Quality Leaders Should Have These 3 Traits

March 21, 20191:02 pm627 views

“Leaders have strong impact on people’s lives. They are a role model and someone who can shape other people to be better. No matter in what field they work in, they should always give kind and good examples to his followers.”
– HRinAsia

Workforces are changing from time to time. Amidst the tightening talent market, companies are competing in providing flashy perks to boost employee engagement while improving productivity. Generous bonuses, constant pay hikes, option of flexi-work, and other benefits are often seen as perks that drive external satisfactions companies provide in an effort to increase employee productivity and performance upgrade. However, does it really make employees truly happy?

According to Rasmus Hougaard, managing director and founder of Potential Project, external drivers are only short-term solutions for employee satisfaction and happiness. What makes them stay in an organisation for a long time is internal drivers such as meaningful engagement, connectedness, and valued feeling on deeper level. When employees find these variables at work, they can ensure long-term productivity and commitment. Employees are seeking a sense of true joy that drives them to be focus on their job and ready to take on any challenge ahead. So, how could you fulfill the feeling of true happiness?

Based on survey commissioned by Hougaard in his HBR article, there are three mental qualities a leader should have called MSC leadership. This leadership provides and represents all traits of leaderships. Hence, what does MSC mean? MSC leadership is:

mindfulness,

Mindfulness has been used around for thousands years ago. It involves paying attention to what is in your current state with a clam, focused, and clear mind. To have a mindfulness, you have to learn to hold your focus on what you choose, be it an email, a meeting, or other current situation you are into.

Therefore, mindfulness deals with both practice and state of mind. You can also call it mental effectiveness making you realise your potential professional and personal level. Once you apply mindfulness to your leadership, you can see that your perception of ‘self’ starts to change. You will be able to feel a stronger sense of selfless confidence arises helping you develop second quality of leadership, selflessness.

selflessness, and

Selflessness combines strong self-confidence with humble intention of service. It is a wisdom to get out of your own way, way of your people, and way of your organisation to unleash natural flow of energy people bring to their work. According to Hougaard, many leaders are still worried that selflessness will make them pushover. However, it is not that simple. Leaders’ selflessness has to be combined with self-confidence. “If you have selflessness without self-confidence, you will indeed be a pushover”, Hougaard argued.

Therefore, as you try to let go of your self-importance, you should begin to feel your surroundings. You are able to show more interest in them and offer more care. This way, compassion arises as a natural outgrowth of selflessness.

compassion

Compassion is quality of having positive intentions for others. It is also ability to understand other’s perspective and use it as a catalyst for supportive action. It is something a leader must have. Moreover, compassion requires courage and strength to deal with difficult conversations or tough decisions. Wisdom and benevolent leadership are both necessary combination to create compassion leadership. A leader should act compassionately while closely observing impact of employee’s actions. Therefore, balancing both wisdom and compassion on bottom line is the best strategic goals.

To conclude, mindfulness, selflessness, and compassion are something that makes you more human and less leader. They are something crucial to ultimately give you and your employees’ peace of mind as it requires warm heart and intelligence.