We all need leaders at some point in our lives. Our parents show us the way from childhood and teach us how to sit, 
walk and talk. Our teachers guide us through school and prepare us for the life ahead. Our bosses then help us develop vital life skills by showing us how to fulfill our daily tasks responsibly. It is during this phase where we gain the opportunity to become a leaders; thereby show others the path to becoming not only better professionals but also better individuals in their lives.
Leaders are not born, they are nurtured gradually with adequate training and exposure to real-life situations, for unraveling their true potential. Leadership in the Retail Industry need leadership skills of individuals who can make tough decisions, and stand firm during critical times. This in turn will drive the company towards achieving its goals. One of the qualities of a good leader is their unique ability to follow and learn from others.
Some leadership traits of good leaders are:
- They let their team members take initiatives: A good leader can only be as successful as his team. If the team is not doing well, despite various initiatives taken by the leader, this would still be considered a failure from the leader’s perspective. A good leader will never hesitate to delegate and let his team members take initiatives to bring ideas onto the table.
- They are open to coaching and feedback: Every good leader will always have a plethora of innovative qualities. However, with those, they will also have the knack to learn from anywhere and from anyone. They receive feedback positively and are always willing to learn something new, which can help them become even better in the future.
- They are good communicators: Having the ability to speak impressively is just one of the many prerequisites of a good leader. Good leaders understand the importance of listening attentively which makes them good communicators.
- They abide by integrity: You will rarely find a good leader falling back on his words, lying, or coming late to work. These good qualities are imbibed in their work ethic, which also helps them lead by example.
- They have a strategic thought process: A good leader will always possess a disciplined focus on the target at-hand with a clear and open mind. They can see through tricky situations and identify the ‘bigger picture’ with relative ease. This is also one quality which helps them deal with crisis situations effectively and determine the most feasible outcome, every time.
- They acknowledge others efforts: Good leaders will always appreciate their team’s hard work and effort. They will recognize good performance and encourage their team members whenever they face challenges in the assigned tasks or which understanding member functional roles.
For more on leadership roles, abilities, and how today’s leaders are able to achieve good results, join expert speaker Chris DeVany in a live webinar titled ‘The Seven Secrets of Exemplary Leaders on Wednesday, January 18, 2017. This event will help you gain an understanding of effective leadership traits, and how you can work towards shaping organizational excellence, matching global competencies, and gaining expertise in your own ability to lead.
