There are many ways to define leadership. For some, certain qualities matter over others. For the most part, though, we can define leadership as someone who can encourage and help their team move forward successfully, and knows when and how he or she needs to step in.

If you’re new to leadership or thinking of becoming a leader of some sort, it’s good to know what some of the common characteristics are that make up a great leader. Poor leadership will quickly hurt the team and not get anyone anywhere. However, good leadership will gain you respect from your team and gain the rewards as they progress forward.

To help you become the best leader you can be, Global Resources Reviews came up with some of the best and most common characteristics you should possess.

Confidence

Imagine trying to follow someone who isn’t confident in their abilities, decisions, and what they are doing in general. Sticking behind them would be hard. Not only that, if you’re unsure in your decisions, there’s a good chance your team won’t listen.

A good leader is confident in his or her decisions. There is a line between confidence and arrogance though, and crossing over into arrogance is not something you want to do. Be confident in yourself, and you’ll gain the trust of your team.

Integrity and Honesty

One of the most essential traits of great leadership is honesty and integrity. You want your team to trust you. If you’re not honest with them though, it will be tough for them to reciprocate and to gain their trust. People respect those who stay true to themselves and their beliefs and are honest with those around them.

Communicates

Another key characteristic of a good leader is communication. Poor communication is one way for a team to fall apart. A leader who is good at communication though that is the person that will keep the team together and guide them down a successful path.

Passionate

It’s easier for people to follow someone who is passionate about what they do. When your team sees just how committed and passionate you are about what you’re doing, that passion spreads to them. Passion is an excellent motivator to not only complete a task but to complete it to the best of your ability. So, a good leader that is passionate will continue to encourage their team.

Decision-Making

A great leader knows when it’s time to step in and make decisions, even the difficult ones. Decision-making also ties in with confidence. While under pressure, a leader, should be able to make decisions that provide the best possible outcome quickly. This also means consulting with anyone affected by the decision and taking into account the thoughts of other people.

Accountability

Another crucial trait of good leadership is accountability. A great leader is someone who knows when he or she needs to take responsibility if something goes wrong, and knows to give credit where credit is due. If a leader continues to take credit for his or her team and blame team members for any issues, it will be very difficult to gain any respect.

Not only that, but a good leader knows also to hold his or her team accountable. Although you take responsibility of the team, the members should take responsibility for their actions. So, a good leader holds his or her team accountable and gives credit and criticism when needed.