Being a leader is no easy task. This is not only a great responsibility to one's own decisions, but also a problem of trust from others. Not everyone has the talent to lead people. And not everyone is destined, by virtue of their nature, to ever stand at the helm of the company. But if there is such a desire, but there is not enough experience, then the first thing you need to know is the basic qualities of a leader.

The main qualities of a leader

There are bosses who just infect employees with their own charisma and they will gladly serve them faithfully. But most often the main role is still played by the business and personal qualities of the leader. As a rule, the requirements for leaders in a work team are always the same. Therefore, it will not be difficult to understand them.

First you need to understand what is meant by the term "qualities of a good leader." According to management psychology, these are personal, individual and social characteristics of a person that ensure his success in a certain position. These qualities can be identified by analyzing the structure and activities of managers of a certain level and rank. Many years of testing various categories of bosses have revealed a holistic picture of what qualities a leader should have. Let's consider the main ones:

1. adequate self-esteem. This is one of the most important qualities, which lies in the ability to be critical of one's actions, to see oneself and one's actions from the side and control them. The ability to correctly assess oneself also affects the assessment of employees, to whom an adequate boss will make adequate demands that they can do. These concepts also include such qualities of a good leader as self-criticism and self-discipline.
2. Professional experience and knowledge. In any team there is a leader who sets an example for others. This role should be filled by a manager who is competent in the area where he was lucky enough to be the boss. He must be well versed in matters that relate to the activities of his company. This also includes such important qualities of a leader as the ability to make decisions, taking into account the opinion of specialists, to identify a problem and solve it together with other tasks, as well as to quickly control the work of employees.
3. Patience and perseverance. The leader who does not know how to hide his emotions is bad. Loss of self-control in a difficult situation is a guaranteed end to the authority of the leader. For successful management, any team needs an energetic, optimistic enthusiast who, by his very appearance, will set an example for employees and motivate them to improve their performance.
4. Tact and sensitivity. Any employee of the team, even if it is a modest cleaning lady, needs a respectful attitude. A person should not be humiliated, but given him faith in his own strength. In addition, many employees associate the qualities of an ideal leader with the ability to empathize, take an interest in health, children, and joke when the situation requires it. Employees perceive such a boss as a native person and, to the best of their ability, try not to upset him, but to do their job conscientiously.
5. Demanding. Also an important feature of any leader. Each employee is obliged to perform tasks that are required of him by his superiors. Of course, if these tasks are feasible and adequate. Any manifestation of irresponsibility in the team can completely disorganize the entire work. And it depends only on the leader whether there will be discipline in the team.
6. Equal relationship. For some reason, many leaders forget that all people are equal. But the team does not forgive such mistakes. No company is complete without favorites. But for the team, the best option would be the one about which the old saying says: "Bypass us more than all sorrows and lordly anger and lordly love." In short, all employees should be treated equally and with respect. In order not to turn the whole team against themselves.

Business qualities necessary for a leader

A special category after the personal is occupied by the business qualities of the leader. It directly depends on them how long and how successfully the company will live. In this regard, the manager has the following requirements:

As you can see, leaders must have a huge number of qualities. And they do not always meet the norms and standards. But the main indicator of the successful work of any manager is stability in the development of the company and love from the team.

This time we will talk about what qualities a good leader should have.

The article is based on a comment from one of the readers (many thanks to him!), Supplemented by my own reasoning.

I had the opportunity to work with different companies - large and small, and I have seen everything described below on live examples more than once.

Talented leaders and effective managers:

1. Provide clear leadership and set clear goals
   The captain must guide his ship along the intended course with a firm hand. If the leader does not know what to strive for, his subordinates also cannot know. I mean not only specific projects, but also the goals of the company or department as a whole. The leader must be clearly aware of them and be able to convey his idea to employees.
2. Take responsibility for their actions and hold others accountable
   In other words, they set an example for others. The standards that are applied to evaluate the quality of work should be the same for everyone. The leader must share with his subordinates both the joy of victory and the bitterness of defeat.
3. Are able to solve problems
   One of the common qualities of all talented leaders is the ability to solve problems constructively. They are not only able to quickly identify what is going wrong, but also offer unusual ways to deal with difficulties.
4. Relinquish fine-grained control
   Talented leaders are able to effectively delegate authority. According to the commentator, these people are able to "fire themselves", that is, do not interfere in routine processes and do not seek to control every step. The ability to delegate authority is a matter of trust, by the way.
5. Make effective decisions
   The best leaders make the right decisions. They don't tend to be insecure. They act quickly and without fear, and then take full responsibility for their actions (see point 2).
6. Value people above all else
   The best leaders recognize the need to meet the needs of both customers and employees. They are ready to listen and discuss any problem. They understand that happy people work much more efficiently.
7. Spread their influence not only on subordinates
   Of course, every company has its own hierarchy, but talented leaders have ways of influencing those who are on the same level with them or are located at higher levels of the career ladder. In many cases, this has to do with the ability to communicate, manage expectations, and seek help when needed.
8. Appreciate others
   Each of us needs support and positive evaluation. The best leaders understand the importance of contributing to a common cause. This does not mean that they provide their employees with numerous bonuses or special privileges. They just never forget to show them their respect and recognition.
9. Always honest
   There is nothing worse than broken promises. A leader who always keeps his word deserves to be called one of the best. Trust is an integral part of the relationship between superiors and subordinates.
10. Balanced and dedicated
    All the great leaders I have met have had a genuine interest in their work. They literally breathed it and strove to fulfill their duties at the highest level. And at the same time, they always found time for their personal lives. They knew the importance of giving enough time to the family. And they inspired their employees by personal example.

Surely there are other personal qualities inherent in good leaders. The 10 most important ones are listed above. Perhaps you would like to add to my list. Have you ever worked with a manager who had one or more of these qualities? Please share this in the comments.

Bernard Marr, linkedin.com
Translation: Airapetova Olga

What personal qualities should a manager have?

Personal qualities that contribute to the high efficiency of professional management activities are as follows:

1. Activity.

2. Initiative.

3. The desire for knowledge and a high level of intellectual development.

4. The ability to listen to others and use their opinions to correctly identify ways to solve a problem.

5. The ability to establish business contacts with employees, regardless of their position.

6. High level of self-confidence.

7. Innovative approach in making managerial decisions.

8. Ability to work quickly and intensely, adapt to changing situations.

9. Ability to manage yourself and others.

What professional qualities are required for a manager?

For successful managerial activity, along with personal qualities, professional qualities are important. In various areas (business, marketing, sales of goods, work with personnel, etc.) they may differ from each other, but the most significant of them, necessary for any area of ​​managerial work, are as follows:

1. Availability of the required level of education and qualifications.

2. Continuous improvement and updating of their professional knowledge, skills and abilities.

3. The ability to organize an effective solution of the planned tasks with the involvement of a minimum number of performers.

4. The ability to choose the main, priority areas in the activities of the organization (company, bank, etc.)

5. The desire to support and develop creative creative work in a team of employees.

6. The ability to clearly formulate the tasks and goals of the organization, to speak in front of an audience with reason.

8. High degree of identification with the staff of the organization.

9. The ability to purposefully influence the improvement of the professional activities of employees.

What performance qualities should a manager have?

The presence of these personal and professional qualities, the ability to actively and purposefully apply them in professional management activities allows the manager to significantly improve the quality of the effectiveness of everyday work. These qualities are:

1. Strict and impeccable performance of official duties.

2. The ability to distinguish the main thing in your work from the secondary.

3. The ability to take risks and identify risk areas in the process of accepting and implementing business projects and plans.

4. Ability to cope with the intense rhythm of work.

5. The ability to show objectivity and adherence to principles in any situation.

6. Ability and ability to formulate clear goals and objectives of the organization.

7. Ability to form and develop effective working groups.

8. Knowledge of modern management approaches and the ability to apply them in practice.

9. The ability to mobilize people and rally them around you to achieve your goal.

Man, no doubt, is a rational being, but this statement is not always applicable to each individual representative of humanity. Sadly, in the era of advanced technology and high scientific achievements, there are still individuals whose intellectual abilities and level of culture leave much to be desired.

What are the main qualities a modern person should have?

So, what set of qualities should a person have in order to be called a worthy member of a highly developed society? As psychological studies show, each of us already knows on a subconscious level what should fill a modern mentally healthy person. But there are also generally recognized character traits that need to be worked out. In the first place among them is the desire for development. In the conditions of the old world, the priority task of man was survival. Today, the living conditions of the majority have improved significantly and there is time for spiritual development and self-improvement. A healthy desire to become better (smarter, stronger, more beautiful, more talented, kinder) encourages us to overcome negative traits and develop positive qualities.

Humanity is a trait that also needs to be cultivated in oneself. Participation in charity events, active assistance to those in need, altruistic deeds develop humanity and make the world kinder. Another way to train humanity is to help ordinary people, for example, someone who has fallen on the street, lost something, etc.

Another important quality, the deficiency of which often leads to conflicts and aggression, is tolerance. Tolerance is a tolerant attitude to the personality of another person, to his opinion, actions, his otherness. We are all different and look at the world in our own way, but this should not be an obstacle to peaceful coexistence. Learn to accept people for who they are and stop imposing your opinion on them. And very soon you will notice how much easier and better your life has become.

What qualities should a cultured person have?

Over the millennia, our society has gone through great transformations. Gradually, people came up with new means of self-improvement and adjustment - constructive styles of interaction, adequate methods for resolving conflict situations, morality, morality, human and legal laws. All this is the culture of society.

As for a single person, a person can be called a cultural person who:

• know how to be grateful
• responsible for their actions
• educated
• respects others
• benevolent
• polite
• accepts the opinions of others, even those that differ from their own
• tactful
• brought up
• enterprising

A cultured person observes the norms of society, the team, and the family. He always knows the measure in his statements and actions. In addition, he tries to contribute to the development of society. A cultured person always behaves naturally, does not try to ingratiate himself with others. Hypocrisy and malicious sarcasm are not present in his manner of communication. He builds his own system of values, which does not contradict the norms and rules of society and does not go against his own morality and the principles of others.

Thus, an individual who has managed to combine positive qualities and a good attitude towards others can be called cultural. Of course, the set of features listed above is far from complete, because the concept of culture is very broad. But we can say with confidence that a person who has at least half of the qualities from this list can be called a worthy representative of a modern highly developed society.

To successfully carry out activities in a managerial position, a person needs to have a whole list of qualities - confidence, responsibility, perseverance, the ability to make quick choices, calculate a profitable outcome for the company, skillfully handle business documentation, reasonably delegate duties. All these personal qualities can be given to a leader by nature. If desired, the strengths of character can be independently brought up by him in himself, honed and improved by his own purposeful actions. What is the set of these qualities? This and more is discussed below.

Formation of a set of qualities of a leader to ensure the effective activity of subordinates

Although the totality of personal qualities of a leader is directly dependent on the characteristics of managerial activity, psychologists and theorists in the field of management identify sets of qualities that should be inherent in a person in any leadership position.

Thus, the results of psychological tests show that the combination of an official boss and an unofficial leader in one person increases the efficiency of employees by 20-30%. The essence of the phenomenon lies in doubling the strength of the leader's influence on the group, using not only the power granted officially, but also the personal qualities of the leader, the possibilities of persuasion and suggestion to inspire employees. The same psychological tests confirmed that the official authority of the leader justifies only 60% of the capabilities of the working group, while the psychological or unofficial authority allows you to achieve 85-90% of the return of employees.

To build an effective system for managing the activities of employees, the manager should know the personal orientation. The direction of the leader is based on the attitudes that in the process of personal communication receive the greatest advantage. It is equality, potential and creativity. The predominance of one or two of the above attitudes in the communication process can become the basis for effective group management and will help maintain cohesion in the team.

Neglect of each of the three settings is an indicator of an ineffective management style.

Requirements for leaders

A lot of research of the last decade has been devoted to attempts to determine the perfect set of personal qualities of a leader. They included the construct of the ideal personality of a leader, the formation of leadership and subjective qualities, a list of necessary skills, and so on. Many studies really confirmed that the effective work of the company depended on the intellect of the leader, his reliability, responsibility, activity, social position and other things. However, these qualities did not exclude the manifestation of negative traits, especially in stressful situations. In addition, there is evidence that leaders with the above list of positive characteristics did not succeed. The factor of quantitative distribution of efforts on each personal characteristic also plays a role, as well as on the depth of their manifestation in communication with subordinates.

A person is not able to become a good leader only if he has certain character traits. The style of managerial activity of a person, his behavior with employees is essential.

Researchers agree that a leader cannot do without the following qualities:

• Enthusiasm, energy, reasonable inclination to risk and fight, strong motivation to win;
• permanence;
• Ability to properly organize a team, personal approach to subordinates, rational delegation of duties, coordination of actions;
• High intelligence, competence, the ability to correctly assess one's own capabilities, developed imagination, intuition, insight;
• Ability to communicate, long-term communication;

Determination of the primary personal qualities of a leader and their development

A survey of CEOs of leading Russian companies showed what character traits, from their point of view, people who want to become leaders must have:

The interviewed employees also identified other traits that their leader should possess:

• The presence of strategic thinking.
• Self confidence.
• The ability to bring the group together.
• Ability to prioritize.
• Sociability.

Clearly, there is agreement on three points out of five. However, sociability dropped from first to fifth place, and self-confidence from fourth to second. Employees give the leading place to strategic thinking - the talent to solve problems and achieve goals with the least expenditure of resources. It is this personal quality of the leader, according to subordinates, that can lead the enterprise to prosperity.

Skills of a Professional Leader

Summing up the above, we can distinguish the following skills inherent in a competent manager:

• Psychological balance. The ability not to lose self-control in difficult situations that require tough and quick reactions. Subordinates must see that the leader, regardless of the situation that has arisen, has not lost his composure.
• Striving for victory. An experienced leader must motivate employees, demonstrate inexhaustible enthusiasm. Career advancement is impossible without the desire to climb up and occupy new high positions.
• Practical intelligence- the talent to think logically, to calculate your steps in the future, to see the consequences of your actions.
• Social intelligence. It has much in common with empathy - the ability to put yourself in the place of another and fully share his feelings. An intelligent manager uses this tool most effectively during the distribution of duties - he knows what specific work should be given to this or that person, and he will be sure that it will be done well.
• Adequate self-esteem of a leader lies in the ability to analyze the entire amount of information about oneself, perceive it critically and correctly, and then correct one's behavior. Also, adequate self-esteem allows you to correctly assess your capabilities and not take on overwork.

Improving character strengths

The most effective honing of leadership skills is constant practice, with overcoming difficulties, ups and downs. This is the only way to improve your strengths, to grow a person who is confident in himself and in his actions.

You can also do the following exercises to develop leadership qualities and skills:

• Set ambitious goals for yourself. For the development of leadership skills, it is more useful to complete 80% of the most difficult task than to complete 150% of a simple task that does not promise any prospects.
• Find a common language with the team. After talking with subordinates, conveying to them the company's goal and the role of the working group in achieving it, the financial result of the economic entity's activities often increases.
• Joint professional development will benefit both the leader and his subordinates.
• A simple conversation with a client can also be a good leadership exercise. By asking an ordinary person about his goals in life, you can get ideas for developing your own business.

Personal qualities of a leader for characterization

A characteristic for a manager is a document containing a list of positive personal qualities of a person, as well as a list of his professional merits.

The characteristic may be needed by state authorities, as well as third-party organizations when deciding on transfers to other branches and to higher positions.

The document is drawn up in free form. The characteristic includes the personal data of the manager, the specifics of his work activity and a list of professional successes. The document also briefly describes the character traits and behavior of the leader.

Examples of personal qualities of a leader to characterize:

Personal qualities of a leader in a resume

For a person who wants to get a job as a manager, creating a competent, adequate, concise, but as informative resume as possible should be a paramount task.

It is necessary, at the same time, not to exaggerate one's skills, but also not to be modest, to impress the employer and, then, to prove oneself from the good side in managerial activities.

The resume should be subject to regular adjustments as qualifications improve. Don't forget to update information.

The summary should contain detailed and informative points relating to professional knowledge and skills, strengths, skills and positive qualities.

Personal qualities that should be present in a manager's resume are as follows:

• Professional skills. You should list everything that matters for the position you hold. At the top of the list should be skills that are directly relevant to successful employment. Other positive, but not primary character traits for work, place at the end of the list.
• Ability to deal with negative emotions and stressful situations.
• Perseverance and diligence - they help to cope with the tasks set, create a reputation as a pedantic and scrupulous leader.
• Ability to get along with subordinates.
• The desire to improve their own professional skills.
• Talent for leadership.

Thus, the leader must have a fairly impressive list of personal qualities that allow him to effectively manage his subordinates and cope with other professional tasks assigned to him.