery system that prevailed in America. Whatever he achieved in life was the result of his determination and hard work.

Courage

Having courage means doing something difficult despite the risk it entails. It can also be called bravery, boldness, spirit, or determination. Courage is an essential quality of a leader. The leader must lead with courage. The leader must be at the forefront no matter what the obstacles are. Only then can the followers have an impression of the leader and have faith in the leader. Those who are courageous will have confidence. Confidence is the epitome of courage. Confidence is like an umbrella. Even though an umbrella can’t stop the rain, it can help us stand in it. Confidence is the same. Being confident does not mean you have to be a leader but having confidence is an asset to a brave leader. A leader is empowered to face any challenge because of confidence. A leader needs a lot of confidence and courage to overcome all obstacles and move forward. Therefore, courage is an indispensable quality of a leader.  

Ability to speak sweetly (Rhetoric)

An important quality of a good leader is being able to speak well and engage well. In simple words, a leader must be eloquent. The art of knowing when to speak and what to speak is termed ‘wisdom’. To a great extent, a leader’s success is determined by how he uses his words. A leader has to be very careful because he should not speak anything that causes others any kind of harassment. Additionally, he must focus on making others happy with his sweet words in order to be able to delight in their love and friendship. Smooth talk helps to rouse respect and helpfulness if approached in the right manner. Being nice and sweet to all is called tact, and it’s very important for leaders. A leader must always maintain control over their slippery tongue in any and every situation. A leader should definitely speak his mind when he ought to. Two things are said to indicate a leader’s weakness. The first is to be silent when it is appropriate to speak, and the second is to speak when it is appropriate to remain silent. Even though our tongue weighs very little, still very few people are able to hold and handle it. But it’s very important for leaders. For a leader, the tongue is a weapon that must be used with care. Who does not love a compassionate voice full of love and affection? Even God does not like the hardness of tongue and heart. That is why He made them boneless. Language has real great power. A leader should mind his language.

Must be a good listener also

Is it enough for a leader to speak sweetly and win the hearts of others or followers? No. A leader should not only be a good speaker but also a good listener. The desire to be heard is fundamental in every human being. A leader must also be a good listener. Hearing with the ears is not enough. A leader has to listen with his heart. The process of listening is very important in creating a heart connection. A leader needs a sensible position in hearing. Unfortunately, many of today’s conversations are audible but not really audible. As soon as the other person speaks, we try to impose our opinion on them. There are also things that are not honest. There is no need to listen to the tactics used to covertly exploit others. That is espionage. Fellowship is formed by listening to each other. A leader must be willing to listen. A leader should listen to society with a tender heart. A good leader needs to be able to listen deeply, not just listen. There is no greater virtue than this. One of the best qualities we find in great leaders is their ability to listen. Those who are good listeners generally get high respect and reputation in society. To be a good listener in this modern world is not very simple as we think. It demands a great deal of mental power.

The relationships must be maintained

To be a good leader, one must always strive to give a personal touch to their relationships with their followers or subordinates, including those at the lowest levels. A good leader should not hesitate to share a joke with followers or employees once in a while. On special occasions, such as a marriage anniversary or birthday, a leader should also send a gift packet or a bouquet as a surprise to show his appreciation. Leaders should ask about their minor difficulties, remember the names of their children, details about their educational pursuits, as well as similar details, and then discuss the subject with them with interest. As a leader, it is always advisable to have a heart of service and consideration. Patting someone on the back is much more effective and heartwarming for both, the patted and the patter.  The fact that the leader remembers everyone is an inspiration to the followers.

Conclusion

We talked about what good qualities a good leader should have. There are still plenty of good qualities. Love, discipline, self-confidence, sacrifice, forgiveness, honesty, faith, simplicity, and many more. And last but not least one thing we have to remember, no one is a born leader. A leader’s life doesn’t just happen. A leader is made. With a little more effort, we too can become good leaders. It is also important to remember that leadership isn’t limited to Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Nelson Mandela, etc. We also have the right to be leaders. But not everyone can be a leader. If all the flowers, that blossomed became fruits, there would be no room on the earth for them.

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