Every good leader has a few similar traits and characteristics that help them become a person others look up to. Whether you are leading a team in an office, are the founder of a charity organization, the leader of a church or other religious group, or are the owner of a business or start-up, if you are leading a team, you will need to work on these traits and skills. If you find yourself struggling to lead your team effectively and you feel no progress is being made, it might be time for leadership consulting to help you launch your team forward.

Good Listener

To lead well, you must show yourself to be a good listener. This doesn’t mean that you have to do the things people want, or that you have to listen to each and every complaint. It does mean that you need to be able to understand what people are thinking and feeling because you have heard them out.

To be a good listener, you have to be willing to set aside time and be present. No one feels heard when you are listening with one ear while also writing an email and receiving messages from your secretary.

Empathetic

People need to know that they’re understood and you care about them. Being empathetic goes hand in hand with being a good listener. You can’t have one without the other. Empathetic relationships are about seeing and understanding the other person’s point of view, even if you don’t agree with it.

Relationships First

Relationships are the foundation of any leadership movement. Whether you are a boss, a charity leader, or the founder of a movement, you must have a relationship with the people you’re leading. When the focus is on work and productivity, workers feel unappreciated and unnoticed. Focusing on work first actually limits productivity.

Be Trustable

Your employees have to know they can rely on you in difficult or stressful situations. They also need to be able to trust that you mean what you say and that when you give instructions, you won’t change your request over and over. They need to be able to count on you when you say you will do something or be somewhere. Of course, emergencies and setbacks happen to everyone, but if you are generally able to do what you planned and stick to your word, those emergencies will be understood and supported.

Humility

Having humility is an important trait in every leader. No one wants to follow someone who acts better than everyone else. But having humility isn’t about acting like you are less valuable and important. Humility is different than low self-esteem.

A humble person does not think less of themselves, they think of themselves less. They aren’t self-serving, and the team is more important than their own promotions and reputation. They aren’t a person who will throw someone else under the bus because they want to look good, or who will take credit for another person’s ideas.

Be Encouraging

No matter what you are doing, whether it is nonprofit work, a career, or a startup, your people need to know you believe in them. Working as a team is difficult, and one of the ways you can make it easier and bring everyone together is by letting people know that they have your support and confidence. You believe in them, they believe in you, and everyone is cheering on everyone else.

Lead by Example

Your team needs to see that you are right there in the trenches with them. If your team bears the brunt of the hard work, takes the majority of the hits, and then you get all the praise and accolades for the successes, no one will want to follow you. They need to know that you are one of them. When the team wins, you all win, When the team loses, you all lose.

Embrace Change

Changes will come. Change is a part of life and expecting that things will always continue as they are right now will only drag your team down when the inevitable happens. By accepting, expecting, and embracing change as the catalyst that will propel your team forward, you can lead the way where many are slow to respond or adjust. If you were expecting and preparing for changes, when they occur you will already be leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else.

Be Aware of Your Actions

Your actions are very clear to others, but they may not be clear to you. Your body language and the way you respond to difficulties, setbacks, and changes will set the tone for how the whole team responds. When you are leading, it is very important to be self-aware and know what your tone and body language are telling others.

With your attitude, you can tell others that they are important, or that they aren’t. You can tell them that anger and stress are the go-to emotions, or that it’s okay to take some time away to deal with problems in a healthy way. You can tell them that change is welcomed and embraced, or that it is feared. Being aware of your actions is one of the most important traits of an effective leader.

Be Clear With Communication

Clear, consistent communication is key to having a good relationship with your employees or coworkers. Nothing is more frustrating than not knowing what is expected of you. How can people know how to help you if you aren’t communicating with them?

As well as clearly communicating your desires and expectations, you must also clearly communicate your satisfaction and pleasure when the people you are leading succeed.