What are Leadership Qualities?
Leadership pays well. Why? Because it is hard to learn how to do. To be called a good leader you need to be an expert in your role and execute all the aspects of your role effectively. This requires you to have strong soft skills, great leadership qualities and a good sense of who you are as a leader. You also need to understand the organisation structure, what makes your stakeholders tick, how to influence them and what else you impact and why (and much more…). That’s a lot! However all of these skills can be learned, honed and crafted to your unique style. This article focuses on helping you to understand the qualities of a great leader and how to excel in these qualities.
But before we start, are you feeling overwhelmed by leadership? You're not alone. Leadership is tough… that's why it's a skill worth mastering!
However, we truly believe, that with the correct support and guidance you have what it takes to excel. Please excuse a metaphor to explain why a bit more creatively:
Starting a new leadership role is like trying to navigate a ship through unfamiliar waters. At first, the captain (you) may have a general sense of the destination, but the sea is unpredictable, with changing tides, unexpected storms, and varying winds. The map (your past experiences) only offers partial guidance, and the crew (your team) has its own dynamics and skills that you must learn to understand and manage. The qualities you need (such as vision, adaptability, and decisiveness) are like different tools in the ship’s cargo hold. It's only through trial & error and observing the environment around you that you start to understand which tools are most needed for smooth sailing. Over time, as you learn to read the waters and the wind, you discover which qualities to rely on to steer the ship toward success.
So learning to lead will feel daunting, especially in that moment at work when that difficult employee throws you a snide remark or the results come in from the project and for strange reasons it turns out to be underperforming. Personally, I can remember the feeling of anxiety creeping down my arms and over my chest thinking about when this happened to me as a new leader on a new type of project and not knowing what happened or how to handle it… But don’t worry! I have a solution for you.
Take the
Leadership Qualities Quiz
that helps you to:
Understand which qualities you are already performing well in and which you need to improve so you can PRIORITISE what to focus on
You will receive 7 weekly emails to TEACH YOU the basic principles for these qualities
These emails will also explain how to test your findings and suggest next steps to HELP YOU IMPROVE in these areas
Enough chat! Let’s dive in!
So what is a ‘quality’?
Qualities or character traits are innate or deeply ingrained attributes that influence how a person approaches life and interacts with others. Examples include honesty, integrity, humility, patience, and resilience. They are generally personal and consistent over time, reflecting a person’s fundamental beliefs, values, and attitudes. While some character traits can be influenced or nurtured, they are often more resistant to change and are seen as central to a person's identity. Coaching can be helpful with this resistance because it uses psychology to build on your existing qualities and work through resistance if you need to adapt and succeed.
The key qualities of a good leader:
Visionary: at its core a visionary person is someone who almost always has a vision of the future and one which is likely ambitious. A visionary person also tends to define goals that help them to move towards that vision. The difference to a visionary person being credible or not is whether they seem to be having visions rather than having a vision… i.e., if you want to be credible keep it within the realms of reality.
Empathetic: this type of person understands and values the perspectives of others and their expertise which they use to shape how you move towards the vision mentioned above. An empathetic person often also has a better ability to persuade others to work in a collaborative and positive way because they understand what makes that person tick.
Emotionally Intelligent: People with a high EI naturally perceive, understand, and manage their own emotions and relationships. They also understand the emotions of others in relation to their own and can therefore influence their emotions.
Trustworthy/honest: Someone who acts with honesty, transparency, and strong ethics acts with integrity. These types of people build trust and safety for the team and business, making for a more effective organisation. (It is worth noting that someone who acts with integrity does not just ‘tell-all’ but shares information appropriately and professionally when the time is right.)
Value Communication: Someone who values communication wants to clearly conveys ideas so that the team understands how to operate. They also actively listens to feedback to prevent team frustration, build even more clarity, catch risks/issues and find opportunities.
Adaptable: Adaptable people adjust strategies and approaches as circumstances change so if there is a blocker in the road they can simply move around it or change direction altogether. They do this because they value being successful more than staying the same (some people fear change whereas adaptable people fear not succeeding).
Accountable: Accountable people take responsibility for their actions and decisions, holding themselves and others to high standards. This is done to build trust and safety for the team and business and to “lead by example”.
Decisive: Decisive individuals make confident and timely decisions, even in uncertainty. This allows the team to feel safe and to always be clear on what action is needed in a coordinated effort. (Sometimes a decisive leader will order a team to ‘do nothing’. Did you know that ‘do nothing’ could be a decision?)
Confident: Confident leaders have a feeling of self-assurance arising from an appreciation of their abilities or qualities. Alternatively, confidence can arise from a feeling of assurance the team will perform adequately. This gives the team assurance which builds trust and motivation in others. It is worth noting a confident leader does not need to be an extravert as ‘quiet confidence’ can still be felt from a leader.
A common challenge for new leaders is imposter syndrome which is where an individual feels unqualified to fill the position they are in which therefore prevents confidence. Coaching can be an integral resource to manage imposter syndrome and build confidence.
Collaborative: Collaboration is the art of working effectively with someone or a group of people to produce something, and, for a leader encouraging others to do the same. A naturally collaborative leader thereby encourages teamwork and fosters a culture of cooperation.
Inspiring: An inspiring leader naturally uses techniques that mentally stimulate others to do or feel something positive and to understand why a concept/task is important in a person’s worldview. The inspired person will then work towards the goal or vision of their own free will without coercion or being pushed to do so. Therefore the inspiring leader positively motivates others to do their best, be creative, and pursue shared goals.
Resilient: A resilient leader handles setbacks and challenges that impact themselves and others with composure and perseverance. This again builds trust and safety with the leader. A naturally resilient leader is this way because they see challenges and issues as separate from themselves, so when issues arise it does not impact their self-worth.
Qualities In-Depth
Let’s go through these qualities to further understand how they support the company and the leader in their objectives.
In a business (especially SaaS technology companies) leadership qualities like Vision, Empathy, and Integrity are crucial for driving growth and fostering a strong company culture.
Vision helps the leader know the destination and therefore where to direct the team. This helps align teams around common goals, inspiring innovation and motivating employees to work toward a shared future.
Empathy allows leaders to connect with their team members, understanding their challenges and fostering an environment of mutual respect. It also allows a leader to understand what their people need to know and hear in order to act or behave in a manner that will drive success.
Integrity is foundational, as it builds trust within the company and with customers, ensuring transparency and strong ethical standards are upheld, which are critical in an industry that thrives on data security and reliability. Trust is also the bedrock of collaboration and the ‘bravery’ to invent new innovative ideas that may pave the way to success for your organisation.
Effective leadership in a SaaS company also requires strong Communication, Adaptability, and Accountability.
Clear communication helps leaders articulate complex ideas and expectations, ensuring that all team members are aligned and can contribute to the company’s mission.
In an industry driven by rapid change, adaptability is key; leaders must be able to adjust strategies quickly in response to shifting market dynamics or technological advances. Adaptability is also knowing when to change the direction and how to so that your team is successful and continues to understand the destination they are headed to.
Accountability holds both leaders and team members to high standards, ensuring that mistakes are owned and lessons are learned, which leads to continuous improvement and high performance.
The ability to show Decisiveness, Confidence, Collaboration, Inspiration, Resilience, and Emotional Intelligence is equally important for maintaining momentum and morale. SaaS companies often face uncertain situations where leaders must make quick decisions with limited information. Together, these qualities contribute to a thriving culture that drives both company success and employee fulfillment.
Confidence helps leaders navigate these situations with assurance, instilling trust in their teams.
Collaboration and inspiration are vital for creating a cooperative work environment that encourages creativity and problem-solving.
Finally, resilience and emotional intelligence ensure that leaders can manage challenges effectively, maintaining their composure and supporting their teams through adversity.
In Conclusion,
Some individuals naturally have qualities that support their leadership journey whereas others need to learn how to harness these qualities to become the most credible and competent leader they can be.
How well do you understand these qualities and how well are you performing in them? Not sure?…
Test your leadership qualities with the
LEARDERSHIP QUALITIES QUIZ
For transparency, the quiz asks you to provide your email so you can receive a personalised rather than an automated message about your results. You will also receive an email series giving you tips and tricks on how to excel.