3 Common Qualities of Effective Leaders

Leadership is defined as "the art of motivating a group of people to act towards achieving a common goal." Furthermore, leadership is about inspiring, engaging, and communicating with others to motivate them to achieve goals and find solutions to challenges. There has always been a debate whether leaders are born versus made, and many of the most effective leaders are a hybrid of the two. The good news is that leadership skills can be learned and improved through practice. We have all been lead by effective leaders and by not-so-effective leaders. Both help to shape our own unique leadership style and approach. Below are three common leadership qualities that help to define effective leaders.

Emotional Intelligence. EQ, otherwise known as emotional intelligence, has been gaining relevance and importance in business in recent years. Emotional intelligence is defined as "the capability of individuals to recognize their own emotions and those of others, discern between different feelings and label them appropriately, use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior, and manage and/or adjust emotions to adapt to environments or achieve one's goal(s)." This skill starts with self-awareness as a leader, and understanding how one's own actions and behaviors are being received, and then being able to regulate or pivot to adapt to each situation. Next, the ability to be social and motivate others is key to being emotionally intelligent. The skill of "reading the room" and adapting in order to most effectively motivate others demonstrates emotional intelligence. Last, emotionally intelligent leaders demonstrate empathy, and being able to relate to how others are feeling. EQ is so important and can be practiced and can be improved, and it all starts with awareness.

Exercise. The most effective leaders that I have had the honor to work with and for have exercise as an important part of each day. The benefits of exercise within leadership cannot be over-stated. Many great leaders I know run marathons, triathlons, do yoga, meditate, etc. Exercise has long given me an edge, as by waking up, going hard, breaking a sweat, and then tackling the day starts each day on a positive, balanced note. Also, it is time alone to have clear thoughts and focus on the day and challenges ahead. Some people use exercise at the end of the day to put the finishing touches on the day, however, for me, waking up early, getting focused, and working out before the sun comes up works wonders.

Positive Attitude. Have you ever worked for a supervisor or boss that plays "gotcha?" In other words, it feels like they only catch you messing up and never notice when you do something good? We all have, and that method of leadership simply does not work. Effective leaders set the pace and tone by catching people doing something right, and by shining a light on the positive actions. Effective leaders know how to get the most out of their teams through effective coaching. It's important to hold people accountable, but demonstrating a positive attitude even through challenges sets effective leaders apart. A positive attitude is contagious, and happy and engaged teams perform at higher levels - plain and simple.

From my experience, effective leaders share some common traits such as emotional intelligence, exercise, and a positive attitude. Are you poised for success in leadership? Carpe Diem.