Leadership: 10 Traits and Privileges

Avatar of Shaimaa Olwan
Updated on: Educator Review By: Michelle Connolly

Leadership can be defined as having the ability to entice individuals and workers to achieve the desired goals by influencing them, and leadership focuses on influencing and persuading others in an indirect manner. Leadership has a profound influence on them in achieving and fulfilling goals, and it is the ability to direct the behaviour of individuals in a direction consistent with the achievement and achievement of goals.

Leadership is related to many fields around the world. For example, it may be one of the areas are community leadership, religion, politics, and election campaigns, and therefore leadership can be considered as a form of art that makes people do the things the leader wants because they really want to do. Leadership sometimes includes making difficult and sound decisions, but these difficulties can be overcome by creating a clear vision to achieve the goals.

Opinions vary in providing a clear definition of the concept of leadership. Still, we can unanimously agree that it is the ability to leave an effective impact on subordinates or people in general and motivate them to achieve the desired goals with effectiveness and enthusiasm. This influence comes by adopting a correct method of directing and dealing with individuals.

Thus, it can be said that the leadership focuses primarily on the correct method in directing the path of the human resource in the facility in the right way towards the desired goals, in conjunction with achieving satisfaction, trust and respect, and encouraging teamwork as well.

Administrative leadership can be defined as the activities that are practised in decision-making and issuance depending on the official authority and the powers it grants to the leader to take the necessary action according to the current situation that the facility is going through.

What is the meaning of leadership in psychology?

In psychology, leadership means the set of processes, events, and activities that one performs in order to lead or direct others with the intent of specific goals by following a set of coordinated organizations.

The concept of leadership also means that the leader allows the group to exchange ideas, opinions and skills to increase the mutual benefit between them, as well as the leader’s ability to motivate others and the group or followers voluntarily accept the leader’s ideas.

The Importance of Leadership

Leadership plays an important role in communication between employees and the management of the organization, its plans and future visions. It seeks to direct the efforts of its employees and unify them towards the goals of the organization and achieve them as required.

It motivates individuals to achieve goals by developing their skills and training them. It controls the problems facing the organization and makes future plans to anticipate these problems and find solutions to them.

Leadership Styles

There are many leadership styles, and all leaders do not need to be the same, but the best leader is one who is familiar with all styles and can deal with as many issues as possible in different styles. The most famous of these styles are the six leadership styles of Daniel Goleman, which are as follows:

  1. Authoritarian or coercive leader: Follows the style of obeying immediate orders, and this style is summarized by the phrase (do what I tell you).
  2. Leader role model: Characterized by the ability to direct self-smooth and summarized by the phrase (do as I do, now).
  3. Trusted leader: Characterized by excessive self-confidence and can be summed up in the phrase (come with me).
  4. Harmonious leader: Follows the phrase (people come first).
  5. Democratic leader: Leaders of this method are constantly asking (what do you think?).
  6. Trained leader: Leadership style is summed up in the phrase (try it, don’t give it up).

Leadership types can also be classified into:

  1. Autocratic leadership: This type of leadership has several names, such as dictatorial and military leadership. The history that dates back to the emergence of this type of leadership goes back to the early ages of human social life. Where he/she used to impose their power and arbitrary behaviour on individuals in their society in accordance with its laws and regulations, and this leadership is characterized by strict stubbornness and strong adherence to the application of laws and instructions, and punishment is the first option in the event of any problem, regardless of its size.
  2. Democratic leadership: This type of leadership is characterized by the leader’s ability to persuade their followers to accept their authority by creating a spirit of trust, mutual respect and cooperation while staying away from the official role entrusted to him, and this type is completely opposite to autocratic leadership.
  3. Free leadership: This type of leadership is also known as non-interference and correspondence leadership, and the role of the leader in this type of leadership is not mentioned, or he/she does not actually perform any work, and the role of the leader lies in providing information to subordinates about everything that should be achieved without any interference from them while giving complete freedom How to achieve the desired goals. Situational leadership. Reciprocal leadership.

Business leadership

Leadership in business can be identified as the ability of a responsible person in the company to manage employees at all levels within the company and to manage materials within the company by planning, organizing, directing, and motivating in ways that ensure that everyone is committed to achieving desired goals in a way that reflects the culture of the company In the business world, the leaders in the business world usually hold executive positions, such as CEO, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, etc.

Elements of Leadership

The elements of leadership can be summarized in the following points:

  1. Objectives: The objectives to be achieved are the main reason for the existence of the facility. It is established on the basis of reaching and achieving these goals through the exercise of a set of activities and processes by a group of individuals within an organizational environment and is considered a key element of leadership. It is the leader’s point of interest to manage the efforts of individuals and harness them towards these goals so that they can be achieved as required.
  2. Impact: This element is represented by the way the leader uses to leave a positive impact on their subordinates to motivate and encourage them to achieve the desired goals. The personality of the leader and their abilities are considered the first influential factor in the subordinates.
  3. Organizational environment: It is the medium in which individuals are present to achieve the desired goals.
  4. Activities and Operations: It is all that is practised and accomplished in terms of work and activities for the purpose of bringing the objectives of the facility into practice and reality.
  5. Individuals: The term individuals include all human elements related to the productive process that achieves goals, whether he/she is a leader or a follower of him. Individuals are considered an important element in leadership, as they are the hand executing the desired goals.

Traits of Effective Leaders

An effective leader is defined as a person who has the ability to motivate and direct individuals and seeks to train them in order to achieve goals and speed towards an inspiring futuristic vision for team members and make it a reality. Leadership skills help in all aspects of professional life, starting from the job search process to the stage of career development. Leadership is one of the personal skills that employers value.

Being aware of the definitions of leadership skills is very useful when writing a CV. Especially when applying to jobs that require him/her to be a leader, whether he/she is a manager or a supervisor,  he/she must include the leadership skills they possess in their resume. Among the most important leadership skills are the following:

1.     Self-confidence

Self-confidence is built through mastering skills and good behaviour in critical situations, as well as from a person’s awareness of the true value that is added to work. This trait defines the one who makes the difference, and the leader must also be able to inspire and motivate others in a positive way by focusing on the positive side and adopting a contemplative attitude towards the future and not blindly assuming that everything will succeed without fatigue or difficulties.

2.     Courage

It is one of the basic leadership skills, as courage is required in many situations. This is when presenting a new idea, directing feedback to an employee or even warning him. Confrontation and courage sometimes direct things to the right place.

3.     Respect

Treating people with respect removes tensions and conflicts, creates trust among team members, and increases effectiveness.

4.     Vision

The leader has a vision of the future, as the leader must have a vision and a vision of the place he/she will reach with the team in the future, so he/she must plan for the long term and set realistic goals with sometimes stopping and reconsidering the general picture.

5.     Self-awareness

This skill is concerned with the person’s understanding themselves from the inside, as the leader’s awareness of themselves is very important in leadership. The more they know themselves, the more effective they become in addition to the fact. Leaders have self-motivation that enables them to continue Even achieving goals despite the difficulties.

6.     Ability to delegate

The delegation process is one of the leader’s basic tasks. It does not mean liberating the leader from some tasks but rather facilitating teamwork, making better decisions, helping business growth, and providing independence and individuality with a commitment to the organizational structure, the rules and policies that must be followed. Leaders must hold themselves accountable and take responsibility when something goes wrong.

7.     Decisiveness

A leader is characterized by their ability to make decisions quickly and with the information available to him, where the leader becomes able to make decisions effectively over time due to gaining more experience. This helps to complete projects faster and more efficiently, and it is worth noting that the effective decision-making process requires many skills, such as research, evaluation, problem-solving, goal setting, and initiative. The decision maker must have the ability to take advantage of previous tasks and employ them in making decisions regarding the following actions.

8.     Integrity

It includes more meanings than honesty and honesty, as it also means having a set of strong values ​​and principles that should not be compromised. Integrity in the workplace is concerned with the ability to make ethical choices and help the company maintain its positive image. Salvation is work, and their team seek this through their skills in dealing with and being diplomatic, principled, reliable, and a secret keeper.

9.     Communication and motivation

Usually, a leader should have the ability to explain and clarify to team members everything related to the work, from job objectives to the tasks required of them. The leader should master all forms of communication, including individual, group, and administrative meetings, phone conversations, e-mail, and the use of social media.

It is worth noting the importance of creating a permanent space for communication, either through an open-door policy or regular conversations. In addition, a large part of communication is based on listening.

The employee needs motivation and inspiration to make an extra effort for the good of the organization. Sometimes the payment of a monthly salary is not inspiring enough, so the leader should know their team well and realize what can motivate them to increase their productivity and passion, and the following are a number of ways to motivate employees:

  • Employee self-esteem through recognition and rewards.
  • Giving employees new responsibilities to increase their investment in the company.

10.  Strategic thinking skills

Strategic thinking is one of the essential skills that a leader possesses. It is what distinguishes them from being a manager only, as it means setting a goal or a vision for what he/she wants to become in the future and trying to reach their goal, ignoring small details.

11.  Persuasion and influence Skills

The skill of persuasion and influence is generally regarded as one of the communication skills required for a leader. We can elaborate on this point that the skill of emotional intelligence is of equal importance, where the leader needs to understand the way others behave and create positive interactions. This is done by using tools to help, such as analysis of the pattern of dealing and the Myers Briggs Type Indicator.

In the past, the concept of emotional intelligence was referred to as soft skills or communication skills, but later it was considered a human talent that is concerned with understanding the feelings of the individual themselves and the feelings of others and the ability to manage them to create strong relationships, which contributes to understanding the point of view of others.

It is noteworthy that controlling feelings and regulating behaviour are important leadership skills, as they enable the leader to bear frustration and tension and not show a severe emotional reaction.

12.  Flexibility and adaptability

The ability to keep adapting to continuous changes in the work environment is one of the most crucial qualities of effective leadership, as leaders should be flexible in order to be prosperous and develop. This also adds a competitive advantage to companies and makes room for innovation and creativity, according to a study conducted by an international consulting company for development dimensions.

13.  Conflict Management

Managers spend a quarter of their time in conflict management. Crisis or conflict means any problem that occurs between two or more people and may disrupt work, as crises sometimes exceed the workplace as they include customers, suppliers, and competitors, and from here comes the role of the leader by overcoming the crisis and trying to solve it or mitigate its impact on work in a rational manner, and in some Sometimes, when the crisis is resolved correctly, it turns into an additional positive point for the organization.

Leadership qualities of a leader in psychology

Self-Leadership requires the leader to have a set of qualities that help them carry out their mission. Leader is considered successful if they possess these qualities. Examples of these qualities are the following:

  1. A living conscience and the ability to evaluate right and wrong.
  2. Emotional stability is not governed by their emotions.
  3. Openness in dealing with others.
  4. Ambition to achieve goals.
  5. Self-assurance.
  6. The courage to make the necessary decisions.
  7. Empathize with group problems.
  8. Support and encouragement for others.
  9. Trustworthiness.
  10. Trust others.
  11. Intelligence and quick wit.
  12. Collaboration with group members.

Difference between Management and Leadership

The difference between management and leadership confuses a lot between the concepts of management leadership and considers that they are the same meaning, but in fact, there is a big difference between the two concepts on more than one hand, and the most important difference point between management and leadership is what each of them focuses on, as management puts all its focus on the outputs.

The results of performance and material components in the organization while neglecting the human element, and the exact opposite in leadership, as it focuses heavily on the human element and is concerned with it and developing its skills, capabilities and training to motivate them to perform work and achieve goals.

There are also evident differences between the two parties, as the leader is interested in influencing individuals by relying on their personal abilities and skills, and the workforce feels that they are the focus of attention and deals wisely and rationally to involve workers in the administrative process, and stays away from using the authority entrusted to them and official powers so as not to determine the form of the relationship between them and their subordinates.

The leader also keeps pace with the changes that occur in any current situation, always strives for continuous change, and takes the hand of their subordinates for the progress and prosperity of the organization, encourages others to change and motivates them in their own way, and does not feel that there is a difference in the job title at work.

As for the manager, it is in contrast to the leader with all of the above, as the manager resorts to forcing subordinates to perform the functions and achieve the goals of the organization by relying on a set of procedures and laws drawn up by the senior management in the organization. The relationship between them and their subordinates is very formal and devoid of emotion and feelings due to the neglect of the human element in the organization.

Also, the manager is not interested in making changes but rather seeks to achieve what the organization has drawn without significant progress or growth in the performance of the organization and thus remains in its usual form. The current situation of the organization neglects its future situation, and it is indicated that the manager has a wide gap between him/her and their subordinates because of the interest in job titles.

What is the difference between a leader and a director?

Most people confuse the concepts of leadership and management. Let us compare the main features of them both:

difference between a leader and a director
LeaderDirector
Maybe a manager, but also may not be.Maybe a leader or may not.
An inspiration to others.May inspire others or not.
Works in a team spirit and does not care about maintaining the organizational structure of the company to ensure that he/she is able to maintain it automatically and in a positive manner.Seeks to maintain the organizational structure of the company and works with the mindset of centralization, boss, and subordinates.
Usually works with independence, keeping the spirit of a team.Works in the spirit of centralism, the boss and subordinates.  
More interested in personal issues and relationships.Not interested in personal matters and personal relationships.
Encourages creativity and innovation and seeks development and renewal.Supports the principle of logic and control and carries out instructions and orders literally.

Unfortunately, a leader does not have a clear one-size-fits-all definition. Some people believe leadership means guiding others to accomplish a certain task, while others think it means motivating your team members to be their best self-image. However, definitions may vary, but the general sentiment remains the same: Leaders are people who know how to achieve goals, and inspire people along the way.

Why not subscribe to our LearningMole Library for as little as £1.99 per month to access over 1200 fun educational videos.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *