What are the Main ATTRIBUTES needed for a Leader?

Paul Walton
Jan 18, 2023
3 min read

Updated: Apr 12

What are the Main ATTRIBUTES needed for a Leader?

Leadership and attributes needed for a successful leader are a hot topic to debate. It is a subject that many people will have an opinion on as the divide can be created with an individual penchant for a particular leadership style.

My own personal opinion is to aim to be a blend of the following, a visionary, transformative leader that can coach others all with a strong focus on Emtional Intelligence. This might seem like a lot but when this is distilled, I believe it is a very accurate picture of the direction, approach and style that I follow.

Therefore the ideas below are probably influenced by the individual.

Attributes needed

My suggestions and examples to start from would be: Trust, Emotional Intelligence, Work Ethic, Lifelong Learner…

1. To develop TRUST (Speed of Trust, Covey)

https://intranet.cityofmesquite.com/DocumentCenter/View/2353/The-Speed-Of-Trust-Summary---Article-PDF#:~:text=The%20Speed%20of%20Trust%20is,bureaucratic%20policies%20that%20assume%20maliciousness.

2. To have strong EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE (Five components, Goleman)

https://positivepsychology.com/emotional-intelligence-frameworks/

3. To demonstrate a good WORK ETHIC (‘Get things done’, see video by President Barack Obama)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNY4UFaHbP4

4. To persevere and be a LIFELONG LEARNER (Growth Mindset, Dweck)

https://fs.blog/carol-dweck-mindset/

Leadership Discussion

Hopefully, this can ignite a rich discussion of leader styles, types and various ways in which to support, motivate and lead others.

I could possibly add a few more with references, hope this helps…

What type of leader are you?

Democratic Leadership
Autocratic Leadership
Laissez-Faire Leadership
Strategic Leadership
Transformational Leadership
Transactional Leadership
Coaching Leadership
Bureaucratic Leadership
Visionary Leadership
Pacesetting Leadership
Situational Leadership

https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/leadership-styles

What attributes do believe are important?

Many of the same characteristics are listed when you search for the top 10,15 or 20 main attributes of a leader. Some of the words that are most common tend to be:

Vision, Communication, influence etc.

What do you think of these? and the ones listed below?

As a starting point:

Self-Awareness
Respect
Compassion
Vision
Communication
Learning Agility
Collaboration
Influence
Integrity
Courage
Gratitude
Resilience

https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/characteristics-good-leader/#:~:text=A%20good%20leader%20should%20have,showing%20gratitude%2C%20and%20collaborating%20effectively.

Enthusiasm
Focus
Empathy
Loyalty
Empowerment
Decisiveness
Responsibility
Vision
Influence
Confidence
Motivation
Positivity
Resilience
Communication

https://au.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/leadership-qualities

Emotional Intelligence

Empathy and emotional intelligence are paramount for effective leadership.

A leader who can connect and empathise with their team members, can create a supportive work environment and build strong professional relationships. Emotional intelligence is also important because it allows a leader to understand and manage their own emotions and the emotions of their team members. As a leader, I put my team first, and make sure to be empathetic and understanding of my team members' needs and concerns. These might differ from day to day. I also make sure to manage my own emotions effectively to create a positive work environment.

Check out:

https://www.paultwalton.com/post/leadership-with-emotional-intelligence

But according to Harvard Business School professor Linda Hill, one of the world’s top experts on leadership, star leaders aren’t born with superhuman capabilities. Rather, they tend to have intentionally put themselves in situations where they have to learn, adapt, and grow — a crucible for developing the tenacity and fortitude to motivate and guide others.

“Leadership is a process of self-development,” she says. “No one can teach you how to lead; you need to be willing and able to learn how to lead. Mostly we learn from our experiences and facing adversity. Stepping outside of the spaces where we feel safe — is a powerful teacher.”

Here are what Hill says are the top eight most important qualities for successful leadership — along with ideas on how to cultivate them.

https://hbr.org/2023/12/8-essential-qualities-of-successful-leaders

Final words.

Some great ideas for discussion, interesting lists and links, but the last section above, I really believe is key to helping leaders develop.

A leader that puts themselves into situations where they have to learn, adapt and grow...

#schools #education #britisheducation #britishschools #educators #teachers #leaders #students #internationalschools #teaching #CPD #Professionaldevelopment #learning