10 Key Attributes to Foster in Leadership Training

It is often said that great leaders aren’t born, they’re made. While certain character traits for leadership seem to be with many from birth, it is absolutely true that developing a great leader comes through mentoring, the necessary education, opportunity and challenge. Consider these 10 attributes as most important when developing leadership skills.

1. Trust in Talent

Talent can be refined into a phenomenal skill set if placed in the right environment. Trust in talent, even in a diamond in the rough. It is an investment worth making.

2. Foster and Facilitate Growth

Like a seed planted in soil, a great leader needs to enjoy a healthy environment for growth. In order to see the roots take hold for a promising leadership career to flourish, it is necessary to offer assistance when necessary, and to step away and allow for maximized personal and professional growth. All the water in the world won’t make a plant thrive without sunshine – look for the appropriate balance.

3. Build Confidence and Self Esteem

Most great leaders possess a great deal of confidence, and carry with them high self-esteem and self-assurance. Fostering the growth of these attributes will allow a leadership candidate to continually progress, as opposed to falling into patterns of self-doubt or fear of important or potentially risky decision-making.

4. Encourage Critical Thinking

The ability to think critically is one of the most important attributes of a leader. It goes far beyond crunching numbers, or making a heart or head-based decision. Thinking critically offers consideration to all variables during the problem-solving process and is a skill that is mastered with practice and opportunity.

5. Encourage Creative Thinking

Creativity is a skill that can be honed and developed through regular creative thought, activity and action. Many leaders are naturally inclined toward this aspect. Others have all the necessary leadership skills, yet struggle to let their mind free to think creatively. Getting into creative brainstorming sessions will take a good leader to the level of greatness.

6. Allow For Mistakes

Big and bold mistakes will equate to the greatest lessons learned in leadership. Allowing a company leader or leadership candidate to take a few calculated risks and experience failed attempts and ventures will often equate to success in the future. Everyone at every level is going to make mistakes. An individual understanding that they must sometimes fail in order to succeed often has the greatest potential.

7. Don’t Put Leaders in a Box

Encourage your leaders to stay outside of the box. There is nothing more stagnating than being stuck in that proverbial box and being expected to lead and inspire. Understand that the qualities displayed by the leader will trickle down to everyone under their leadership. Allowing an individual to constantly explore new and untested ideas will enable the leader to reach his or her greatest potential.

8. Educate

The building blocks of leadership: Creating a vision; Developing an enjoyable interpersonal style; Excellent communication; Problem solving and decision making. These four cornerstones mixed into a creative environment have been responsible for facilitating the growth of some of the world’s most successful business organizations. Leaders who possess these skills are able to convey and teach these skills to their team.

9. Provide Good Communication and Leadership Opportunities

There’s nothing wrong with expecting rapid progression from a talented group, and in fact, a great leader will enjoy the challenge and expectation. But in order for good leaders to become great, they will need leadership opportunities. Open lines of communication will allow leaders the freedom to lead while relying on the wisdom of their superiors.

10. Establish Potential Leaders as Mentors

The classic medical teaching method–watch one, do one, teach one–is effective in many walks of life. There is no better way to put an education to the test than to teach another. Allow for leaders to become teachers and mentors to others within the organizational scheme. This is a wonderful way to make a great potential leader even better.