The sweet spot of leadership continues to shift along with the business world as a whole. The leadership gurus of today boast a wide variety of skill sets at their disposal, ranging from business strategy to human relations.

As the world metamorphs, what, for you, are the compelling characteristics of a great leader? Reflecting on my years in the corporate and development sector, I put forward the following ‘must haves’. What are yours?

Self-awareness Knowing who we are and how we operate is the first step of self-awareness. Beyond that, our on-going evolvement depends on being able to continuously reflect, evaluate and adjust our behaviour as new information becomes available, whether that new information is about ourselves, others or the impact of our actions.

Authenticity Once we know who we are and what’s important to us, we can shape our lives accordingly.  This means ensuring that our values, words and actions are congruent with each other and that we are living to our own highest truth. In doing so, we give others permission to be real too.

Empathy Being open and in tune with the experiences and emotions of others (without being sucked into their drama) is one of the primary factors of building trust within a team. If people feel understood and supported, they are far more likely to pull their weight and go the extra mile when necessary.

Empowerment The ability to celebrate and nurture the unique characteristics and skills of others is one of the most highly-prized leadership characteristics. Perhaps this in itself could even be considered one definition of ‘progressive, transformative leadership’, as it opens the door to on-going personal as well as business transformation at its highest level.

These are some of the qualities I deem important in an optimal, modern leader.

What characteristics do you consider non-negotiable in your leadership?

If you would like further explore and stretch your leadership, contact me on coaching@denisehuntglobal.com for a free Discovery session.

Tags: Leadership, transformative