The 10 personality traits of a leader

What are the personality traits that define a good leader?

What are the personality traits that define a leader? In every organization there are objectives to be met, and the existence (or not) of people who guide others is one of the keys to making things work.

Human groups (companies, political parties, trade unions...) are characterized by investing a lot of time and effort in detecting and developing people. time and effort in detecting and developing the leaders of the future.. The importance at this point is usually focused on the detection of profiles with good potential in intellectual, communicative and even physical attributes. This vision assumes that there is a known number of personal traits that a leader must have, traits that have been well delimited.

The characteristics of the leader's personality

The characterization of the leader's abilities has been studied on the basis of personal tests and also through the observation of behavior in group contexts. This line of study has been able to correlate almost all leadership traits. leadership traits.

The following is a summary of the ten personality traits most prevalent in people with great leadership ability according to this research.

1. Communication skills

Communication must operate in two directions: expressing ideas, instructions and opinions clearly and assertively, as well as getting the message heard and understood. A leader must also be able to listen to and take into account all the opinions, both individual and collective, that reach him.

Emotional intelligence

Researchers Salovey and Mayer (1990) initially characterized Emotional Intelligence as the "ability to manage one's own and others' emotions and feelings, to discern such feelings and to use this information to match them with precise actions". Feelings mobilize the subject, which is why emotional intelligence is a key trait of the leader.

3. Ability to determine goals and objectives

Leading a group requires knowing what the road map should be to guide it.. In the absence of precise goals and objectives, the effort may be futile, and the group may feel frustrated. Objectives should be consistent with the group's capacity: it is not effective to set unattainable goals.

4. Planning and development capacity

Once the objectives have been set, it is essential to draw up a plan to achieve them. This plan should plan all the actions to be accomplishedThe time frame, the people who will carry them out, the resources to be used...

5. Proactive self-knowledge

A good leader must be aware of his virtues and must make the most of them.. Obviously, he is also aware of his weaknesses, and strives to try to improve.

6. Self-development and assistance to colleagues

A leader is able to grow while helping others to develop. In order to improve, it is not necessary for him to do so "defensively"; He is not a slave to his group role or his reputation.. He helps the group grow by teaching others, delegating tasks and creating spaces for action and communication so that others feel useful and valued.

7. Innovation

Will try to find new and better ways to carry out activities. This feature is fundamental in the context of a society that is advancing at a fast pace, with constant changes in technology, communications and high competitiveness.

8. Responsibility

Is aware that his position in the group gives him power, and knows how to use it for the benefit of the group. knows how to use it to benefit the group as a whole.. He is not selfish; he uses his position to activate processes and energize potentials.

9. Information

A good leader must be informed. No corporation can survive without leaders who know how to handle information. Knowing how to process information, interpret it correctly and astutely and then use it in the most useful and creative way is a key skill.is a key skill.

10. Charisma

This last point is controversial. Some authors believe that the trait of charisma has very different definitions, and that depending on which of them is used, it will be a characteristic present in people with leadership skills, or not. In fact, it seems that there are even certain facial features common among leaders.

Defining the concept as the ability to attract and cause good feelingsand to attract attention and appear pleasant and empathetic in the eyes of others, charisma is indeed a crucial trait in a good leader. Charisma can be trained by socializing and showing a genuine interest in people. Charisma is related to the absence of selfishness., a factor that is decisive when it comes to perceiving a person as a leader.

Bibliographical references:

• Goleman, D. (2013). El poder de la Inteligencia Emocional. Madrid: Ediciones B.
• Molero, F. and Morales J.F. (2011). El líder y su grupo: visiones actuales del liderazgo. Madrid. Alianza Editorial.
• Sánchez Vázquez, J. F. (2010). Leadership: theory and applications. Universidad Pontificia Salamanca.