Qualities of a Good Leader

Finding good leaders is never easy. Most of us have a hard enough time finding qualified employees that are skilled, dedicated, and a good fit for our office environment. Despite that, however, we should always be on the lookout for good leaders to work for or with us.

Personally, a good leader is better to have than a skilled laborer. While a skilled laborer will provide a quicker return more immediately, a good leader will learn anything necessary and provide a much broader, long-term, positive yield.

Courtesy of John Maxwell, from his book Developing the Leaders Around You, here is a way to assess your current and future employee’s leadership abilities. Each of these questions should be answered on a scale of 0-4 (0=never, 1=seldom, 2=sometimes, 3=usually, 4=always.) A final scoring system is provided below.

1. The person has influence
2. The person has self-discipline
3. The person has a good track record
4. The person has strong people skills
5. The person has the ability to solve problems
6. The person does not accept the status quo
7. The person sees the big picture
8. The person has the ability to handle stress
9. The person displays a positive spirit
10. The person understands people
11. The person is free of personal problems
12. The person is willing to take responsibility
13. The person is free from anger
14. The person is willing to make changes
15. The person has integrity
16. The person is growing closer to God
17. The person has the ability to see what has to be done next
18. The person is accepted as a leader by others
19. The person has the ability and desire to keep learning
20. The person has a manner that draws people
21. The person has a good self-image
22. The person has a willingness to serve others
23. The person has the ability to bounce back when problems arise
24. The person has the ability to develop other leaders
25. The person takes initiative

90-100: Great leader (should be mentoring other good and great leaders.)
80-89: Good leader (must keep growing and keep mentoring others.)
70-79: Emerging leader (focus on growth and begin mentoring others.)
60-69: Bursting with potential (excellent person to be developed.)
60-: Needs growth (nay not be ready to be mentored as a leader.)