The famed NFL coach Vince Lombardi once stated that “leaders are not born, they are made”. And he was right. Some people have inherited characteristics that may make them potential natural leaders, but without proper direction, these traits can lay undeveloped and unrealized. Being a leader takes work, effort, determination, and grit. Often the best leaders are forged in the fires of adversity, but most attain natural leadership qualities through years of experience and personal growth.
This is encouraging because it means essentially that anyone can be a potential natural leader, many have surprised themselves by displaying natural leadership qualities they were unaware they even had! So, to help encourage natural leadership qualities, we’ve compiled 5 traits that any good natural leader should possess.
1. Self-Confidence
How can you expect others to have confidence in your leadership if you have little confidence in your own? Natural leaders project confidence and that elicits trust from people they are leading. But too much self-confidence can quickly become arrogance, so a good leader should balance that confidence with self-awareness.
The specific qualities that distinguish the most successful leaders of small business you can find in this article – ‘Leadership Traits Shared By Highly Successful Small Business Owners’
2. A Unifier
Natural leaders have the ability to create common cause among people of often disparate groups or ideologies in furtherance of a goal. To unite everyone as a singular unit takes wisdom, tact, diplomacy, and empathy, the ability to understand, acknowledge, and engage different opinions and fold them into the pursuit of the goal everyone is hoping to achieve.
A good leader is also a good manager, both share similar traits, explored further in this article – ‘5 Leadership Qualities Essential For Every Manager’
3. A Good Listener
As much as being a good communicator, being an equally good listener is the mark of a natural leader. A good leader will take onboard what people under him/her have to say, not just as a formality but genuine concern for their needs and opinions too.
4. Personal Growth
No-one knows everything all the time, we’re constantly learning new things. Same with any natural leader, who should have sufficient humility and inquisitiveness to listen to and, if an effective solution to a problem, incorporate new thinking or ideas into their plan of action. A great natural leader will always be amenable to any idea that furthers the goal more efficiently and effectively.
5. Strong Work Ethic
No effective leader will ask others to do what he himself would not, if capable. Leading from the front and putting in the hard work and effort as much as anyone else will endear that leader to those around him, engendering trust and a sense of shared comradeship.
All these character traits can be learned with focus, determination, and effort. No-one is born with instant leadership expertise, it takes experience. But once mastered, a natural leader is an inspiration to those around them and can lead others to excellence by example.
