In order to lead to the best of their abilities, they must also possess certain intrinsic qualities that set the foundation for their leadership qualities. These characteristics lend themselves to strong leaders that can affect change and move an organization forward so that it is benefitting all stakeholders.

Inspire and Motivate

The best leaders inspire and motivate their people to move mountains and produce brilliant work. If leaders aren’t pushing their people forward, then they aren’t leading anyone toward anything. Strong leaders make success an intrinsic motivator along with an extrinsic one; their people want to do well for a deeper purpose, one that runs deeper than because it is expected of them.

Trustworthiness

A leader without trust is nonsensical; after all, how can a leader be trusted to make decisions for the good of the organization and its people without it? Leaders cultivate a culture of trust so that the people they lead feel confident in their decisions and motives.

Honesty

Honesty is crucial to the makeup of a strong leader. If a leader isn’t honest, he or she is steering the company under false pretenses, which serves no one. Honesty adds to the culture of trust the leader establishes. If a leader doesn’t practice honesty in all situations, the tent of trust is dismantled.

Communication

Communication has never been more important, and leaders have a certain onus put on them to achieve clear communication among all parties. An organization can’t function with subpar communication, and that communication must start at the top and trickle down. This way all employees will buy in.

Confidence

Finally, the best leaders have an air of confidence about them that exudes strength, smarts and savviness. They must believe that every decision they make is the right decision. Confidence underscores all the decisions leaders are forced to make; without confidence, they effectively wouldn’t be able to lead.

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