Characteristics of a Leader

The leader is a person who heads a hierarchical system that in turn is part of a more complex, and under whose direction a group can carry out work in an orderly manner and with an objective determined. Leadership is the set of mechanisms and strategies with which a leader can make his followers achieve the objectives set.

The skills of a leader are all those elements that allow him to interact with his subordinates and achieve together the success of the set goal. Modern leadership studies highlight the following among the main ones.

Main aspects and characteristics of a leader:

1. Charisma

Charisma, also called personal magnetism, is the characteristic of a leader that allows his presence and personality to attract the interest of the people around you, allowing them to be attentive to listen to your messages and to follow your instructions, advice and organization. Part of the charisma also consists of knowing each person, treating them with closeness, with which they can know their abilities and their deficiencies.

2. Self-knowledge

It consists of knowing your own weaknesses and limitations and encouraging your subordinates to also develop this self-knowledge. This will allow them, on the one hand, to compensate them with their strengths and aptitudes, and on the other, to complement them with the work and advice of other members of the group. This further strengthens the cohesion of the group and inspires all members to follow suit.

Management of emotions. A leader is capable of provoking emotions, passions in his followers, and also of directing this passion to the achievement of the set goal.

3. Conviction

The conviction allows you that by setting the tasks, assigning the work to be done and achieving the established goals, the people in charge of fulfilling each part, achieve it of their own free will, through conviction, without the use of coercion or threats.

4. Personal growth

Setting goals and objectives, and working to achieve them, is understood by the leader as a process of learning and growth, not only for himself, but also for his subordinates. Therefore, the leader will do that each project, that each task, that each process and each procedure contribute both to the goal set, as well as to personal growth and improvement of their own and of each of their subordinates.

5. Communication

Communication skills are one of the great skills of a leader that are most essential. This communication must be in all directions: from the leader to his subordinates, making sure that his instructions are clear, listened to and completely understood. And from the subordinates to the leader, ensuring that the information is as complete, updated and timely as possible. For this, the leader must always be willing to listen to information, accept criticism and not get carried away by praise.

6. Planning

Planning is one of the main activities of the leader, which allows him to make a planning of the actions to be carried out, the selection of the right people for each activity and the times in which they must be end up. This implies reasoned decisions, that is, that very short and therefore impossible deadlines are not set, or on the contrary, too long and that can be tedious and unproductive.

Setting goals and objectives. The setting of goals and objectives, as part of the obligations of a leader, consists not only in assigning a job to be done, it also implies assigning him to the right people, so he takes into account the knowledge of his subordinates to make that assignment based on his capabilities of him. This allows to avoid serious errors and failures that affect or delay the achievement of the objective.

7. Responsibility

The leader assumes responsibility for a project, and therefore, assumes the favorable or adverse consequences of his decisions, both in front of his superiors and in front of his subordinates. He takes responsibility for the physical and mental integrity of his subordinates, while also asking for responsibility from them.

8. Creativity and innovation

The leader is not satisfied with always following the same line of action, following a tradition; he always looks for creative and innovative ways to achieve goals more efficiently. And for this, he uses other aspects such as: communication, personal growth, self-knowledge, among others; because when taking into account the opinions of subordinates or followers of him through instruments such as consultation or brainstorming, together they can contribute to achieve innovations that will have an impact on the achievement of the project or goal fixed.