Exceptional Leaders | 10 Powerful Characteristics for Success

How do you classify exceptional leaders? Are they born with it? Or did they learn it?

First, you must understand why the success of your business relies so heavily on it. There is no doubt that being in business on your own requires leadership skills.

As your business grows, you will most likely become the leader of others. According to your business model, you may be their boss or a coach and mentor. Your leadership skills will be put to the test, regardless of your industry.

We all make mistakes. But having these leadership qualities will help you overcome your mistakes and reach your goals. There is debate about what makes exceptional leaders, despite all the research done on great leaders in history. Researchers and authors have claimed that an exceptional leader has certain abilities or traits; others claim it is all about personality. Others maintain that it is the behavior, and not the thoughts or intentions, which are important.

Leaders understand their mission.

Exceptional leaders know the purpose of their organization. Superior leaders have a mission (often in writing) that explains the purpose of their organization. This purpose does not have to be abstract or esoteric, but should instead be descriptive, clear, and understandable.

Each employee should be able to identify with the mission and strive to achieve this.

What is the direction you would like your organization to take? The vision should be both abstract and concrete. It must be abstract enough to inspire people to imagine the future, but concrete enough that followers can see, understand, and accept it.

How will the organization achieve its vision and mission, and how will it measure progress?

Goals should be operational, that is, specific and measurable. It will be hard to determine if your goals have been achieved if your results and output cannot be easily measured. You could have wasted valuable resources (time and money, as well as people and equipment) on a plan or strategy without knowing whether it was successful.

You must be seen by your advisors, stakeholders, employees/distributors, and the public as being an expert in your field or an expert in leadership.

You will find it difficult to gain respect, admiration, or follow you if your constituents do not see that you are highly qualified, whether through an academic degree or specialized experience.

Not all leaders are born with all the qualities that make them successful. Hard work is what many leaders use to learn and grow into exceptional leaders.

As crises and problems arise, those at the top of the organization have the opportunity to show others that they’re qualified to lead. As a leader gets more experience on the job, they can achieve greater competence.

Few executives have the necessary skills and abilities to be able to master every area of an organization.

Wise, exceptional leaders will assemble a team of capable, experienced, and credentialed individuals to fill in any gaps.

Exceptional leaders are distinguished by their ability to do this. The leader must be able to admit that he is lacking certain skills and then find trusted colleagues who can help him fill in the gaps. The entrepreneur must trust the team to be able to solve problems, come up with solutions, and take action.

A strong vision, mission, goals, and budget are of little use if the executive is unable to effectively communicate his ideas to stakeholders within and outside the organization.

They should be in regular contact with the key people, whether it is via email, mail, meetings, or other means of correspondence. Face-to-face communication is the best way to make sure that others understand and receive the message.

Entrepreneurs who are successful are comfortable with other people.

They are extroverted and at least as extroverted as they are introverted. These qualities make leaders appear approachable, likable, and comfortable in their roles. These qualities encourage staff to want to interact with exceptional leaders.

These qualities also motivate employees to perform better. Workers who can relate to their manager believe that the boss cares more about them, their performance, and their output. They also believe they can approach their boss about any problems they face on the job, without fear of consequences.

Not all entrepreneurs have excellent interpersonal skills.

For those who aren’t good at interpersonal skills, it might be helpful to enroll in a course or find a mentor or a therapist that can help build these skills. It is simply too expensive to ignore these skills. A strong team is also important here. A leader with less experience who is still learning can rely upon the team to go out and “press the flesh,” to interact with employees and spread positivity to help develop morale.

Achievement is what builds the picture of success.

It’s also the main motivator for people in all cultures. Credibility increases when employees can see their boss is able to lead, direct, have a clear vision, set attainable goals, and achieve them in a timely fashion. Entrepreneurs should modestly display their skills in order to make their constituents appreciate and value them.

Employees often need someone they can look up to when it comes to motivation, direction, and guidance.

Entrepreneurs need to be this person. Human Resources should have hired motivated individuals. There are still times when employees need their boss to motivate them with words or actions.

Employees want someone they can look up to and admire. They also need to follow. Even if the production or service delivery appears to be “going well”, leaders may need to personally step in to provide a suggestion or encourage employees to perform their job in the best possible manner.

Resting on one’s laurels can be detrimental to employee morale and entrepreneurship credibility.

Exceptional leaders must also strive for success and improvement, as employees do. If the boss is seen to be someone who strives to achieve higher and higher goals, then employees will be more impressed and willing to emulate that behavior. Everyone wins.

This article’s main message is that as an owner/entrepreneur, you need to be “out there” for your clients and/or employees. Continue to show them how and why you have earned your current position. Use a variety of methods to communicate with them and show that you deserve their respect. You can almost always expect positive results if you make the process inspirational.

What are your thoughts on the characteristics of an exceptional leader? Please share your comments with us and please do not hesitate to share this article.