Holding a management position requires a high degree of responsibility, diplomacy and crisis resistance. Not every boss is up to these demands. Perhaps you have also encountered superiors in your professional life who were visibly overwhelmed by their position or even exploited it for self-serving purposes.
The high fluctuation in numerous companies is due not least to the Dissatisfaction of the employees. Maybe you've thought about quitting your job in the past because you couldn't handle the behavior of management? You are not alone in this. In fact, this happens quite often.
Are you looking for a promotion or thinking about starting your own business? Then you should definitely familiarize yourself with the most important characteristics of successful leaders.
Everyone talks about leadership qualities. However, only very few people can clearly define what is actually meant by this. In earlier times, leadership qualities were primarily associated with unassailable authority. Nowadays, however, we know that strict hierarchies are not always an advantage. In modern companies - despite authority to issue directives - there is usually an exchange at eye level.
Leadership skills are the abilities of a person in a managerial position to lead employees to the desired result with the help of various leadership techniques. This desired result consists of the (successful) fulfilment of the work tasks to be completed. For this purpose, the manager must have qualities that are useful for motivation.
Other areas of responsibility in a management position include organisational activities, task planning and control. Whether a manager has the necessary leadership qualities can be checked by the feedback of his own superiors, his employees and customer satisfaction.
A good manager has qualities that ensure that a productive and appreciative working atmosphere is maintained. A successful boss therefore not only has professional competence, but is also able to motivate his employees. Interpersonal communication plays a decisive role here.
This means that the manager takes the concerns of his team seriously and acts in a solution-oriented manner in the event of conflict. What sounds self-explanatory in theory is not so easy to implement in practice. After all, as a manager you are not only dealing with cooperative employees. As a supervisor, you also have to remain calm in difficult situations.
Social competence is the decisive factor that separates good leaders from bad ones. Your job as a manager is to motivate each employee to give their best. This only works through open discussions: What is preventing the employee from developing his or her full performance potential? What countermeasures need to be taken?
The competencies expected of a leader depend heavily on the leadership style chosen. The most common leadership styles in modern companies include:
The most popular management style in this country is now the cooperative management style, in which employees are heavily involved in the decision-making and development processes. However, the final decision still rests with the manager.
In order to lead your team in a cooperative or participative manner, you as a leader should place great value on open communication, efficient delegation, and an appreciative Error culture lay. Furthermore, the willingness for self-reflection is required.
In all leadership styles that take place at eye level, the leader must be an assertive, stable personality. Since the authority to issue directives is partially or even completely eliminated, you should be all the more able to convince your team of the importance of the tasks.
In addition, digital and remote leadership has gained in importance, not least due to the corona pandemic. For this to work, a little organizational effort is required. The manager must establish clear structures so that everyone is assigned the correct tasks. Despite the physical distance, there should be a regular virtual team meeting.
Before we shed light on what qualities a good leader must possess, it makes sense to first look at the opposite: How can you recognize a bad leader?
A leader who is unsuitable or not up to their task is characterised by the following behaviours:
Particularly characteristic of an unsuitable leader is choleric behavior, which is sometimes somewhat clichéd in books and films. Behind the aggression often hides a deep Uncertainty of the superior, which he wants to hide from his team at all costs. The choleric behavior acts as a kind of protective shield, so to speak.
This cannot be said in such a general way. The good news is that bad leaders do not necessarily have to remain bad leaders. Provided that the ability for self-reflection is present, the leadership style can be improved (e.g. with the help of special coaching offers for managers).
Structural deficits such as time management are naturally easier to correct than interpersonal deficits. Those who are not empathetic in any way by nature will have a hard time winning the trust of their team. But there are learning opportunities in this regard as well: Insight and will provided.
Working on yourself is always a challenge. Leaders, however, have to face it. If you are already in a leadership position, get regular feedback from your team. What are you doing well? What areas could you improve?
The readiness and the will for continuous personal development are among the most important characteristics of a manager.
By now, you know that a manager must have qualities that make the Satisfaction of the team and ensure that work processes run smoothly. We would like to present the 15 most important characteristics in detail below.
We have already mentioned it, but the importance of communication should be made clear once again. As a manager, you must be able to communicate even complicated issues in an understandable way. Furthermore, it is essential that you are able to adjust to different mentalities in conversation. Not everyone can communicate in the same way!
Self-confidence is considered one of the most important qualities for leaders. Caution: Do not confuse self-confidence with arrogance! As a self-confident leader, you are aware of your strengths and rest in yourself because you have confidence in your abilities. You do not shy away from difficult situations because you know that you will find a solution.
A procrastinating manager who shies away from every important decision is to be seen as an absolute negative example. Making decisions is simply part of everyday work in a management position. Even at the risk of a decision turning out to be wrong in retrospect. Good managers are not only confident in making decisions, they are also decisive.
As a supervisor, you are automatically being watched very closely. So you should stick to your own rules. Otherwise you will quickly look untrustworthy. It is therefore not a good idea to reprimand your employees for taking too many smoking breaks while you yourself go out for a smoke twice an hour. The same applies to punctuality and work discipline.
Delegate is one of the most underestimated leadership traits. Yet delegation is essential to achieve the desired work result. Delegation means distributing tasks and authority in a meaningful way. In this way, the result is achieved faster and more efficiently. In order to be able to delegate, you must of course have precise knowledge of the capabilities of your employees or departments.
A supervisor always bears the ultimate responsibility. So in case of wrong decisions, you will be approached. You should always be aware of this. Weigh all your decisions carefully and be aware of the possible consequences. Delegating also involves a sense of responsibility. Do not distribute tasks indiscriminately, but always with the best possible end result in mind.
Wherever people work together, conflicts arise. This cannot be avoided. As a manager, it is your task to look for constructive solutions to the respective conflict issues. Here you take on the role of a moderator to mediate between the parties. If you yourself are at the centre of the conflict, objectivity and a neutral assessment are important.
The manager is where all concerns and tasks converge. Therefore, it is important that you always keep an overview of the current day-to-day business. Which topics have priority? What can still be postponed? The decision and organization is entirely up to you. Good managers keep an overview even under enormous external pressure.
Not everything always goes as you planned. As a good leader, you keep your cool and react flexibly to unforeseen events. Try to see change as an opportunity. Inexperienced managers tend to quickly fall into a kind of shock paralysis. You should not make this mistake if you want to assert yourself as a leader.
Now let's revisit one of the best-known leadership traits: the ability to Employee motivation. Let your team share your vision. Good leaders know how to infect others with their enthusiasm. Also, don't skimp on appropriate praise. Show your team how important each and every one of them is.
A mature People skills helps you assess which employee is suitable for which area of responsibility. Incorrect assessments can quickly lead to costly delays. When assigning work groups, you should also make sure that the characters that come together harmonize with each other. The best way to train your knowledge of human nature is to go out and meet people!
Early in your career, make sure to build a supportive network. Stay in touch with your mentors, fellow students and former colleagues. Through regular professional exchange, you will gain inspiration and stay up to date professionally. Furthermore, it is also helpful as a manager to be able to ask other professionals for their advice and opinion.
Mistakes happen everywhere and to everyone. That is absolutely human. Nevertheless, it is important to expose and discuss sources of error in order to improve the quality of work in the long term. A successful leader has qualities that contribute to an appreciative error culture. Do not blame your employees, but analyse the problem objectively and solution-oriented.
Wondering why humor is one of the most important leadership traits? Then let's explain it briefly: A managerial position comes with enormous responsibility. However, if you act too doggedly, you run the risk of developing depression or burnout. Looking at situations with a sense of humor helps to stay mentally healthy.
A successful leader continues to develop and learn. Question your behavior and analyze past mistakes. This is the only way to avoid them in the future. Detach yourself from the demand to be perfect. No one is, not even a manager. If you admit your own mistakes and openly learn from them, you will appear authentic and gain the respect and trust of your team.
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