What makes a good leader? Why are some people simply amazing at leading a team, while other people make terrible leaders, and terrible bosses?

There are many character traits and personal qualities that a leader should possess and develop if they want to inspire others. These traits are also useful for showing others the right way to do something, keep them motivated, and help them achieve their full potential.

Here are 13 traits of a good leader.

Trait 1: Integrity

Among the character traits of a good leader, integrity is one of the most important characteristics. The relationship between a team and their leader needs to be based on trust. Integrity and honesty are traits that a good leader should possess. Good leaders succeed by staying true to their values and their beliefs. Their integrity and honesty traits will inspire their team to do the same.

Trait 2: Confidence

Confidence is one of the key traits of a good leader. A good leader needs to be confident, and to trust their abilities, and their team’s abilities to overcome all the challenges they meet. If, as a leader, you doubt your own decisions and opinions, it will be impossible for you to convince others to trust and follow you.

Trait 3: Commitment

The members of a team will expect their leader to be committed, and to be passionate about what they do. A leader who lacks commitment and passion will have a hard time inspiring anyone to follow their example, to get involved, and to work hard so the whole team can achieve a common goal.

Trait 4: The ability to inspire others

It’s pretty clear that a good leader needs to be able to inspire others. A good leader needs the ability to set a good example, to share their vision, and to convince others to follow. Inspiration can take many forms, but a true leader will know exactly how to inspire the members of their team.

Trait 5: Great decision making skills

Decision making is one of the defining traits of a good leader. A good leader should be able to make the right decision at the right time, and to stand by this decision. Great decision making skills imply that a good leader will always take time to think about the possible consequences of what they will decide to do before making their final choice.

Trait 6: Creativity

People often rely on their leaders to innovate, and to come up with brand new ideas, or with a brand new way to solve a problem. To be able to innovate, a good leader needs to be creative, to easily think outside of the box, and to help their team do the same.

Trait 7: Intuition

When a challenge arises, there are times when no one knows how to handle it. Even when a good leader doesn’t have all the answers, they will be able to trust their intuition before they make a decision. Good intuition can give you precious advice, if you know how to listen to it.

Trait 8: Great communication skills

It’s important to make well informed decisions and to have innovative ideas, but you simply can’t be a good leader if you are not able to communicate clearly with your team. A good leader is able to communicate a message in a way the people they work with will clearly understand.

Trait 9: Empathy

It’s difficult to establish deep and meaningful connections with the people in your team if you lack empathy. Good leaders have a lot of empathy, and they can understand when their followers have a problem and need some help, some advice, or simply a moment to take a break and relax.

Trait 10: A good sense of humour

Crazy deadlines and unexpected problems can generate a lot of stress. Sometimes, all that’s needed to lighten up everyone’s mood is a bit of humour. A good leader is able to take things with humour, and to find a positive side to any situation. A team that can laugh together will not get too affected by stress.

Trait 11: A positive attitude

To lift up the spirits of your team, you need a positive attitude. No one likes to work in a negative environment, so a good leader needs to have what it takes to keep their team motivated, even when things are not going as well as they should.

Trait 12: The ability to delegate

A good leader is not there to take care of absolutely everything. A good leader needs to be able to delegate, to see the strengths and weaknesses of the members of their team, and to provide them with the support they need to handle different tasks. Teamwork is not possible if one person does all the work.

Trait 13: Accountability

Accountability is another trait that a good leader should have. This means a good leader should be held accountable for what they do, but also that they should hold the members of their team accountable for their successes and mistakes. A good leader will take the blame if they do something wrong, but they will also hold other people accountable for what those people do, good or bad.