What makes a business leader successful is a conversation that can go in many different directions. Many philosophies on business leadership exist. Certain traits, attitudes, and skills are duplicated in the world’s most successful global business leaders. The key characteristics of a global business leader make up the difference between someone qualified and someone at a disadvantage in the role.
If you seek to perform to your best ability in a place of global business leadership, here are the characteristics one must develop to move from vision to reality.
Characteristic #1: Bigger-Picture Thinking
A lot of global leaders are bigger-picture thinkers. They don’t necessarily neglect the details but perform best when looking at the macro rather than the micro.
A bigger-picture thinker is often confident, decisive, and can make sense of tough, stressful situations. Leadership development helps them see ahead when everyone else is bogged down with the minutiae.
Characteristic #2: Leaders Are Visible
A global business leader does not hide. They want to be seen as the leader of their brand and are willing to take accountability not only for its successes but its failures as well. If they’re a bad leader, it will be to their detriment.
If they are a great leader, visibility will be central to garnering authority, making team members aware, and providing confidence to others in an organization that the right person is steering the ship.
Characteristic #3: Welcome Change
Change comes in all aspects of life. A global business leader runs at it instead of away. They do not see it as a barrier but accept it as an inevitability that requires strategy as a response.
These leaders are always prepared to adjust based on what’s in front of them and are openly willing to abandon a course of action, even their own, if it no longer aligns with an organization’s objectives.
Characteristic #4: Ethical Decision-Making
The world’s most successful global business leaders remain that way from ethical decision-making in business and management. Honesty, integrity, and strong moral principles guide businesses worldwide.
These characteristics in a global leader can aid them with navigating different types of situations, locations, and people, ensuring they remain true to themselves at every turn.
Characteristic #5: Build Up More Leaders
No global business leader can build an organization on their own. They need more leaders. There’s no question about it, so leaders have to zero in on supporting building others. Inspire others to dream, learn, do, and eventually become their leader. As they empower a developing collection of leaders, global business leader strengthens their organization in a major way.
Characteristic #6: They Give Credit
A global business leader empowers others through acknowledgment and providing credit where credit is due. When others feel seen, empowered, and have the allowance to be creative and productive, they are more likely to perform well and even outperform expectations. This is also a sign of humility and respect from a leader’s perspective.
Characteristic #7: Passion For What They Do
Passion is what, in part, inspires others. Global business leader genuinely enjoys what they do and are passionate about inspiring others, investing their trust in others, and more. They have passion for what they hope to achieve with their business and are not shy about using that passion in communicating goals, moving ahead, and generating action.
Characteristic #8: Adapt And Recover Quickly
Resilience is essential. A leader must be able to adapt and recover in business. They do not dwell. They move quickly through problems, adopt solutions-oriented thinking, and can overcome circumstances wherein they do not have control.
A global business leader can deal with personal and business setbacks and challenges and often teach that skill to those around them.
Characteristic #9: Constant Self-Development
The best business leaders are in constant self-development. They are more students than they are leaders. This special breed of person is always learning, picking up new ideas, is willing to innovate, is not afraid of risk-taking, and is willing to listen to anyone with an idea to discover the best strategy and decision.
This is why this type of business leader is always getting better at what they do. This is how they got to be excellent in the first place.
Characteristic #10: Emotional Regulation
To be aware of one’s emotions, have control, and handle one’s emotions judiciously and empathetically is a characteristic most great leaders maintain. Emotional intelligence serves a person in all situations but can be central to ensuring sensitive matters are not mishandled in tough interpersonal relationships.
Characteristic #11: Creativity In Business
Many global business leaders have some level of creativity. It is fundamental to delivering results, creating strategy, and pursuing performance. Those lacking creativity won’t hesitate to surround themselves with creative thinkers, sharing different perspectives and ideas to find the best one. Creativity and innovation are huge assets at all levels of business globally.
