What to Look for in Strong Leaders

corporate leadership training

Do you know the traits that form a good leader? While some may come by their leadership traits more intuitively than others, the majority of great leadership skills require at least some kind of formal training to ensure they’re best utilized. Whether we look at major players in the corporate world or leaders that shine in the not-for-profit sector, it’s clear that real leadership takes real work and commitment to excelling in order for leaders to rise to the top of their field.

At Pivot HR we know the value of strengthening your leadership skills and are proud to partner with companies and organizations throughout Canada to ensure you have the tools you need to succeed, including executive leadership training and coaching programs designed for all levels of managed and experience levels. Below, we’ll discuss some of the strongest attributes leaders can possess, as well as some negative qualities to be aware of in your interactions. Read on to learn more!

What Makes a Leader Stand Out?

It’s difficult to highlight any one trait that separates great leaders from the pack, in no small part because strong leadership isn’t always found in the most visible of manners. Oftentimes, the strongest leaders are those that know how to make their teams feel a distinct connection and face challenges together as a unit. This kind of guidance isn’t always apparent in speeches (though communication is important-more on that in a moment), but it can transform a struggling, disconnected team into a cohesive group with a shared vision that’s equipped and ready to move forward.

How do you get there? Core leadership attributes that strengthen any team include:

Communication

As is the case with so many areas of life, communication is key! Communication not only ensures your team knows what is expected of them in order to succeed, but also helps everyone feel heard, included, and equally important in the achievement of your objectives. Good leaders know how to tailor their communication style to reach different personalities, experience levels and backgrounds, creating an open environment that allows everyone to excel and put their best foot forward.

Accountability

No matter how experienced you are, the reality is, we all fail and make mistakes. Strong leaders not only know how to admit fault but also strive to take full accountability for their actions. From simple errors to larger failings, a great leader knows that taking ownership is one of the biggest demonstrations of strength and integrity they can offer their team and that doing so is likely to inspire a safe environment where everyone feels motivated to grow together!

Vision

A leader with no goals or vision is like an architect with no blueprints. In order to lead effectively, you need to know where you’re going and have at least some idea of how to build the path to get there. Leaders know how to look at both the short and long-term, and create detailed plans with concrete, quantifiable goals. They also need to understand the value of flexibility and adaptation, because, as the last few years have reminded us, even the best-laid plans rarely go exactly as intended.

Drive

In order to lead, you need to have a sense of purpose and drive to push people towards a common goal. Good leaders are ready to get on their feet, mobilize and motivate the rest of the team to progress with them, no matter the challenges you may face.

Team Player

It should come as no surprise that strong leaders aren’t just driven by personal achievement, but are equally invested in the success and development of those they interact with and guide. Strong leaders know the value of fostering a healthy team culture and can connect with everyone to make sure your crew is onboard and ready to contribute as much as possible!

Emotional Stability

Emotional stability and self-regulation are often undervalued assets in the leadership world, but play one of the biggest roles in guaranteeing success. Strong leaders know how to stay in tune with their own emotions, handle frustration and stress without lashing out, and seek to create emotional safety for their team.

Points of Improvement

If you notice any of the following behaviours in your own practices amongst your leadership team, it may be time for a check-in, and to consider implementing some vetted coaching and/or training seminars to pull your crew back on track. Negative leadership attributes include:

Poor Delegation

There’s no denying that leadership positions demand the use of authority and delegation, but poor leaders are prone to badgering and micro-managing which stifles success.

Poor Communication

Constantly running into inter-office conflict and miscommunications between peers? Bad leadership could be to blame!

Self-Obsessed

There’s nothing wrong with taking credit for hard-earned successes, but if you notice that members of your management are more interested in self-promotion as opposed to building team members up, you have a sure sign of poor leadership.

No Accountability

Dealing with endless scapegoating and showboating, paired with mediocre results? Who takes the blame when failures happen? If your leaders aren’t willing to accept responsibility, your ship may be beginning to sink.

Non-empathetic

Empathy is a key tool for any leader and plays a huge role in keeping your team on the right track for the long term. If you’re beginning to experience a problem with retention or meeting goals, etc, your management may need to learn some better supportive techniques.

Leadership Made Easy with Pivot HR

At Pivot HR, we know that growing your team and equipping your management to lead effectively can sometimes feel overwhelming. With the help of our leadership training and coaching services, ensuring everyone is set up for success is straightforward. We’re here to partner with businesses and organizations across Canada to help you put your best foot forward, one step at a time. Learn more about our external HR services by contacting our team today!

What Our Clients say about us

“Robin and Mia were both exceptionally professional and responsive and understood our needs. Their work was of great quality. We are a small non-profit organization and we found them very easy and wonderful to work with. Great value and highly recommend.”

~ Joy Masuhara , Co-Chair Women Transforming Cities International Society

“Cindy is a remarkable professional coach, who goes well beyond expectations in supporting her clients’ development. She knows how to ask the right questions and uncover the real and deep issues that contribute to the limitations we put on ourselves. This type of personal exploration is tough work to do alone and remain committed to necessary change. Cindy’s approach and support made this process one of the most impactful experiences of my life, professionally and personally.”

~ Monique Cotton, Firm Administrator, JFK Law Corporation

“As a medium size business with over 100 employees working in very different areas of our operation, Pivot was able to quickly understand our HR needs and offer practical solutions. Robin and the Pivot team worked closely with our Leadership group to implement effective turnkey solutions on time and on budget. We will continue to use Pivot for our ongoing HR needs and would highly recommend their services.”

~ Adam Zubek, General Manager, Point Grey Golf & Country Club

Pivot HR Services provides personalized solutions for our organization’s human resources needs. By engaging their services, we have been able to successfully outsource our HR function, as the Pivot team has demonstrated their ability to understand the HR priorities of our workplace culture and industry.

~ Areef Abraham, Chief Executive Officer Community Power

“Robin developed our employee policy manual with the goal of engaging and retaining our current staff as well as attracting new ones in this highly competitive marketplace. Her in depth knowledge of current legislation and HR policies proved to be of significant benefit. I would highly recommend Robin and the team at Pivot HR Services.”

~ Christopher Soles, President, Nextgen Technologies Ltd.

“Robin has been and continues to be an outstanding resource for our organization to navigate HR issues as we grow. She always approaches problems with professionalism and a keen eye for our best interest. I’d certainly recommend Robin to anyone looking to elevate their HR processes.”

~ Karim Abraham, CEO, Kambo Energy Solutions

“Our firm turned to Robin for advice and guidance at a time when we faced a period of serious difficulty in managing our human resources. She assisted us through the process of putting our relationship with our staff on a stronger, more stable footing and helped us implement a complete overhaul of our human resources policies. We could not be more pleased with the work she has done and continues to do with us.”

~ Robert Janes, QC, Managing Principal JFK Law Corporation

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