No matter how brilliant a brand or an idea is, it’s worthless without someone to hold all of the moving parts together. Every project is only as successful as its leader. With more complex projects, sometimes there are too many components to leave them to function independently.
The final piece of every accomplishment or plan is a leader, a person who can utilize all the components in the best way possible. As they work in sync, the idea will slowly turn to reality.
In a coworking space, a leader is even more important. To demand the absolute best out of everyone is not an easy task, but sometimes it’s necessary to get the job done. Now that we know why a leader is so important, what makes one? How do we recognize a successful leader in a coworking space?
In this article, we analyze the 10 key characteristics of a good leader.
The ability to ask for help
Does it sound surprising? Most people would expect something related to strength or ingenuity, but the top of our list is home to humility. A good leader prioritizes getting the job done and realizes that she is not better than her coworkers.
Mitchell Peterson from EssayGeeks.co.uk says that by knowing the skills of every one of his colleagues, he knows he can ask them for help. “‘Seeming human’ is the most underrated characteristic a leader can have,” Peterson said.
A delegation ability
Everyone brings something different to the table. Individually, the group may even be more skilled than the leader, but the leader is still the one who is gifted with the power of observance. Working in a coworking environment is like constructing a puzzle out of the different parts at your disposal.
A leader sets up projects and collaborations in a way that allows every team member to shine due to his or her skills. Without delegation, a leader won’t be able to create even an average team, let alone a great one.
Emphasizes communication
An idea is a wonderful flash of creativity, but it’s worthless unless it’s verbalized. Having a good leader means that she insists on everybody communicating. When coworkers exchange ideas with one another, it makes for a much shorter path towards the solution of a problem.
Communication also benefits the atmosphere in a coworking space, as everyone knows each other better, resulting in better bonds between colleagues. As the bonds grow stronger, people become willing to do more each time, leading the entire group toward success.
Sense of humor
Working on challenging projects can be a daunting task. In such cases, people are often brought to the edge of their capabilities. A stressful situation may end up causing tempers to flare.
As a leader, you must maintain a positive and motivating atmosphere. A sense of humor is one of the most important characteristics of every leader. With a single joke or pun, you can ease the tension and inject some positivity into your coworkers.
Confidence
If you’re a leader, your coworkers will look up to you for advice and guidance. No matter how ingenious or efficient a plan is, nobody will want to be a part of it if you don’t fully and whole-heartedly believe it yourself.
The difference an atmosphere of confidence can accomplish is staggering. If you believe in your plan, your coworkers will value the concept even more. With that new belief, every project will include better participation by the entire team.
Commitment
Verbal leadership doesn’t mean anything if a leader doesn’t lead by example. Since energy is contagious, a hard-working leader will motivate her colleagues to perform in the same way, as well.
A common mistake many leaders make is to focus on verbal direction and to monitor their coworkers. There is no better catalyst than working hard yourself. A successful leader is always honest and direct. Such a trait directly motivates others to behave the same way.
A constantly positive attitude
One way you can recognize unsuccessful leaders is by hearing only negative observations from them. Generally, successful leaders are always focused on what can they gain, not what they can lose.
If a goal is important, a good leader will motivate her coworkers and constantly remind them of what they can gain. Keeping your team’s spirits up is integral when focusing all your strengths on one common goal.
Creativity
While creativity mostly reminds us of artists, it’s also an integral element when talking about leadership. Successful leaders always think of new ways to solve a problem. Never satisfied, they strive to better their team by any means necessary.
Don’t get it wrong, creativity doesn’t mean stressing over a certain topic. A creative outlook is simply being oriented towards using existing data to craft a new plan.
An ability to motivate
Leadership is so much more than logistics and delegation. Keep in mind that your team members are human beings that can have a bad day from time to time.
Mistakes can make them feel bad about themselves, but it’s your job to remind them of who they are and what are they capable of. In a moment’s notice, a good leader can motivate and inspire her colleagues or employees to accomplish more.
Uncanny intuition
What characterizes a successful leader the most is intuition, an ability to foretell future occurrences just by analyzing existing data. With her calculations and estimates, a good leader will be able to know if something is worth doing or not. She should be abreast with latest technological advancements, like big data.
Intuition from a leader allows the rest of the team to rest easy and focus on their respective parts of the task. Such a system creates harmony and results in accomplishments.
Closing thoughts
A successful leader in a coworking space focuses on results above anything else. However, she doesn’t want to seem like she’s more powerful than others. On the contrary, a successful leader knows the habits and strong suits of her associates and always finds a way to motivate and inspire them. Above everything else, her intuition allows her to make smart, strategic decisions even without knowing everything.
