Leadership Traits Are Constantly Evolving – Here are my Top 6

What makes a good leader? Well, in my opinion a leader is someone who inspires others to follow a common vision and achieve a shared goal. To do this effectively, a leader needs to have certain traits that make them trustworthy, credible and influential.

A lot of leadership traits are universally desirable, such as integrity, vision, empathy and communication skills. These traits help leaders to inspire trust, motivate followers, align goals and foster collaboration. Other leadership traits are context-dependent, meaning that they can be beneficial or detrimental depending on the situation, the culture of an organisation. For example, charisma, assertiveness, risk-taking and creativity can be seen as strengths or weaknesses depending on how they are used and perceived by others.

Then, of course, there are those leadership traits that are generally undesirable, such as arrogance, narcissism, micromanagement and authoritarianism. These traits can undermine the morale, performance and well-being of staff, create conflict and resistance, and damage the reputation and credibility of leaders and their organisation. It is imperative that as a leader, you should be aware of your own strengths and weaknesses, and seek feedback and development opportunities at all times.

Within CareerWise, I always strive to be innovative and quality-driven in everything I do. I believe that these values are essential for our success in this competitive market. However, I also know that our people are the most important assets we have. Without their dedication we wouldn’t be able to deliver on our promises. That’s why I make sure to invest in their development, well-being, and recognition. I want them to feel valued and enjoy working within a dynamic team of professionals who share a common vision.

There is no definitive list of leadership traits, but I have outlined my top 6 below:

1. Integrity: A leader should adhere to ethical principles and values, and act with honesty and transparency. Within CareerWise, integrity is at the core of everything I do as a leader.
2. Communication: A leader should be able to communicate effectively with different audiences, using various modes and channels, and listen actively and empathetically.
3. Confidence: A leader should have self-confidence and self-awareness, and be able to handle uncertainty and ambiguity. People only get behind people they know they can trust to support them through the good and not so good times. The best leaders take the time and make the effort to build trust.
4. Influence: A leader should be able to persuade and influence others to achieve common goals. Good leaders know that they do not have perfection in every area and may well be weak in some areas. They therefore make sure that they build and team around them with the right skills, knowledge and attributes and then empower them to deliver in those areas where they are the experts.
5. Empathy: A leader should be able to understand and relate to the feelings and perspectives of others. They should be able to listen to feedback, acknowledge different opinions and show respect and compassion. They should also be able to adapt their style and approach to suit different situations and people.
6. Decision Making: Decisions lead to action and action leads to results. The best leaders know that it is better to act and make something happen rather than wait for the time to be just right, the information to be complete or some other factor. They do their analysis and then act.

In truth there is no magic bullet when it comes to being a good leader but some simple changes can have a major impact on what we can achieve. Being a leader is not a static role that you can master once and for all. It is a dynamic and challenging journey that requires you to constantly evolve and learn new traits.

One of my favourite sayings is “every day is a school day”. We never stop learning, being a leader is not about having all the answers, but about asking the right questions and finding the best solutions, while always being open to trying new approaches.

Joe Robbins

(Director) BBS (Hons), MBPICS – Shannon Office

Joe Robbins is co-founder of CareerWise Recruitment. A graduate of the University of Limerick (Degree in Business Studies, 1985), Joe worked in the UK for five years where he specialised in materials management, production management and plant management for a number of companies.

He returned to Ireland in 1992 to become Operations Manager for a Cork-based start-up, FMC Automotive Division which was subsequently taken over by Snap-on Equipment. Joe managed the business re-location of this company to Shannon in 1997 before setting up CareerWise Recruitment in 1999.

He is a committee member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Mid-West region, and a former Director and Vice President of the Shannon Chamber of Commerce. Joe is former Chairperson of the Sixmilebridge Camogie Club and current Chairperson of the Clare County Camogie Board.

Share this Post: