5 Off-Beat Traits Of A Good Leader

Leadership isn’t just about giving orders and making sure people stick to them. This is an oversimplified explanation of a leader dictated by management courses and coaches. Yeah sure, being a leader involves managing people but it goes above and beyond that. And no management course can teach you that. You’ll have to learn it all on the job.

Lucky for you, many great leaders have inhabited the planet and have left us with nuggets of wisdom. Leadership isn’t something that one is born with; it’s a manifested trait. Hence anyone can learn it and become a better leader; one that is loved by seniors and juniors alike. Internet is filled with hundreds of articles talking about the best traits of a good leader. But we have here some off-beat traits that surprisingly not many people talk about. Here we go

1. Funny Leaders Are Better Leaders

Having a sense of humor about things should be considered a part of the job in every profession. People like to be in the company of a funny person. Although leading a team is serious work, a good leader must have a sense of humor and not take himself/herself too seriously. Here I’d like to differentiate between not taking oneself too seriously and not taking your job seriously. These two are completely two different things and one must realize it to become a good leader. Bottom line- have a laugh!

2. To Hell With Hierarchy

Leaders who are too uptight about hierarchies, don’t rise above them. Hierarchies exist for a reason, and that reason is to ensure smooth work. But a lot of time, managers and seniors do tend to take these hierarchies too seriously. This can become a hindrance in a lot of ways. So a good leader must respect the hierarchy in a company but shouldn’t follow it like a sheep. He/she should be able to judge a situation and decide accordingly. 

3. Empathetic

Empathy is perhaps human beings most treasured feeling. We have the ability to feel for people we have no similarity or connection with. Everyone should be empathetic but it stands true all the more for a leader. A good leader must understand other people’s dilemmas and problems and should try to offer a solution, not increase the problem. 

4. Curios- For Everything!

Curiosity goes hand in hand with leadership. It is a leader’s job to introduce and implement new and creative ideas. Now ideas don’t come from anywhere. It stems from everything we consume. Hence a leader has to have curiosity in everything. He/she/they must read and try to learn about every topic and must question old-style of doing a job. 

5. Accountability

This is something leaders often lack. They are rarely able to take accountability on behalf of their team members despite it being their job. A leader by definition is accountable for his/her team members. Doesn’t matter if the team members do good or bad; it all boils down to a leader. And yet leaders refuse to take accountability when things go wrong. Hence a good leader must take accountability for the actions of their team members.