Leadership
5 Highly Effective Leadership Traits and How to Develop Them
Use our five-point checklist of leadership traits to help identify if you have what it takes to become a truly great business leader.
The Top Traits of Highly Effective Leaders—and How You Can Develop Them
You’re ambitious and dedicated, in a senior role, and you take pride in the natural talents that have played a part in your business success to date.
But ask yourself this—do you also have the qualities of a great leader—not just a good one? Read on, as we shine a spotlight on research showing five important leadership strengths shared by successful CEOs—and test your own personality traits to create a roadmap for developing into a future leader.
What Do We Mean by Leadership Traits?
“If competencies and experiences describe ‘what you do or have done,’ drivers and traits capture ‘who you are,’” says Korn Ferry Institute Senior Scientist James Lewis.
Through deep research, Korn Ferry’s FYI Traits approach has identified 20 character traits that could help you reach your full potential and create a powerful foundation for success in whatever field you choose.
“Four dimensions—Competencies, Experiences, Traits, and Drivers—influence one another and interact within each person and job type,” explains Lewis, one of the authors of the research. “Assessed together, they provide a rich, robust picture of talent, offering deeper insight into which individuals will tend to succeed in which roles.”
Using hundreds of thousands of data points to identify the skills and attributes shared by the most effective executives, the FYI Traits eBook offers a deep dive into personality traits, including effective leadership traits, and a framework for development.
How Can You Develop Leadership Traits?
If you don’t naturally possess some of the leadership characteristics that could make you truly exceptional in your field, you can work on building them up, says Dennis R. Baltzley, Ph.D., Korn Ferry’s Global Lead of Leadership Development.
Making an honest appraisal of your own personality traits—and working on those you’re missing—is an essential part of how to be a good leader. And by taking a transformative approach to harnessing your natural talents, we have shown time and again that nurturing those unique behavioral variations can boost your business leadership capabilities.
“What differentiates the best leaders is trust, purpose, and energy,” says Baltzley. “There are many assessment experts who say, ‘Oh, you don't change personality.’ However, I think all of us can think of somebody who's very different now than they were last year. So the question is—how do you develop a trait?”
When constructing a personal leadership plan, it is essential to look beyond our surface perceptions to examine our underlying beliefs and values, he adds.
“When we talk about traits like risk-taking, for example, the question is going to be, ‘What's your personal relationship with risk?’ Before we enter the practice of taking risk, it’s about skill set and mindset. But you really have to want to learn, otherwise change bounces right off.”
How to Be a Great Leader
Let’s focus on five of the leadership attributes that Korn Ferry has identified in the cream of the CEO crop.
These, according to Lewis, are not the only ones found in great leaders, but are the five “highest target” traits—in other words, those most often found in best-performing business executives.
In the quiz below, ask yourself honestly—which of the five positive character traits are part of your DNA, and which could do with a little help?
Then, discover from Baltzley some actionable advice on how to ace those effective leadership traits that aren’t your strengths to set you up for future leadership success.
Leadership Trait 1: Risk-taking
Ask yourself: “Would I ever take a chance or take a stand based on limited information?”
You’ve got it: Natural risk-takers may have a preference for success over security and exhibit a willingness to take substantial risk in decision-making.
Needs work: Those without the trait tend to be risk-averse, preferring a familiar, prudent, and conservative approach.
Develop the trait: “Find a trusted guide who is more risk-taking to help you calibrate risk and a safe practice field,” says Baltzley. “Ask, ‘How would you approach this?’ and they could start lifting your ceiling for risk-taking.”
Leadership Trait 2: Tolerance of Ambiguity
Ask yourself: “Am I comfortable dealing with information that is uncertain, vague, or contradictory, preventing a clear understanding or direction?”
You’ve got it: Those with tolerance of ambiguity find energy in these situations, are open to alternative solutions, and can productively work, despite the lack of a clear view of the future.
Needs work: Low scorers tend to be disoriented or immobilized by lack of clarity or certainty.
Develop the trait: “Reframe ambiguity as optionality. Think of it as having a field of options that you can now explore, rather than thinking, ‘I don't know what's going to happen,’” says Baltzley.
Leadership Trait 3: Adaptability
Ask yourself: “Am I comfortable with unexpected changes of direction?”
You’ve got it: Those who have this trait are willing and able to nimbly change approach, adjust to constraints, and manage, or rebound from, adversity.
Needs work: Low scorers are often change-averse and may react to multiple demands or changing priorities with a rigid or inflexible demeanor.
Develop the trait: “Consider how you work in a team to create an adaptive capacity in your company by practicing scenario planning. Create different futures to live in momentarily and see how they feel and taste, given market conditions,” says Baltzley.
Leadership Trait 4: Need for Achievement
Ask yourself: “Do I judge achievement according to a goal, and am I more motivated by work that lets me test my skills and abilities?”
You’ve got it: High scorers appreciate working hard, judge achievement according to the goal, and strive to meet and exceed standards.
Needs work: Low scorers are not motivated by external standards and tend not to work energetically to exceed expectations.
Develop the trait: “Ask yourself what you care about—and it may not just be about business. Those with too much need for achievement can be blind to all else. Create a little ‘speed bump’ and be clear about what you are striving for and why you're working hard,” says Baltzley.
Leadership Trait 5: Persistence
Ask yourself: “Do I tend to pursue personal long-term or lifetime goals, steadfastly and passionately, despite obstacles, discouragement, or distraction?”
You’ve got it: Those displaying high levels of persistence will push through obstacles and not give up on difficult tasks.
Needs work: Low scorers are more likely to pull back from obstacles or have lower expectations for their own attainment.
Develop the trait: “Persistence is adaptive capacity, so know the signs when it's time to shift. Some leaders are low in persistence, but some are overly high, can’t let go, and therefore they can't hear new ideas. Evaluate options and consider alternatives, slowing down to think through options and hear different views,” says Baltzley.
Is It Time for Change?
You may not be a truly great leader right now, but you could become one. Korn Ferry’s leadership insights offer plenty of advice and guidance on how to develop your personal skill set to enhance the traits you may lack inherently.
After all, your own leadership characteristics could make the difference between a thriving company and one that fails to grow. As well as the traits we’ve examined, there are many more that signal those who bring their A game to business. Download Korn Ferry’s webinar to size up your own leadership potential.
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