Just about every workplace has a form of hierarchy in place. Whether it’s a small business with an owner acting as manager of daily business or a busy office workplace with management teams having their own hierarchies.

Leadership, on the other hand, can present itself in any workplace to motivate and empower employees. Not every manager is a leader, and not every leader is in a position of management. Every workplace, however, stands to benefit from solid leadership no matter the position.

Below are five key traits of a good, robust leader in the workplace:

01. Top-Notch Communication Skills

First and foremost, good communication skills are essential for any leader. Nearly a third of all employees suffer from a loss of morale if there is a lack of communication between employees, amongst colleagues or with management.

Even small gestures such as ‘toolbox meetings’ in the morning with your team, whereby key agenda points are addressed and employees have an opportunity to voice concerns or show interest in particular projects can go a long way towards boosting morale.

If you’re a leader who’s logically strong but not so emotionally smooth, using the EQ Code can fundamentally transform how you connect with your team. By simply asking a team member who knows the very basics of the EQ Code if they’re red ?  or green ? , even the most logical leader is able to create the space for emotional connection to take place. 

02. Empathy for Colleagues

Empathy is a strong trait of a good leader, but developing empathy can seem like walking a tightrope at times. It’s one thing to express interest in a colleague’s personal life, but it’s quite easy to go overboard and come across as being nosy.

Again, the EQ Code can make this easy.  A team member can explain their issues and you can either dive deeper (in the traditional ways) or show empathy without getting too entwined by simply connecting to the fact that they’ve got a few big, hairy ‘red squares’ in their life.

The simple act of listening to how many ?  ‘red squares’ and ?  ‘green squares’ a team member has in their life can help even the most logical and emotionally distant manager to hear the signs of employee burnout and become alert to the fact that they may require some more expert intervention. The EQ Code allows leaders to bridge the empathy gap with employees without infringing too much on personal matters. By giving them the freedom and autonomy to come forward with personal concerns in a more generic way, team members are able to be open without being too vulnerable.  This gives you the chance to work with them to improve morale and productivity simply by showing empathy.

03. Goal-Oriented and Vision-Oriented

Whilst the first two traits, communication and empathy, are fairly specific and not necessarily time-bound (they’re valid at any point in time), having a clear sense of purpose and vision is a long-term trait.

Consequently, you must understand the company’s goals and vision and reflect them in the workplace. Overcoming obstacles and addressing specific issues must incorporate the company’s vision, or in other words, the bigger picture of a project or the daily operations of the business.

04. Full Accountability

Failure happens all the time, and it isn’t often a question of playing the ‘blame game’ with colleagues. This can only cause strife and division amongst the team. Instead, with the EQ Code you can get the best of both worlds… when failure first happens, a leader can ‘play in the mud’ in their head and do 0% ⬛️  and consider how everyone else was to blame…!  Doing this creates emotional space and then, when the leader is ready to hold themselves accountable they can look to see if they are capable of taking 100% ⬜️  RESPONSIBILITY.  

A leader who is able to HAPPILY do both 0% and 100% is able to connect at both level and help to guide and hold colleagues accountable for their failures, with the goal of overcoming and improving rather than blaming and shaming.

Failure for each and every participant to be able to see how they can take 100% RESPONSIBILITY overlooks the real sources of failure and inhibits the ability for each and every team member to learn, adapt, and overcome similar failures in the future.

05. Gestures of Gratitude

Gratitude is an important trait that may often be overlooked by leaders, and it shouldn’t be. Showing appreciation for progress along a project milestone, for example, empowers employees to continue performing as they are whilst making them feel that their work matters, that they matter.

Small compliments are also a great way to remind colleagues that they matter and that they belong in the organisation. Far too often, employees quit organisations citing a lack of appreciation in what they do. If you feel gratitude, share it!

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