10 attributes you should look for when filling leadership positions

It takes a lot to lead a team. It’s not just about delivering instructions and signing off other people’s work - it’s about being an influential, inspiring leader that can motivate a team of people towards success.?

Working up the ranks to a C-suite level role takes a lot of work and personal development, and the candidate in question must tap into a whole host of hard and soft skills to succeed in such a position.?

Those necessary skills will differ depending on the company and the industry, however, there are a few attributes that are essential for any leadership position. So, with that in mind, what are the most important attributes you should be looking for when filling a C-suite position?

Communication?

Excellent communication skills should always remain high up on the list of characteristics you should be seeking when filling an open leadership position. The art of persuasion and influence? is absolutely pivotal to the success of any business. After all, it’s no use having a specified mission and set of values for the company if it is not conveyed clearly to your employees.?

Communicating effectively with members of the team at every level increases employee engagement, enhances relationships between managers and employees and helps to ensure everyone knows what is expected of them day to day.?

Subject matter expertise

Although this is a largely obvious attribute, it’s an essential one nonetheless.?

Leaders need, at the very least, a basic understanding of what’s going on throughout the entire business, alongside prior experience within the industry. This is not only so they communicate effectively with the wider team and understand their work, but also to ensure they can develop effective strategies and plans for the future of the business.?

Strategic thinking, future-proofing and the final execution of plans make up the fundamentals of good leadership and a successful, sustainable business.?

Decision-maker

It can be hard to make decisions, especially in tough situations. However, for those in top-level, C-suite positions, it’s absolutely paramount that they have the ability to make quick, snappy decisions to push the business along, whatever that takes.

Being able to operate under pressure and take the issue and the facts at hand (even if those facts are lacking), and still make a reasonably informed decision is the hallmark of a good leader.?

Inspiring

It’s important to appoint a leader that will be capable of inspiring the team and aligning your business and employees with an agreed, shared vision. Your candidate needs to be optimistic and motivating, keen to set aspirational goals, development plans and targets for the company and team. All in all, an inspiring workplace is a productive workplace.?

Employee development?

Elevating your team and your business takes work. It’s important to hire a candidate that’s dedicated to putting in this work - helping to develop their employees' personally and professionally, enhancing the business as a result.?

A good leader isn’t only focused on the trajectory of their own career. Ensure your candidate is interested and keen to learn about your team, so they can begin identifying opportunities to enhance your team, offer opportunities for growth and strengthen the business all-round.?

Emotional intelligence?

Emotional intelligence comes in two parts. One side of the coin is being able to identify, understand and manage your own feelings and emotions, whereas the other side is being able to understand and manage your teams’ emotions too. Having the capacity to empathise and engage with the team is crucial - after all, the people are what make your business.?

Without the ability to understand and take into account your employees’ thoughts, feelings and opinions, you run the risk of disengaging your team, cutting off essential voices and at the end of it all, forcing talented individuals to leave your company.

Delegation?

Delegation is not simply a case of offloading work onto other members of your team, it’s an opportunity to maximise efficiency by evenly spreading the workload.?

Not only does this help you hit those deadlines and surpass those targets, but it offers your team the opportunity to take on new challenges and enhance their own skills as a result.

Effective delegation is a hard skill to master, but it’s one of the most important responsibilities a manager can possess.

Self-awareness?

Modesty, humility and self-awareness are absolutely paramount for anyone entering a leadership role. Anyone interviewing for a C-suite position at your company must have the ability to recognise their own strengths and weaknesses to be more effective.?

This way, they can identify gaps in their skillset and strategically surround themselves with employees that can fill those gaps and consequently elevate the business.?

Adaptability

Amid uncertainty, unpredictability and tricky times, a level of flexibility is absolutely essential. Leading a team can be a tough feat, so an element of adaptability is a must.?

Adaptability comes in many forms - whether this is testing new strategies and techniques to stay ahead of the game in the company’s niche, adapting communication styles to suit different team members or even adapting their management style depending on the situation at hand, flexibility is a must for any leader.

An adaptive leadership style ensures your company will always be growing, innovating and improving.?

Leaders are made, not born

Essentially, if you forget about industry-specific knowledge and hard skills such as knowing specific softwares and techniques, it’s the people-oriented skills that make up the fundamentals of a good leader. But this doesn’t always come naturally.?

Leadership is a skill that can be developed over time, it’s not always a given from the get-go. But if someone has the resilience, determination and desire to lead a team of people to success, that’s the first step towards becoming a perfect candidate for a C-suite role. But it can often be difficult to find that very person - which is what we’re here for.?

Here at Goodall Brazier, we’re committed to expert executive search, so we can seek out the very best C-suite candidate to strengthen and elevate both your company and your team. If you’re looking to fill an open position, get in touch today.??