Necessary Traits for Leadership Identified by Strategic Leadership Resources

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slr logoA team at Strategic Leadership Resources has identified the traits it has deemed necessary for candidates wishing to successfully develop leadership strength.

“At the heart of every successful business—or organization like the church—are leaders who’ve not only mastered their chosen field of endeavor, but have developed the management/communications skills necessary to truly inspire a team,” said Andrea Zintz, Ph.D., president of Strategic Leadership Resources. “What qualities do these individuals have that separate them from ‘the masses’? Are they inborn or cultivated through hard work? By studying the traits that are common to developing leadership strength, those questions are answered.”

The specific attributes found by Zintz and her team to be critical to developing leadership strength include:

• The ability to build and sustain relationships, meaning leaders have the ability to listen and emotionally connect with their colleagues’ minds.

• Being able to form partnerships by developing strategic alliances that are collaborative. Leaders are able to identify key stakeholders and understand the most valuable individuals to include.

• Having a degree of presence that allows an individual to appear warm and welcoming to anyone while containing the energy and self-confidence to be decisive and assertive.

• Having a stand on every issue and a known goal of which they can share with others to whom it will matter most. Great leaders are also willing to ask provocative questions to encourage the best answers from surrounding people.

“Fine-tuning these traits leads to developing leadership strength,” Zintz said. “Equally important is self-knowledge—since strong leaders are able to leverage their strengths to give back by coaching and developing others, perhaps serving as a mentor, and also making a difference outside the business in the greater community.”

By Joshua Bjerke