Must-have traits your future team leader must possess

Are you all set to select a new manager for your company? Is it someone who always meets deadlines and provides fresh perspectives? While these traits are important for managers to lead a team, being a leader means so much more than that. Strong leaders are brilliant at formulating and communicating strategy and driving the vision of an organization.

If you look closely enough, you might have a Howard Schultz in your very own company. You just need to be observant to recognize him and give him the push in the right direction.

Image: Shutterstock

Here are five important traits you should look for in your future leaders.

Curiosity

If the leader you elect is not curious to learn new things, he will not encourage his team members to learn new things either. Also, curiosity is essential for strategy. The desire to acquire information and explore facts is foundational for a strategist. Good strategy is rooted in an understanding of the organization, the people in it and what is happening outside the four walls of the company. If your new leader is low on curiosity, you'll stick to tried and tested methods which will restrict curiosity.

Emotional intelligence

People with high emotional intelligence are better at perceiving, understanding and managing feelings. It is a very important trait as leadership is all about reliability. When you understand what motivates others to do certain things, you can adjust your communication style to better manage your team. If your future leader cares about his co-workers, he is the right choice for the job.

Competitiveness

Competitiveness is a great trait to have. However, it is good to have only in moderation. Great leaders understand that too much competitiveness does more harm than good. While selecting a new leader, observe how your preferred candidate competes with his colleagues. Does he indulge in healthy competition or does his competitiveness have an aggressive streak? At the end of the day, everybody is working towards the same goals and therefore this trait needs to be present in just the right degree.

Courage

Leaders need to be risk-takers. If they fail once, they shouldn't be intimidated to try again. They should be willing to confront and solve different situations. They must possess the fortitude to stand by their own values. If your to-be leader chickens out at the first mention of risk, you need to reevaluate your choices.

Attention to detail

From day-to-day duties to company-wide projects, a leader is always supposed to stay on top of everything. He needs to have a great deal of focus set upon business objectives and goals. His attention-to-detail will be obvious when the project is completed and there are no unaddressed concerns left. A knack for research and asking the right questions, pretty much sums up the he is the perfect fit for the job.

At the end of the day, take a step back and look at the full picture. If your candidate shows promise, give him the tools he will need to grow and help the company achieve success.