How do you recognize good leadership? There are a whole bunch of things that contribute to good leadership
(e.g. active listening, walk your talk, decision making etc.) and many books have been written about it but I think two key characteristics make it easy to spot good leadership even from the outside.
- Business Results
- Good Team Spirit
When you get real, measurable business results
(e.g. revenue increase, cost reduction, more motivated employees etc.) that move your business forward that proves that you can get everyone to pull together. That's a sign of good leadership but in the short term that can be achieved at the cost of the team. Therefore it is important to look at the whole team when you assess leaderhip qualities. Are the team members satisfied to be in your team? Do they feel appreciated? Do you have a we-culture or a I-culture? Don't provide just lip-service to the team spirit because people are honestly your most valuable asset. Therefore treat them this way.
