
An important aspect of good leadership is the ability to work and relate with others. When creating and building your unique leadership style consistently developing relational skills is a priority. There are ten qualities that characterize successful leadership in the area of relating and communicating with other people.
1. Availability
A good leader is available and in touch with people. An important leadership skill is the ability to recognize needs and be able to respond to them quickly and in the moment.
2. Facilitating Harmonious Relationships
A good leader realizes the importance of harmonious relationships and is proactive in creating a harmonious atmosphere. Successful results are born out of harmony rather than conflict. Good leadership will prioritize keeping conflict and disharmony to the minimum.
3. Approachability
A good leader is approachable and has an open door policy. Good leadership creates an environment where openness and honesty can occur in an atmosphere of fairness rather than judgment.
4. Appropriate use of authority
Sensitivity to the proper use, and conversely the misuse, of their authority is the whole mark of good leadership. A good leader will not use their position of authority for self gratification and promotion or in a controlling and domineering manner. Successful leaders use their positional power with wisdom and sensitivity to the appropriateness of the circumstances.
5. Confidentiality
Good leaders conduct conferences and meetings in an atmosphere of trust. They display appropriate confidentiality and respect towards others and about others.
6. Self Motivation and Development
Good leaders set and use goals to motivate themselves and others. They understand the importance of personal and professional development. Successful leaders do what is necessary to upgrade their knowledge and skills and be on the cutting edge in their field. Successful leaders not only motivate themselves in personal development but also motivate those around them.
7. Supportive
Good leaders are able to provide emotional support for those for whom they are responsible. They recognize the importance of encouragement and inspiring confidence and also give recognition of a job well done.
8. Maintaining Motivation and Team Spirit
A good leader provides incentives and motivators to improve the performance of their employees to challenge them to maintain quality results.
9. Clear Communication
A good leader is an excellent communicator. Their leadership involves communicating clearly the objectives and procedures required of a task. They set clear, attainable, and measurable goals.
10. An Understanding of Group Dynamics
A good leader understands the dynamics of group relationships. Successful leaders have the ability to lead groups without aggravating conflict and minimizing disharmony. They are inclusive and skilled in creating a sense of team unity. They are adept at balancing the strengths and weaknesses of the group for best results.
It is of prime importance to develop good relational skills as a leader. The way a leader connects and communicates with people will determine the level of success in achieving the desired results. A good leader is able to create in his team a desire to follow his leadership wholeheartedly.
Take these ten characteristics as a checklist to determine the strengths and weaknesses in your leadership style. Celebrate your strengths, focus on your weaker areas and start to work on them. In this way a good leader can develop into a GREAT leader.
Barbara White President of Beyond Better Development has over twenty years experience in leadership. Beyond Better Development works with organizations who want their leaders to develop towards their potential and stay on the cutting edge. More about Leadership Development
AP - Trying to survive a deepening recession, employers are cutting their work forces to the bone, leaving more Americans unemployed and with dim prospects of finding a new job any time soon.
AP - Gov. Rod Blagojevich faces almost certain impeachment by the Illinois House, a historic step that would trigger a trial to determine whether the Democratic governor should be tossed out of office.
AP - Lawmakers are under orders to finish action on President-elect Barack Obama's nearly $800 billion economic recovery plan by mid-February. But already it is plain that a set of serious fissures need to be bridged if the bill is to be completed within five weeks.
AP - Israeli jets and helicopters bombarded Gaza Friday and Hamas responded with a barrage of rockets, as Israel's government said it will press forward with its offensive despite a U.N. resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
AP - President-elect Barack Obama is completing his national security team by announcing his unusual choices for CIA director and a national intelligence director who may face tough Senate confirmation questioning over how he confronted the Indonesian military when civilian massacres were occurring in East Timor.
AP - Investors showed nervousness Friday ahead of the government's monthly employment report, sending stock futures moderately lower.
AP - Democrats are ushering in what they believe will be a new labor-friendly era in Washington with House votes on two bills aimed at helping women fight pay discrimination in the workplace.
AP - TV stations in 22 U.S. cities announced Thursday that they will start broadcasting their signals this year in a format designed to be received by mobile devices like cell phones, MP3 players, GPS units and in-car entertainment systems.
AP - Tim Tebow gave Florida the jolt it needed, and the Gators toughed out a second BCS title in three years. Their 24-14 win over No. 2 Oklahoma in a choppy, sloppy affair Thursday night made them a national champion.
Reuters - Steep falls in European industrial output underlined the severity of the world economic crisis on Friday and more grim news was on the way with the United States expected to report the biggest monthly job cuts in more than 30 years.
Reuters - Israel pushed ahead with its two-week-old offensive in the Gaza Strip on Friday, defying a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.
Reuters - U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's economic team is working on an overhaul the $700 billion financial rescue program with the aim of doing more to spur the flow of credit to the struggling economy, an Obama aide said on Friday.
Reuters - Russia's state-controlled gas monopoly said a deal to monitor gas exports via Ukraine would be signed on Friday, allowing for the resumption of supplies to Europe cut off by Moscow's price row with Kiev.
Reuters - Financial giant Citigroup Inc will support a proposal in Congress to rewrite U.S. bankruptcy law to help troubled mortgage borrowers avoid foreclosure, Chief Executive Vikram Pandit said on Thursday.
Reuters - A legislative committee on Thursday recommended the impeachment of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, citing widespread abuse of power including allegations he tried to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.
Reuters - An analysis of proposals to overhaul U.S. health care by President-elect Barack Obama and members of Congress suggests it is possible to insure all Americans without significantly raising total health spending.
AFP - Israel battered Gaza with bombs and shells on Friday, vowing its offensive on Hamas would go on despite an order by the UN Security Council to stop the assault that has killed hundreds of civilians.
AFP - Russian gas deliveries to Europe could resume later Friday, the head of Russia's state gas firm said, raising hopes for an end to a transit dispute with Ukraine that has left several European states without gas at a moment of bitter cold.
Performance Management is a process that both employer and employee often fear!Why... Read More
Use this check list to assess your communication skills.Focus* Do you pay... Read More
A 'dirt-world' retail business I used to manage had a large turnover,... Read More
Imagine the following scenario; Ten years ago you decided to quit your... Read More
For the past several weeks, we have focused on some wonderful but... Read More
When you're starting a business, you might wish for a lot of... Read More
Not long ago I was asked to come out and take a... Read More
Succession Planning provides many valuable assets to your business. Yet it is... Read More
Lynn was tapped to head up the project team for a major... Read More
As waves of organizational change sweep across the business landscape, a huge... Read More
Everyone wants to describe themselves as a leader. Everyday, new books on... Read More
Aligning business organizations to be successful in the present and keep on... Read More
Budgets! There I've said it. For some the most hated and feared... Read More
ISO 9001 2000, Getting startedBefore starting the ISO 9001 2000 route to... Read More
There's a common phrase used by Organizational Development and Human Resource professionals,... Read More
INTERNAL PUBLIC RELATIONS: Never overlook an opportunity to do internal public relations... Read More
Every Manager has experienced the frustration of not understanding why one management... Read More
Use your time for problems that are truly important.Hard as it may... Read More
Each day millions of workers spend 8 hours or more at their... Read More
One of the most difficult and emotionally draining situations you face as... Read More
With deference to Dr. Covey and his very popular Seven Habits of... Read More
1. Create a filing system with broad categories such as "Insurance" and... Read More
Managers often ask, usually with exasperation, "How can I keep my employees... Read More
"Without the chance to meaningfully participate in steering one's own destiny, without... Read More
There is a pervasive assumption that small firms are more creative and... Read More
Becoming a manager for the first time can be an unnerving and... Read More
TEAM DECISION MAKING: Managers who invite participation believe that people directly affected... Read More
Conflict is a fact of life for all of us, but too... Read More
It is a sad fact that many employees are still being subjected... Read More
In a management role procrastination can seriously hold back progress and demotivate... Read More
I sit on the board of an organization and at the last... Read More
Positive radical movement is the holy grail of nearly every decision maker.... Read More
Want to hear a fascinating story? Let's sit in at a meeting... Read More
A critical task in the succession planning process of any organization is... Read More
Innovation is different and distinct from creativity in that it is idea... Read More
Managers should avoid the tendency to constantly delegate to the same one... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation... Read More
Make Sure You Understand Your Motivation for SellingAre you thinking about selling... Read More
How do you, or would you, communicate with employees who work offsite?Perhaps... Read More
Every organization is looking for the holy grail of performance enhancement, that... Read More
In my organisational career, I had budgets from the age of 22... Read More
Kicking Winning Business Goals The competition for business is hotting... Read More
How would you handle communication if your business or practice got into... Read More
Human Resource Employee Risk ProfileIs your business at risk? Do you want... Read More
Does the idea of program evaluation make your stomach churn? If so,... Read More
Resolving conflict doesn't come easily to too many people. Most of us... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation... Read More
AbstractThe electrical products industry is one characterized by fierce competition, declining margins,... Read More
Times of cost cutting and downsizing has dramatically impacted the way employees... Read More
In our experience, we have found that there are several reasons managers... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation... Read More
These factors where determined by interviews with and books from very successful... Read More
When you think of all the things companies have, you do not... Read More
Meetings can be a total waste of time or a powerful and... Read More
In 1987 I sold my business, South Mountain Company, to my employees... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation... Read More
Organizations live and die by results. Yet most organizations get a fraction... Read More
Have you ever hired someone who did not live up to expectations?... Read More
The need to get people in an organization to pull together comes... Read More
Creativity Starts Here!The ability of an organisation to create new products/services and... Read More
There are so many ways to jump start your prifits and keep... Read More
After a full week of training, you are still a little nervous... Read More
In our current world of rapid and amazing technological advances, many entrepreneurs... Read More
Many retailers do not have good internal controls in place and place... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation... Read More
"It is a terrible thing to look over your shoulder when you... Read More
To develop and deliver a great Leadership Talk, you must understand that... Read More
When we're selling to business people, our value proposition has to show... Read More
Let me tell you a secret.Things don't always go the way we... Read More
Here are seven dangers of outsourcing your software development. They become deadly... Read More
Few Decision makers see the link between between creativity and innovation management,... Read More
Lack of Operations Manuals stunting your growth?CONTENTS:1. Do you lack functional Operations... Read More
Unfortunately, there are managers who define public relations by its applications. Which... Read More
In today's competitive environment, companies realize that a good boss is one... Read More
Growing companies must always be ready for the next challenge. If you... Read More
Few things are more destructive to a career than a boss who... Read More
For many companies, procuring the right packaging, such as Poly Bags can... Read More
Left alone it doesn't take long for a building with a single... Read More
Some managers think of performance appraisal meetings and recollections of torn Achilles'... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation... Read More
All small to mid-sized company owners want to know where their dollar... Read More
Sometimes, better than giving advice about how to run things well, it... Read More
Your organization's continued growth and success depend on making smart choices and... Read More
The permissive and participatory conduct which most employees take for granted, eventually... Read More
By sharing how well you are doing and how well your expectations... Read More
Meetings can be the life-blood of an organisation or the death.It all... Read More
I witnessed some interesting behaviour from one of our premier management schools... Read More
Okay, so you've figured out what kind of meeting is needed, you've... Read More
Successful enterprise building requires seven elements. These are:1. People, who are the... Read More
There's a common phrase used by Organizational Development and Human Resource professionals,... Read More
I'm sure you've experienced those typical "headache" meetings! You know the kind... Read More
In today's hectic business environment, it is vital that we are all... Read More
The following information is based upon over 500 interviews with senior executives... Read More
As a manager our role is to:1. Establish the vision, or our... Read More
Business Management Business Management |