4 Unknown Traits That Make You A Great Leader There are several individuals that show true potential as leaders even when they have not been bestowed any titles. Here are four hidden traits that make someone a good leader.
By Kavya Pillai •
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In today's day and age there are several opportunities to take on leadership roles. Companies are diversifying job roles and creating positions of team leads at every level. In such places it is important to recognise traits that help make a good leader. We also often hear and witness CEOs, founders, bosses and mentors that do not lead teams but abuse their position of power. It is when the top management or any position of authority decides to stop inspiring and teaching the team that the environment becomes hostile to growth and innovation.
However, there are several individuals that show true potential as leaders even when they have not been bestowed any titles. Here are four hidden traits that make someone a good leader. Read below to see if you have noticed the following in yourself or someone you can bet on to lead your team.
1. You like to know what drives people
In a team, we may all have the same goal but our motivation to reach that goal differs from person to person. The triggers and things that inspire or motivate an individual vary. Great leaders often find ways to capitalize on this. Instead of throwing around generic inspirational words with the expectation of great results they try to understand their teammates on a deeper level and then motivate them in ways specific to that person. This leader understands that they can not have a cookie-cutter approach where the same steps and routine is forced on everyone.
2. You give people the freedom to make decisions
The Former Emperor of the French, Napoleon Bonaparte once said, "When I give a minister an order, I leave it to him to find the means to carry it out." There are some people who love to micromanage and will not let someone other than themselves take decisions. Whether it is planning a trip or working on a project. This is not a good way to lead the team as not allowing other team members to make decisions handicaps their growth. Great leaders often use phrases such as, "Take the decision and let me know." Or "You take a call on it." This enables and forces the person to think by themselves. Even if the decision is wrong the person will learn firsthand. This freedom to make decisions is also hard for leaders to give as the decisions made could not meet the standard and also be wrong. Hence, it is important to know that this method is initially used in low-stake tasks and then gradually brought up
3. A healthy mindset of taking the blame and sharing all the credit
Captain Cool aka M.S. Dhoni was one of the most successful and beloved Indian cricket captains in the history of sports. There are certain details about him that make people adore him so much. One such thing is that in every picture where the team poses with the trophy or tournament cup, Dhoni is seen standing to the sides. He is hardly ever seen in the centre of these pictures holding the award. This is important as a leader should always be biased to give away the credit to the team. Similarly, the same Captain was seen taking the blame entirely on himself when his team lost. He pointed out the mistakes he made and did not emphasize others' faults.
4. You care about the collective growth of the team
There is no point in being the man of the match if your team loses the game. True leaders are more focused on the growth of everyone around them than looking out for ways to drag competitors down. There is a clear understanding that everyone around them is part of their team. Be it a couple, family or the office the approach is that of a team/ team member. This dude to the fact that growth is infectious. When you as an individual grow, the people around you will look at that journey and scale themselves as well. This is even more important with competition and competitors. People who are threatened by the growth of others are getting it wrong and believe other people's successes will bring them down.
To conclude, these are some traits that are certain efforts taken by individuals who focus on the bigger picture rather than just short-term successes. If you are someone who shows these traits we are sorry to break it to you. You might be a great leader!
