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One mold indeed does not fit all, as different fields require different types of leadership roles. For instance, someone in politics may need to be an affluent speaker, while those in Human Relations need a more philosophical approach. But what makes an excellent business leader?

Enrolling in a Six Sigma program, honing communication skills, and being approachable are some of the several traits that a good business leader must have. Examining these more in detail will help you to understand better how to train current and future business leaders.

Below are some critical things that set a good business leader apart from the rest.

Self-awareness is one of the top-most qualities that a leader possesses. They know what their strengths and weaknesses are, how to improve on them, and use them wisely. Wise leaders will turn even their liabilities into a plus point for them. How? Supposing a leader is a perfectionist. While many people may feel this quality lies in the gray areas, an intelligent leader will use this ability to get tasks done with as few errors as possible.

Sometimes, people in positions of authority hesitate to make difficult decisions because they are afraid of the consequences. But they often do not realize that no decision is still a decision. By procrastinating, they escalate the issue and make matters worse. They learn to be decisive the hard way.

But good leaders already know how critical it is to make business decisions swiftly. They understand the importance of time and what even an hour’s delay can mean to a business. Also, they are unbiased in their decisions and opinions about every aspect of the workplace. This fairness makes them a trustworthy asset to the company.

When people first partner with a company, they bring along a wealth of ideas. However, many of them fall into complacency soon after and become non-participating members of the team. This will not help the company grow. But capable and truly knowledgeable leaders understand the importance of keeping a finger on the pulse of everything current and critical. They are also highly creative, coming up with innovative ideas, plans, and schemes to help take the business forward.

Several companies, including reputed Fortune 500 companies, invest in a Six Sigma program for their top-level employees. Such programs are the key to unlocking the hidden potential in highly skilled individuals. It makes leaders out of them by training them to use resources without any wastage, boost productivity, generate more enormous revenues, and minimize losses.

So, if you own a business, it is an excellent opportunity to enroll some of your best and most capable employees into such programs. They will learn and return to you with a lot more knowledge and skills. It will immensely benefit your company in the long run.

One must never confuse leadership and management. If you find that someone is excited at the idea of having other people work in subordination to them, then they are probably not the right fit for the job. Good leaders never resort to micro-managing and controlling team members. They have a genuine desire to hone the skills of others rather than just delegating tasks. They set professional standards and boundaries, functioning to enable the team to complete tasks on time and within budget.

You cannot expect someone to head your business if they do not know anything about it. Strong leadership skills involve learning the very basics and details of the company, its employees, various departments, and its administrative and financial aspects. And when you have this in-depth knowledge about the business, it will enable you to perform your role that much better.

Alongside this, it is essential to be supportive of changes that will make the company better – even if the change is in areas out of your understanding. For example, suppose your organization decides to incorporate the latest technology, and it’s an area you do not understand well. Even if you do not know how to use the technology itself, you can still learn its importance and implementation. This will help you in the hiring process and in communicating with the respective departments effectively.

Being stagnant is not good for any organization as it will remain while the competitors race past. But an excellent business leader can help avoid this because such individuals can envision a brighter future for the company. They do this by anticipating market trends, studying competitors, gathering consumer feedback, and reducing errors in various business processes. They use this data to make changes that catapult them ahead of everyone else in the industry.

This post is originally published at Florida Independent.