5 Leadership Traits for the Budding Business Woman

‘Great minds think alike.’

When it comes to leadership, this is especially true. Success in business doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t happen alone. A large part of business success is based on the ability to lead others effectively. Adopting the common traits of successful leaders provides the necessary ammunition to tackle problems as they arise, with the assistance of allies and others inspired to act on your behalf and in your favor.

Below is a list of traits effective leaders share. By working to develop these traits, you will strengthen your hand and increase your ability to experience the success in business you seek:

Clear Vision. A clear vision is crucial to the success of any venture. As an entrepreneur, it’s vital to know what you want to accomplish, where you are in the process and exactly where you’re going. Without a clear vision, there can be no concise plan, and your ability to articulate a plan or an objective is greatly limited

Effective Communication. Effective communication is a necessary skill for any successful leader. The progress and growth of your business are dependent on your ability to effectively and accurately translate the thoughts in your head into crystal clear ideas that others can understand. No one builds their dream alone. It takes the help and contribution of others to turn a dream of a successful business into reality. To receive the help you need you have to know how to ask for help, and how to express your needs to others in a way that is clear, concise, and that inspires action.

Self-motivation. Self-motivation is an integral part of leadership and success in business. You need it to maintain focus and consistent action. As a leader, you set the example by which everyone else follows. If you set a standard of persistence and commitment to your vision, others will be more inclined to follow suit. Let your example be one of passion, dedication, and self-motivation, and you will attract others who are willing to do the same for you.

Action. Action separates the doers from the dreamers and the leaders from the followers. To be an effective leader, you must know how to act, and how to act fast. As a business leader, people look to you for an indication of what’s required. Your dedication to action is what inspires their loyalty and commitment to you and your goals. Conversely, a leader who is slow in action will attract people who are weak in commitment.

Inspiration. Inspiration is a big source of passion and motivation. All great leaders know how to inspire. This is a significant contributing factor to success in business. Without this skill, it’s difficult to find and maintain support for an idea. With this skill, even a mediocre idea can find success because of the support generated by others to advance it forward.

Regardless of how developed you are in any of these areas – whether you’re strong in one area and weak in another – there’s still room to grow and develop. If you study the most successful leaders you’ll find that though they vary in many ways, they also share many common traits. The five traits listed here are a few of those common traits all good leaders have and that you should cultivate.