Qualities of Good Leadership:
Art or Science?

Research shows that there's a consistent set of traits, characteristics and qualities of good leadership that people look for in their leaders.

As we discussed in the Skills Analysis Page please do not expect to excel in all qualities of good leadership. Firstly it's impossible and secondly you'll place too much stress on yourself.

Characteristics & Qualities of Good Leadership

75,000 people, on six continents over a period of 15 years were asked to identify the characteristics of a good leader (J M Kouzes & B Z Posner, 2002, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass)

Characteristic	2002	1995	1987
Honest	88	88	83
Forward-Looking	71	75	62
Competent	65	63	67
Inspiring	66	68	58
Intelligent	35	40	43
Fair-minded	47	49	40
Broad-minded	40	40	37
Supportive	42	41	32
Straightforward	34	33	34
Dependable	33	32	32
Co-operative	24	28	25
Determined	20	17	20
Imaginative	23	28	34
Ambitious	17	13	21
Courageous	28	29	27
Caring	21	23	26
Mature	20	13	23
Loyal	14	11	11
Self-Controlled	8	5	13
Independent	6	5	10

As you can see over the three survey periods the data consistently shows that honesty, forward looking, competent and inspiring are the top four characteristics that people wanted from their leaders.

This list below of skills below comes from a review of Performance Evaluation Programs from approximately 20 different organizations that I have worked with over the years. The skills that seem to be most commonly required by these organizations are:

THINKING Critically evaluating data Looking for problems Solving problems analytically Innovating through creativity Making decisions Judgment even under uncertainty COMMUNICATING Writing Presenting Public Speaking Actively Listening Clarifying Messages Giving Feedback Receiving Feedback MANAGING Time Meetings and discussions Projects and priorities Finances and budgets Hiring and staffing Leveraging technology Disseminating information LEADING Flexing style Resolving conflicts Dealing with difficult people effectively Working from service perspective Interpreting the vision Setting new directions Planning strategy Leading by example CHANGE Dealing with ambiguity Coping with complexity Identifying global and local trends Being a catalyst for change Willingness to take sensible risks DEVELOPING TEAMS Understanding group development Fostering team building Utilizing diversity Debriefing experience Celebrating success Handling team changes Planning for input Delegating work tasks DEVELOPING OTHERS Appraising performance Coaching and mentoring Establishing learning climates Guiding reflection Offering and asking for assistance Preparing others for change DEVELOPING SELF Caring for personal needs Balancing work and life Being self-directed and self-motivated Showing self-awareness Emotional intelligence Planning own performance improvements Having solid boundaries Improving interaction with others Values and principle driven

Even though you have a couple of fairly extensive lists here, you do not have to own all of these characteristics and qualities of good leadership in order to be a terrific leader.

Effective Leadership Styles Lessons From Horses Leadership Skills Analysis

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