14 Essential Traits of a Great Leader and How to Develop Them

Leadership is about the ability to inspire and guide others towards a common goal. Leader is a lighthouse, steady in the storm, illuminating the path towards a shared goal. He paints a clear vision of the destination, inspiring others to embark on the journey.

As leader of an organization or team, it is essential to possess a range of qualities and skills that allow him to effectively guide and motivate others towards a common goal or vision. These traits are the cornerstone of successful leadership and are vital for navigating the challenges and opportunities that arise in any situation.

Psychologists identified 14 essential leadership qualities needed to effectively lead a group of people. These traits are listed below:

1.  Vision
2. Strategic thinking
3. Adaptability
4. Confidence
5. Integrity
6.  Emotional Intelligence
7.  Communication
8. Collaboration
9. Decision Power
10. Problem Solving
11.  Creativity
12. Influencing Ability
13. Empathy
14. Resilience

Through this comprehensive exploration of leadership from psychological perspective, we will have a deeper understanding of what it means to be a leader to equip ourselves with skills and insights needed to develop leadership abilities.

Sr. No	Leadership Quality	How to Apply	Barriers	How to Eliminate Barriers
1	Vision Vision is a crucial component of effective leadership. It is the ability to see beyond the present and envision a future better than the present; to inspire and motivate people, achieve that vision.	1. Communicate the vision clearly and consistently 2. Inspire and motivate 3. Lead by example 4. Foster a culture of innovation and creativity 5. Stay focused and persistent	1. Lack of self-awareness 2. Limited perspective 3. Poor communication skills 4. Lack of resilience 5. Limited emotional intelligence 6. Lack of adaptability	1. Develop self-awareness 2. Broaden your perspective 3. Improve communication skills 4. Build resilience 5. Develop emotional intelligence 6. Cultivate adaptability
2	Strategic Thinking Strategic thinking involves the ability to see the bigger picture, anticipate future trends and develop long-term plans to achieve success. It requires a combination of analytical skills, creativity and the ability to think outside the box.	1. Analyze and understand current situation 2. Identify long-term goals and objectives 3. Anticipate and plan for future developments 4. Communicate the plan effectively 5. Monitor and adjust the plan as needed	1. Limited perspective 2. Lack of creativity 3. Poor analytical skills 4. Limited self-awareness 5. Lack of adaptability 6. Short-term focus	1. Develop analytical skills 2. Cultivate creativity 3. Practice self-awareness 4. Stay up-to-date with trends 5. Seek out learning and development opportunities
3	Adaptability Adaptability is a crucial component of effective leadership, as it involves the ability to adjust and respond changing circumstances in a proactive and flexible manner.	1. Stay open to new ideas 2. Be flexible and responsive to change 3. Maintain a positive attitude 4. Develop a range of skills and expertise 5. Be proactive and take initiative	1. Lack of resilience 2. Limited perspective 3. Poor strategic thinking skills 4. Limited self-awareness 5. Fixed mindset 6. Resistance to change	1. Build resilience 2. Broaden your perspective 3. Develop strategic thinking skills 4. Practice self-awareness and emotional intelligence 5. Cultivate a growth mindset 6. Embrace change
4	Confidence Confidence is an essential quality for effective leadership, as it involves the belief in one’s own abilities and the ability to inspire and motivate others. It requires a certain level of self-awareness and self-assurance, as well as the ability to communicate and act with conviction.	1. Believe in own self 2. Communicate effectively 3. Make decisions and take action 4. Lead by example 5. Support and empower others	1. Lack of self-awareness 2. Low self-esteem 3. Fixed mindset 4. Lack of assertiveness 5. Low resilience 6. Narrow perspective	1. Develop self-awareness 2. Work on self-esteem 3. Embrace a growth mindset 4. Practice assertiveness 5. Build resilience 6. Broaden your perspective
5	Integrity Integrity is a fundamental quality of effective leadership, as it involves the consistency between one’s values, beliefs and actions. It requires a strong sense of morality and the courage to stand up for one’s principles even in the face of adversity.	1. Act with honesty and transparency 2. Adhere to moral and ethical principles 3. Treat others with respect and fairness 4. Take responsibility for one’s actions 5. Lead by example	1. Lack of self-awareness 2. Weak moral foundation 3. Fear of failure or rejection 4. Peer pressure 5. Self-interest 6. Limited perspective	1. Practice self-reflection 2. Develop a strong moral foundation 3. Overcome fear of failure and rejection 4. Stand up to peer pressure 5. Seek out new experiences and perspectives
6	Emotional Intelligence It involves the ability to understand and manage one’s own emotions, as well as the emotions of others. It requires a strong level of self-awareness, self-regulation and empathy, as well as the ability to effectively communicate and build relationships with others.	1. Self-awareness 2. Self-regulation 3. Motivation 4. Empathy 5. Social skills	1. Lack of self-awareness 2. Poor self-regulation 3. Limited empathy 4. Poor communication skills 5. Negative self-perception 6. Difficulty in managing stress	1. Develop self-awareness 2. Practice self-regulation 3. Cultivate empathy 4. Improve communication skills 5. Work on self-esteem 6. Manage stress
7	Effective Communication It involves the ability to clearly and effectively convey ideas, thoughts and emotions to others in a way that is easily understood and resonates with the audience.	1. Listen actively 2. Express oneself clearly 3. Facilitate open communication 4. Resolve conflicts 5. Lead virtual teams	1. Lack of self-awareness 2. Inability to listen actively 3. Poor language skills 4. Poor nonverbal communication 5. Difficulty adapting to different audiences 6. Lack of confidence	1. Develop self-awareness 2. Practice active listening 3. Improve language skills 4. Enhance nonverbal communication 5. Adapt to different audiences 6. Build confidence
8	Collaboration Collaboration is a vital aspect of effective leadership, as it involves the ability to work effectively with others to achieve shared goals. It requires strong communication and interpersonal skills, as well as the ability to build trust.	1. Build and maintain relationships 2. Foster teamwork and cooperation 3. Encourage open communication and feedback 4. Solve problems and resolve conflicts 5. out diverse perspectives and ideas	1. Lack of communication skills 2. Limited interpersonal skills 3. Low emotional intelligence 4. Difficulty in managing conflict 5. Negative attitudeLack of trust	1. Improve communication skills 2. Enhance interpersonal skills 3. Develop emotional intelligence 4. Practice conflict management 5. Adopt a positive attitude Build trust
9	Decision Power It involves the ability to make sound and effective decisions that drive progress and success. It requires strong problem-solving skills, as well as the ability to weigh the pros and cons of different options.	1. Gather and analyse information 2. Make informed decisions 3. Communicate and justify decisions 4. Take decisive action 5. Learn from mistakes	1. Lack of problem-solving skills 2. Difficulty weighing pros and cons 3. Clarity of values and beliefs 4. Difficulty in remaining rational 5. Misalignment with goals	1. Develop problem-solving skills 2. Practice weighing pros and cons 3. Build confidence 4. Clarify values and beliefs 5. Practice remaining rational 6. Align decisions with goals
10	Problem Solving It involves the ability to identify and address challenges and obstacles in order to drive progress and success. It requires strong analytical and critical thinking skills, as well as the ability to generate and evaluate potential solutions.	1. Identify and define problems 2. Generate and evaluate potential solutions 3. Choose and implement the best solution 4. Monitor and adjust as needed 5. Learn from experience	1. Lack of analytical and critical thinking skills 2. Difficulty generating and evaluating potential solutions 3. Lack of confidence 4. Clarity of values and beliefs 5. Difficulty in remaining rational 6. Misalignment with goals	1. Develop analytical and critical thinking skills 2. Practice generating and evaluating potential solutions 3. Build confidence 4. Clarify values and beliefs 5. Practice remaining rational 6. Align problem-solving efforts with goals
11	Creativity It involves the ability to generate new and innovative ideas that drive progress and success. It requires open-mindedness and a willingness to think outside the box, as well as the ability to synthesize and build upon existing knowledge and concepts.	1. Foster a culture of creativity 2. Encourage open communication and feedback 3. Seek out diverse perspectives and ideas 4. Encourage experimentation and risk-taking 5. Learn from mistakes	1. Lack of open-mindedness 2. Difficulty generating and evaluating ideas 3. Lack of confidence 4. Clarity of values and beliefs 5. Lack of openness to new experiences 6. Misalignment with goals	1. Practice open-mindedness 2. Practice generating and evaluating ideas 3. Build confidence 4. Clarify values and beliefs 5. Seek out new experiences 6. Align ideas with goals
12	Influencing Ability It involves the ability to persuade and motivate others to take action and achieve a desired outcome. It requires strong communication and interpersonal skills	1. Communicate effectively 2. Build relationships 3. Use emotional intelligence 4. Use evidence and logic 5. Use charisma	1. Lack of strong communication and interpersonal skills 2. Difficulty in understanding the needs and motivations of others 3. Lack of confidence 4. Clarity of values and beliefs 5. Lack of social and emotional intelligence	1. Develop strong communication and interpersonal skills 2. Understand and appeal to the needs and motivations of others 3. Clarify values and beliefs 4. Develop social and emotional intelligence 5. Align efforts with goals
13	Empathy It involves the ability to understand and connect with the feelings and experiences of others. It requires strong social and emotional intelligence	1. Use emotional intelligence 2. Foster open communication and feedback 3. Foster a culture of empathy 4. Seek out diverse perspectives	1. Lack of social and emotional intelligence 2. Difficulty in communicating and relating to others 3. Lack of understanding of one’s own values and beliefs 4. Inaccurate perception and interpretation of social situations 5. Misalignment with goals	1. Develop strong social and emotional intelligence 2. Communicate and relate to others effectively 3. Clarify values and beliefs 4. Improve perception and interpretation of social situations 5. Align efforts with goals
14	Resilience It involves the ability to bounce back from setbacks, to adapt and thrive in the face of change. It requires mental toughness and determination, as well as the ability to cope stress and adversity.	1. Use Emotional Intelligence 2. Foster a Growth Mindset 3. Develop a Support Network 4. Practice self-care 5. Foster a Culture of Resilience	1. Lack of mental toughness and determination 2. Weak social support network 3. Negative coping strategies 4. Lack of understanding of one’s own values and beliefs 5. Negative perception and interpretation of stress and adversity 6. Lack of a growth mindset	1. Develop mental toughness and determination 2. Build a strong social support network 3. Develop positive coping strategies 4. Clarify values and beliefs 5. Develop a growth mindset 6. Build a track record of resilience

How to Eliminate Common Barriers Across All 14 Leadership Qualities

To eliminate the common psychological barriers across all leadership qualities, consider the following strategies:

• Develop self-awareness: Practice self-reflection and self-examination and seek feedback from others to gain a deeper understanding of yourself.
• Cultivate social and emotional intelligence: Seek out diverse experiences and relationships and practice and seek feedback in developing these skills.
• Learn positive coping strategies: Seek out training in effective coping strategies and practice using them to manage stress and adversity. Build a strong social support network and work on improving self-esteem.
• Build a strong social support network: Seek out relationships and connections, and practice building and maintaining supportive relationships.
• Develop a growth mindset: Seek out new challenges and learning opportunities, and practice believing in your own ability to learn and grow.
• Improve perception and interpretation of social situations: Seek out diverse perspectives and experiences, and practice and seek feedback in accurately interpreting social situations.

Overall, It is important to be proactive in seeking out opportunities for personal development and feedback for guidance to overcome barriers against leadership skills. By continuous learning and growth, we can become effective leaders and make a positive impact around us.

Reference book “Are You a Leader“ for more details.

Enlighten Yourself With “Failing Forward“, “How to Talk to Anyone”, “The Five Levels of Leadership”, “Exactly What to Say”, “Code of the Extraordinary Mind”, “13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do”, “12 Rules for Life” and “Are You a Leader“ as well.