What do you think is the single most important attribute to being a great leader

Digitalization has raised the bar of leadership, due to the continuous change, the emergent trends of digitalization and globalization. A great leader is a great learner. Learning from those they lead and learning through self-development and self-enrichment. What do you think is the single most important attribute to being a great leader?


Vision: Great leaders have vision. They can see into the future. They have a clear, exciting idea of where they are going and what they are trying to accomplish. Leadership is all about pointing out a direction for self and others. The vision is like 'the guiding light,' so that people can see themselves and their work reflected in it. When a vision is realized, people live with change.
Trust: Others become inspired when they have someone in authority in whom they have absolute trust. That means an individual who has a strong moral compass, exhibiting integrity, empathy, thoughtfulness, respect, tolerance, determination, enthusiasm, confidence, understanding, optimism, patience and a sense of humour is a bonus. Those traits are found in the person in whom the workforce can have absolute faith.  Slow to speak and quick to listen, integrity, credibility and remembering you don't have to know everything! Be authentic and treat others like you want to be treated. The key is respect. If you respect others and inspire their respect in you - good communication, appreciation trust, etc., comes easier.
Deep engagement - with people and with problems, allied to the generosity of spirit. When a group has a problem - a leader "owns" the problem until resolution - when the group has success, a leader credits the whole team. Strong human relations seem to be the first attribute any leader should have. We are living in a digital ecosystem where everything is done for human by human. A person that can not connect and transmit thoughts is doomed to fail. The best leaders can create an emotional bond with their followers that are tied to the 'purpose' of their venture. This comes from creating authentic quality relationships based on trust and shared vulnerability. Win the hearts and all else will follow....
Creative leadership can be described as "Adaptability meets Agility.” Creative leadership is the unique combination of leadership behaviors that develops and achieves high quality and meaningful results over a sustained period of time. Creative leadership does this by challenging him/her self and staff to find optimal high-value solutions to provide clarity on high priority objectives, criteria, quality, and results. The more "creative leaders," we have, the better for the world. The proper function, the ultimate criterion of "creative leadership," is the ability to create more leaders, to spread leadership - or, more precisely, to groom "followers" (the people for whom one is responsible) into leaders.
Risk tolerance: As a leader you're taking risks, risks that sometimes you have no idea how it's going to be received publicly, financially or company wide. The ability to forgive yourself, grieve your losses and find a new solution, takes profound courage. Forgiveness is a skill to master that deeply impacts problem-solving.
Here are a list of important attributes to being a great leader:• Freedom – feeling, being and acting freely• Authenticity (access to trust)• Passion – creating the life you'd love to live • Energy – transforming anger into passion • Clarity – knowing your calling and acting from vision • Integrity – getting things done • Clarity • Awareness – perceiving reality from new levels • Authenticity – being real and incorruptible • Responsibility (ownership of the team, mission, business, etc.)A sense of humor is a nice touch, too.
In practice, there is NO one single attribute. There is just a delicate mix of management, leadership, and interpersonal skills, along with a lot of different attributes. Moreover, the use of these skills and attributes happen in different proportions for each major undertaking. It is hard to pick only one definitive attribute because all aspects of leadership work in unison and can't be viewed in isolation. They become the key components of a strong and successful leadership position. But necessary among the very most important attributes are integrity, empathy, character, creativity, and genuine humility. These are all things that make leaders great and "impactful" and, likewise make followers loyal, diligent, and committed when they possess the same traits. Leadership and "followership" are near parallels.Follow us at: @Pearl_Zhu