What sustains leadership qualities and differentiates the stars from the middle ranks and plodders in the professional realm? What is the distinction between assigned management roles and true leadership capacity? Bayt.com has been working with recruiters in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region across the industry landscape, and running surveys and polls on optimal workplace practices and desirable professional and specifically leadership traits across the career spectrum for years.
Here are eight essential characteristics that have come to be identified with true leadership.
1.True leaders lead by example
Many a great coach was never the very best athlete, but it helps tremendously if they can play the game superlatively and coach and mentor from a place of insight, expertise and experience. Great leaders will go on meetings, handle products, analyze problems and transparently share their systems and processes as well as learnings, tips and concerns with their team. In terms of resources needed to perform well, the Bayt.com ‘
Employee Engagement in the MENA’ poll, March 2014, shows that 65% of employees in the MENA have everything they need to do a good job. The same poll also reveals that 75% of respondents have managers who do a great job at sharing information with them.
2. True leaders ask questions and listen
Great leaders know how to be assertive and issue directives when needed, but they are also masters of tapping into the wealth of knowledge and experience and insights around them by asking questions and listening and learning from others. They are confident of their abilities, but even more confident of their ability to continuously grow and enrich this reservoir of knowledge by leveraging the intelligence and experience of those around them.
3.True leaders are not afraid of risks
Far from being afraid of risks, great leaders encourage working with cleverly calculated risk-adjusted return scenarios and retrenching then picking up the pieces and starting over again when things turn sour as inevitably in some scenarios they will. They are masters at leading the troops up the hill and at minimizing the losses on the way down then at identifying new hills and challenges and lifting the morale and confidence and motivation and drive of the team as they charge in constant pursuit of new opportunities.
4.True leaders give credit
Great leaders are confident enough in their own skin and do not need to take credit away from their team members. They give credit where credit is due and are fair, timely and generous with accolades, rewards, recognition and acclaim for their team members. Results from the
Bayt.com ‘
Employee Engagement in the MENA’ poll reveal that 86.6% of professionals in the MENA receive regular-to-frequent feedback to help improve their performance at work. Companies with the highest engagement levels know how to use performance appraisals as a powerful incentive currency. Indeed, a hallmark of these great workplaces is that they have leaders who conduct fair and action-driven appraisals on a regular basis. These companies see recognition and reward as a powerful means to develop and stretch employees to new levels of capability.
5. True leaders hire, promote and encourage stars
The best leaders are not afraid to hire people smarter and better and more skilled than they are. They know that in an organization that stands on the shoulders of giants, everyone wins. According to the Bayt.com ‘
Employee Engagement in the MENA’ poll, 7 in 10 professionals say their manager values the skills and contributions they make to the company, while 8 in 10 say they are actively involved in making decisions that impact their work.
6. True leaders treat others as they wish to be treated
18% of polled professionals in the Bayt.com ‘
Employee Retention in the MENA Workplace’ poll, February 2013, believe that the single most important factor for employee retention is good manager-employee relationships. Aim to walk into your place of work every morning with an attitude of pleasant can-do optimism and polite professionalism and a smile for everyone. According to the Bayt.com ‘
Workplace Dynamics in the MENA’ poll, June 2013, 30% of respondents see a ‘command and control management style’ as one of the biggest turnoffs in a manager; 11% mentioned poor communications skills.
7. True leaders never stop learning
To bring out the best in your team you need to inspire excellence by embracing lifelong learning and being more
self-aware. You can also adopt a 360-degree appraisal system that will help you get feedback on your leadership style. Undertaking trainings for the learning and development of others can also help you be a coveted manager and leader everyone look up to.
8. True leaders are real
Great leadership is as much about character as it is about performance. To win and sustain the respect and admiration of their teams over the long run leaders know that they have to be in it heart and soul. Ethics, integrity, honesty, motivation, dedication, focus, values and priorities are all transparent and great leaders are role models in all these dimensions. Around 70% of respondents in the MENA believe it is possible to succeed professionally without compromising their personal morals and values, as revealed in the Bayt.com ‘
Values, Ethics and Integrity in the MENA Workplace’ poll, June 2014. Do any of these characteristics apply to you? If your answer is yes, then congratulations, you’re one of the very few truly good leaders out there!
