Five Qualities Every Great Business Leader Has

Do you have what it takes to be a great business leader? You don’t have to be a CEO to lead. If you’re a team manager, supervisor or oversee the work of a single person, you need to inspire, direct and get the best out of those you lead.

Whether they’re a veterinarian, a local car expert, or a national software company founder, successful business leaders have abilities that make them effective and influential. Do you have these five qualities of great leadership?

You Exhibit Integrity

Most people think of business as a cutthroat, dog-eat-dog atmosphere. Many people conduct business that way. You’ve probably seen the headlines where leaders failed their customers sometimes to the point of risking their lives.

But, leadership consultant Fred Kiel studied 84 CEOs for seven years and discovered something no one expected. He discovered that CEOs with the highest integrity had multi-year returns of 9.4 percent. Companies with low-integrity CEOs, however, had a yield of 1.9 percent. Kiel concluded that companies simply perform better when the CEO at the helm guides with integrity.

You Stay Positive

It’s easy to have a positive attitude when things go right, but when they don’t, staying positive is a lot more difficult. But, staying positive no matter what is part of a successful leader’s mindset. According to an analysis of 25 different studies, positive thinking came out ahead of extroversion as a top leadership trait.

Researchers discovered that happy and positive leaders tended toward a transformational leadership style. This type of leader is skilled at motivating, inspiring and mentoring their teams. In other words, a positive attitude is better for business.

You Welcome Change

Great leaders look for ways to improve and move on to the next level. They welcome suggestions from staff, look for ways to innovate and move forward. Successful leaders also look for benefits when change is forced on them.

For example, the IBM of years ago was successful by manufacturing and selling PC clones. But, competitors flooded the market with less expensive more powerful clones. Obviously, the choice for IBM became change or die. IBM switched its focus and is now a leader in the information technology support and computing service industry.

Clearly, business leaders cannot sit back once a company finds success. Business climates change. Advancing technologies pave new paths. If a leader doesn’t innovate and embrace change, the business dies.

You Respect Your Colleagues, Staff and Customers

Great leaders look at co-workers, staff, customers, clients and colleagues as fellow human beings and treat them with respect. You might be a boss, but if employees feel undervalued, they’ll end up resenting you.

Workers who feel valued and respected work harder for the boss and feel invested in the company’s success. Likewise, treating customers and colleagues fairly is key to business growth.

The most effective leaders create a culture of respect in every aspect of the business.

You Lead By Example

Successful leaders work hard. They also –

• Envision and talk about a future vision.
• Engage and encourage team members. 
• Become a shining example for their employees.
• Treat others with respect.

And, they expect the same high standards from those they lead.  What do you think? Do you have the qualities to become a great business leader?