A leader is one of the most important elements of any team or organization. It has a direct impact on employee behavior. It depends on him how the rest of the team will perform their duties.

• Vision

First of all, every team needs a goal (not just one in an Excel table). A good leader is, above all, a person with a vision. Someone who knows where he is going and can clearly present this goal to his colleagues. With his passion and charisma, he motivates employees and shows them the way. This is extremely important in the context of the functioning of the team. The team that knows where it is going, with its leader at the helm, is the one that is most likely to succeed. As Agnieszka Bilińska, an experienced mentor of the Women Business Leaders Foundation, writes: “The ability to set visions, goals and directions of action. The leader knows where he is going and what he wants. He sees a higher goal and is able to define it well. He is able to see himself and his organization several years ahead.”

• Communication

Secondly, effective communication is the second essential feature of a leader. A good leader knows how, what and when to communicate. Of course, this communication must be clear, concise and transparent. Moreover, a good leader also knows how to listen. He knows when he should express his opinion and when he should listen in silence to what his colleague has to say. Employees need to feel heard, and a leader should provide them with this. This way, both sides can learn something from each other.

• Empathy

Thirdly, empathy is one of the most important qualities of a leader. It is one of the components of emotional intelligence, which allows you to empathize with other people’s emotions. A good leader should have a high level of empathy to better understand his colleagues. As Anna Lubowska, one of the MentorNow Mentors, says: “(…) Empathy is a very important personality attribute of a leader. It is influenced by biological predispositions, environmental factors and upbringing. People learn empathy during social development, from an early age. Theoretically, the development of empathy is possible at any age. However, this is difficult in my opinion. The biggest barrier is realizing that I lack empathy and that this may be the reason for my difficulties as a leader. A mentor can help us see this.”

• Decisiveness

Fourth, being a leader is inherently related to making many, often difficult decisions. Certainly, a leader, despite limited information, often has to make difficult decisions. This is a difficult skill to master, requiring extensive experience, control of emotions and quick calculation of consequences and probabilities. A good leader must face many choices, the consequences of which he will take responsibility for.

• Example

Ultimately, the best motivation for employees is the example set by the manager/manager. Moreover, a leader should demand the most from himself in order to set an example for his colleagues. Consistency between words and actions is important. No one will listen to a person who talks a lot and does little. Therefore, it is important for a leader to work at least as much and as hard as his or her employees. This is what will make him gain credibility and respect in the eyes of his team.

Source:https://mentornow.pl/jakie-sa-najwazjsze-cechy-skuteczny-lidera/

Supported by Norway through Norway Grants 2014-2021, in the frame of the Programme “Social Dialogue – Decent Work”.