What are the key qualities of a successful leader Essay

The globalization of business has changed the nature of business: nowadays companies have to be more flexible, innovative and have to deal with multinational (or international) workforce. With regard to organizational structure, traditional vertical and horizontal managerial links have been replaced with matrix and network organizations. During the next decade, the importance of network organizations is expected to increase due to growing globalization. Consequently, the approaches to leadership are also changing.
Nowadays, it is possible to outline 10 key qualities inherent in successful leaders: (Lussier & Achua, 2009): a sense of vision, decision-making, risk taking, ability to motivate and inspire others, team-building skills, self-awareness, integrity, lifelong learning, effective communication abilities and interest in helping others to succeed. During the next 10 or 15 years, additional qualities important for a successful leader will be brought to the foreground: ability to work with multicultural teams (and in multicultural environments) and innovative skills. These skills are expected to be included in the perception of an effective leader, and the qualities which are actual today will also remain actual tomorrow. Thus, the changing face of leadership requires the leaders to be more flexible and to be more aware of cultural differences in the diverse workforce.