Defining Characteristics of Quality Leaders

Quality leaders aren’t born — they’re made. It takes self-awareness, practice, and perseverance to become the best leader you can be.

Decisiveness

Quality leaders aren’t afraid to be decisive and make tough choices. They gather information, make a decision, and then take action. Once the decision is made, effective leaders stand by their choice unless there’s a good reason to reconsider.

Patience

Patience is one of those skills that quality leaders think they have until work gets really tough. Here’s an exercise to improve your patience:

1. Close your eyes
2. Take deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth
3. Slowly count to 10 in your head

Flexibility

Quality leaders understand that flexibility means there are often multiple ways to complete a task. Flexibility also means being able to adjust quickly to changing circumstances.

Honesty

Honesty is essential if you want to be the best leader you can be. It’s also essential if you want to build a strong team that trusts you and each other.

Positivity

Positivity affects everything your team does. When facing challenges, shift your perspective and view them as opportunities to excel.

Adaptability

While flexibility means acknowledging the myriad ways to get things done, adaptability means rolling with the changing circumstances.

Competence

If you want to lead effectively, you need to be competent in every aspect of your job. This will encourage your team to follow your example.

Organization

Whether organization is easy or hard for you, it’s imperative that you work to exhibit it. Here are some tips to improve your organization:

• Make a plan for the next day before you leave work
• Avoid multitasking if possible
• Keep your workspace clean

Focus

Another characteristic of quality leaders is the ability to focus on the task at hand to the exclusion of everything else.

Communication

Good communication encompasses clarity, ability to get others to listen, persuade, and get along. Effective communication is about clarity and brevity.

Ability to Listen

Really listening without interrupting is not always easy, but with practice, you may notice an improvement in communication within your team.

Accountability

As a leader, accountability means taking responsibility for your own and your team’s work, actions, and behaviors.

Trust

Trust is critical for being a good leader and for the success of your team and business. It’s a two-way street where both you and your team trust each other.

Sympathy

As quality leaders, it’s vital to exercise sympathy in all interactions with your employees to build strong employee/employer relationships.

Good Judgment

Judgment is the ability to make decisions or form an opinion objectively and wisely. With practice, you can improve your judgment.

Confidence

Confident leaders make confident employees. Exhibit confidence in your abilities, and this attitude will inspire your team to excel.

Practicing Characteristics of Quality Leaders

Take things one step at a time. Focus on one or two characteristics that will benefit your leadership style and work on them until they become habit.

Quality Leaders Harness the Power of Software

To create structure and direction in a work environment, use software specifically designed for that purpose, like Sling by Toast. Sling offers features like powerful scheduling tools, cloud-based schedule distribution, time clock, messaging, and communication features—all designed to help you and your team stay organized and productive.

Download the Sling app for free today and start becoming a quality leader.