What Makes a Good Leader?

If you’re starting your first leadership role, it might be hard to know what makes a good leader. Jackie Arnold, author of Coaching Skills For Leaders offers some points on what actually makes a great leader…

Outstanding leaders have the following in common:

● Passion: a love of what they do and the ability to put this over.

● Courage: they ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’.

● Humility: they know that they are only as good as their own people.

● Perseverance: where there’s a will there’s a way.

● Compassion: they treat others with respect and kindness.

● Forgiveness: they forgive and allow people to learn by their mistakes.

● Patience: both with themselves and with others.

● Strong values: authentic, trustworthy, honest, reliable, committed, consultative and loyal. The following are a few of the skills good leaders possess and the results of their practising these skills.

● Effective communication results in positive action.

● Valuing people results in increased motivation.

● Listening deeply results in people feeling they are being heard and that their opinions matter.

Becoming an effective leader and coach:

Managers may find it difficult to adjust to being a coach. People look to managers for guidance and so managers often find it unnatural to listen and not to give advice and suggestions. A good manager/coach, however, is someone who:

● is approachable;

● can be strategic;

● is a good listener;

● keeps an eye on targets/results;

● is consistent;

● is open to suggestions;

● can be flexible while keeping boundaries;

● is inspiring;

● makes people feel valued and supported;

● allows people the freedom to grow in their role;

● supports mistakes;

● is encouraging and positive.

A manager is the person to whom people look for actions and decisions. They are the vital link to the leadership team and essential to the organisation’s purpose. They are responsible for keeping the ship on an even keel and for balancing their commitments to their team with those of the organisation.

Find details of coaching and supervision programmes on Jackie’s website.