23 Qualities of Distinctive Leaders

Individuals usually ask me for the qualities of an distinctive chief. They might try this inside the context of a seek for a brand new nonprofit chief or supervisor or simply as a strategy to measure their very own effectiveness. 

Right here is my checklist, in no specific order, of the qualities and traits of remarkable leaders I’ve collected over the 45 years of my profession.

1. They love accountability. In a world of huge egos, satisfaction and self-sufficiency, they inform the reality, keep away from private and monetary scandals, and have a set of ethics and companions that monitor and drive how they behave. 
2. They work exhausting at being actual and telling the reality. They take off the masks for authenticity, whereas sustaining a place of management and affect. They reveal excessive moral requirements and integrity.
3. They perceive and settle for that being a frontrunner is usually a lonely place. Main and making robust selections is usually a solitary job.
4. They’ve a excessive degree of emotional intelligence. Distinctive leaders possess emotional intelligence, which incorporates self-awareness, empathy and the power to handle feelings. 
5. They’re glorious communicators. They pay attention actively, specific themselves clearly and adapt their communication fashion to successfully convey messages to people and teams. They perceive that their phrases and communication carry quite a lot of weight. They clearly know that what they do and the way they relate are sometimes extra essential than the principles, rules and insurance policies they’ve arrange. 
6. They’re decisive. They can make well timed and well-informed selections. 
7. They simply adapt. They’re adaptable and open to alter. They can navigate by uncertainty, embrace new concepts and modify methods as wanted. They encourage a tradition of innovation and steady enchancment.
8. They’re resilient. They reveal resilience within the face of challenges and setbacks. They continue to be optimistic, be taught from failures and encourage their workforce to persevere and overcome obstacles.
9. They’re visionaries. They develop shared imaginative and prescient, values and targets so that everybody they lead can pull collectively.
10. They keep away from an inward self-oriented focus. They’ll keep in contact with actuality and see crucial atmosphere adjustments, corresponding to demographic adjustments in workforce and goal markets.
11. They foster a optimistic company tradition. They know design and keep a cheerful and wholesome skilled atmosphere and nonetheless keep in management.
12. They keep away from bureaucratic paralysis. They perceive {that a} chief dominated by guidelines, rules and insurance policies has successfully paralyzed their group. Due to this fact, they handle individuals and create construction and course of that’s fluid, versatile and wholesome. 
13. They get pleasure from getting outcomes by others versus doing the whole lot themselves. 
14. They skillfully handle the distinction between the exhausting and mushy sides of administration. One has to do with bodily belongings, methods and processes — the opposite with feelings, relationships and attitudes. 
15. They know safe compliance whereas protecting attitudes optimistic.
16. They know that planning and budgeting is greater than a bit of paper. It’s a contractual settlement between them and the worker, they usually use it correctly to get outcomes. 
17. They know use expertise. Additionally they successfully handle the road between individuals and expertise.
18. They set up work by perform first, then authority. This can be a logical however oftentimes counterintuitive strategy to put donors and prospects first within the group.
19. They know handle the pure battle between a income orientation and a price containment orientation.
20. They analyze first, then plan. They perceive the function of goal evaluation in strategic pondering and planning.
21. They assume internationally and multiculturally. It doesn’t matter what enterprise they’re in, it’s not only a U.S. or Canadian factor. It’s about different cultures and folks teams, even in their very own nation.
22. They know when their time is up and might transition out gracefully and professionally. 
23. They’ve a correct stability of life at work and at dwelling. 

These key traits are all essential qualities in a frontrunner. There could also be factors I omitted, and I might be joyful to listen to what you’d add to this checklist. 

However I’ll shut by saying that the worth of a frontrunner in a nonprofit is big. Who that particular person is and the way they carry out will both make or break your group. 

The previous put up was offered by a person unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed inside don’t instantly mirror the ideas or opinions of NonProfit PRO.