Leadership refers to the ability of a person to inspire a group or a team to work together and achieve a specific goal Leadership in business is a dynamic and relational process that encourages a person to take decisive actions, outperform competition and achieve challenging goals. Characteristics of a Good Leader Respect Must respect everyone as it builds trust, boosts efficiency, resolves conflict and increases productivity. Courage Must be courageous as it will help in putting forth ideas convincingly, provide feedback, face problems head-on, and move things in the direct direction. Empathy Empathy boosts leadership effectiveness and leaders who are empathetic are better performers than their counterparts. Influence A good leader must know how to convince and influence other people with help of logical, cooperative and emotional appeals authentically. Learning Agility Strong learning agility proves a blessing for a good leader as it helps him to excel in an unfamiliar environment. Gratitude Employees tend to work harder for a boss who shows gratitude and is appreciative of their efforts. Self-Awareness Self-Awareness helps a leader to become more confident in his abilities. Communication Communication helps a leader in transmitting important messages effectively. He must be a good speaker as well as a listener. Capacity to Delegate A leader needs to delegate so that he can focus on core responsibilities. Integrity Integrity is a desired trait in a leader so that he can be honest in his dealings. Leadership Styles and Examples 1. Bureaucratic Leadership – Winston Churchill 2. Laissez-Faire Leadership – Warren Buffet 3. Charismatic Leadership – Steve Jobs 4. Autocratic Leadership – Vladimir Putin 5. Transformational Leadership – Jack Maa 6. Participative Leadership – Sir Richard Branson Leadership vs Management