The 10 Leadership Traits to Become Highly Successful

As a business owner, leader, or entrepreneur, it is vital that you identify and develop leadership skills in your team and organisation. This will help your organisation grow more efficient and success-oriented and help you find the right people to take responsibility for various products and processes.

There is no one-size-fits-all test for leadership. This only means that to identify leadership potential in your organisation, you may want to look out for traits and attributes that make for highly successful leadership. In fact, some of the famous financial leaders in India look for these skills in their organisations and groom influential leaders. Let’s know about these skills:

1. Propensity to lead – The first trait that sets a successful leader apart is his/her propensity to lead. Some team members are content to work within a set of guidelines or a framework. Others show natural initiative and look at the grander scheme becoming leaders. This is one trait that some of the top NBFC leaders in India, such as Sanjiv Bajaj, have exhibited from a young age.
   
   
2. Bringing out the best in others – A good or successful leader is not necessarily one who directs or micromanages. An inspirational leader is capable of understanding the strengths and weaknesses of his/her team and bringing out the best in each member. This lets the leader make the best use of all the resources at his/her disposal.
   
   
3. Passion for results – A successful leader is highly motivated and result-oriented. This could mean coming up with innovative solutions to challenges and could also mean a never-say-die attitude. Being result-oriented is what keeps a successful leader going in the midst of setbacks and unexpected changes in the business environment, industry, or economy.
   
   
4. Authenticity – Authenticity is another key trait that sets a successful leader apart. Being committed to the organisational philosophy and having unassailable values is an important part of authenticity. It also means that the leader is capable of building genuine interpersonal relationships and is also authentic in all his/her stakeholder communications.
   This level of integrity is what makes a leader an inspiration and role model.  

5. Receptivity to feedback – With most organisations moving to a 360-degree feedback model, it is important that a leader be open to receiving constructive criticism as well as feedback. Feedback can come from all quarters – from seniors, from peers, from team members, and from customers. Being open to such feedback helps fix a number of issues in the process and products that can prove helpful to the organisation.
   
   
6. Learning agility – A truly successful leader keeps himself constantly updated about the changes in the external and internal environment. In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated learning and transformation. Some of the top financial advisors of our times are now learning more about fintech innovations and are implementing them to take their organisation to greater heights.
   
   
7. Culture fit – One of the best questions to ask about any prospective leader is, “Does he/she fit into my organisation’s culture and values?” Despite the presence of all other leadership traits, it is important to find a leader who evolves with the organisation’s core philosophy.
   
   
8. Conceptual thinking – Some of the great business leaders such as Steve Jobs envisioned the needs of the people even before we realised we had such needs. Paradigm shifts in the world of finance, technology, healthcare, etc. have all been initiated by leaders who were highly skilled at conceptual thinking.
   
   
9. Adaptability – Technology is bringing in great changes in the way we conduct our business. Being able to adapt oneself, the business, and realign business models to leverage technological changes makes one a successful leader. Sanjiv Bajaj, for example, has initiated a major technology-driven shift in Bajaj Finserv that is making use of mobile platforms and applications to ensure financial integration across the country.
   
   
10. Navigates ambiguity – Uncertainty is the very nature of the global economy. A good leader sets a vision that anticipates changes, uncertainties, and a shift in dynamics and can navigate through these with calm and foresight. 

While you may be looking to groom successful team leaders and senior managers in your organisation, it is important to identify and nurture these leadership traits in team members. It is only under the vision and guidance of a good leader that any organisation can find success.           

 Every organisation’s success depends on the strength, vision, and guidance of able leaders. Leadership traits such as adaptability, authenticity, conceptual thinking, synergy, and openness to feedback are some of the hallmarks of a successful leader.