Essential Qualities of a Good Leader

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Essential Qualities of a Good Leader
Some people believe that a leader is born since there are particular attributes which are found in some individuals that appear to naturally put them in positions wherein they are looked up to as leaders. Whether actually a person develops abilities and skills to become a leader or one is born a leader is debatable. Nonetheless, there are certain qualities which are found in good leaders, and these characteristics can be naturally part of their personality or they can actually be developed.The aim of this essay is to provide a comprehensive discussion of the essential qualities of a good leader.
(i) Exemplary character: A good leader is an individual with an exemplary, model character. It is imperative that a leader is reliable to lead other people. A good leader should be trustworthy and be dependable, and be well-known to live his/her life with integrity and honesty. A good leader will walk the talk and thereby he/she earns the right to have responsibility for other people. True authority, in essence, is born out of respect for the trustworthiness and good character of the individual who leads.(ii) Ability to delegate: a good leader trusts his team and gives them a sense of responsibility through delegating some of the duties to the team members. Delegating various tasks and responsibilities to the apt departments is an essential skill that a leader can develop as the company grows. Delegating basically entails identifying the strengths of the team members and exploiting them. Delegating some responsibilities and tasks would prove to the team members that the leader trusts and believes in them, and it will free up his time to concentrate on the higher level responsibilities and tasks which should not be delegated. Delegation will have a great impact on the company’s productivity.
(iii) Focus: good leaders are supremely organized and always plan ahead. Such leaders think through several scenarios in addition to the potential impacts of their decisions, whilst considering possible options and making strategies and plans, all of which are targeted towards success. Once prepared, these leaders develop routines, processes as well as strategies so that high performance is easily defined, palpable and monitored. The leader will communicate his/her plan to the major p...