When talking about the most important traits that make a good leader, many things come to mind.

A leader in business should drive

others to work harder and run the business efficiently. The person put in charge should always be asking themselves “what is the
business of our business”. This is a crucial step in determining what the goals and values of the organization are. Without proper
order, no team of people, no matter how educated and competent, is capable of succeeding.

One of the core characteristics of a leader is intelligence. While leading a business, leaders need to be able to reason effectively, be
good at problem-solving and think with a goal in mind. However to be able to lead a large group of people, raw intelligence isn’t
enough, they have to also know how to apply their knowledge to the real world. Without this skill, they are not true leaders.

Above all, leaders should be credible. If they can’t be trusted, why would the coworkers want to listen to their boss? In a work
environment, it is exponentially vital that the person giving out the demands is trustworthy. Because ‘If you don’t believe the
messenger, you won’t believe the message’¹. The main building block of being a credible leader is being clear about their personal
views and beliefs and not changing them just because someone else disagrees.

Another crucial skill for anyone in a leadership position is being able to communicate effectively. They have to be able to
communicate everything to their team that needs to get done, but at the same time keep a balance, because otherwise there will be
too much information. In order to accomplish this leaders must know to limit and simplify the messages they send. By doing this,
they eliminate the possibility of confusion and waste of resources. Leaders who are reliable and credible is essential to ensuring
morale, trust in the business, and confidence in the leadership. For example, when communicating change within the business to
their subordinates, they should be cautious to express a few important factors. Such as: the reason for the change, how it will be
carried out day to day, and who will be experiencing the most change. Most importantly they should make sure to listen to feedback
from others, because ultimately, communication in the workplace should go both ways.

This leads me to my next point, they have to be comfortable receiving other people’s opinions, specifically negative ones about their
ideas. It cannot feel demeaning to their character by hearing disagreement from their peers. Leaders should not just give out
demands to their followers and not expect any input from the people they work with. They need to be self-confident, but not
arrogant and always willing to learn. A leader should not feel intimidated by other powerful people.

A leader is nothing without their followers, so in order to lead a successful business, one should make it a priority to involve all
members of the organization in decision-making processes. A good leader also engages others and evokes their participation.

Bibliography
Edward Lawler II, Christopher Worley, Built to Change, San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, 2006
Peter G. Northouse, Leadership: Theory and Practice. Fourth edition, Thousand Oaks, C: Sage publications, 2007 p.10

¹Leader of the Future, San Francisco, California, published by Jossey-Bass Inc. Publishers., 1996, page number: 103
¹Leader of the Future, San Francisco, California, published by Jossey-Bass Inc. Publishers., 1996, page number: 103