10 Leadership Qualities for Young Professionals to Aspire Towards

1. Integrity 

When one is responsible for a team of people, it’s important to raise the bar on oneself even higher. Your business and its employees are a reflection of yourself as a leader, and if you exemplify honest, ethical behavior, your team will follow suit. Employees want to rest assured that their leaders will give everyone an equal shot at opportunities such as promotions, project assignments, etc. When you act with integrity, it not only increases your workforce’s loyalty to you and your business, but they will also become more engaged at the workplace. 

2. Delegate

Your brand vision is uniquely essential to creating an efficient business, but a crucial challenge is trusting your team to uphold that vision without continual hand-holding. The key to delegation is unearthing the strengths of your employees and taking advantage of each person’s abilities. (Find out what each team member enjoys doing most, as this is an indication that they will likely put more thought behind it.)Delegation will not only allow you the time to focus on tasks that cannot be delegated, but also - and according to me this is more important - it will prove to your team that you trust their discretion and believe in their capabilities, which will in turn increase their sense of ownership and levels of engagement.

3. Exhibit confidence and Grace When under pressure 

There may be days where things aren’t going according to plan. This is true with any business, and the most imperative thing is not to panic. Part of your job as a leader is to uphold team morale. Keeping your confidence will assure your team that obstacles are natural, and their focus should still be on the greater goal.Remember, you set the tone, so if you exude a calm ability to do damage-control; your team will take cues from you.

4. Commitment

If you want your team to work hard and produce quality work, the most effective way is to lead by example. Nothing builds morale quite like seeing the boss down in the trenches working alongside everyone else, showing that hard work is being done on every echelon of the company. Proving your commitment will earn you the respect of your team and instill dedicated, engaged energy among the workforce. You want to create a reputation for being a fair leader who has earned their place at the top through perseverance. Once you have gained the faith of your team, they will be more closely aligned with the goals you set for them.

5. Positive Attitude

You want to keep your team driven towards the continued triumph of the company, and ensure energy levels are up. Remember that everyone on your team has thoughts, hopes and dreams. Keep the mood optimistic, a balance between productivity and liveliness.If your team is feeling upbeat, chances are that that happy energy will reflect in the quality of their work and attention to detail.

6. Resourcefulness

When leading a team through uncharted territory, there is no manual or ‘how-to’ –this is where drawing on past experience is a good reflex.Tough decisions will be up to you to decide, and you may be forced at times to differ from your set course and make a decision on the fly. Your team will look to you for guidance, and this is where creativity will come in handy. As a leader, you should be able to think outside the box and make decisions that are right for the company.

7. Inspire

Especially in the early stages of a start-up, inspiring your team; and your investors for that matter, to believe in your vision of things to come is vital. Making your employees feel invested in the organizations milestones is a fine art, and much of it relies on sheer charisma. Whether or not you operate on a bonus system, garnering enthusiasm for the hard work being put in is important. It is your job to keep spirits up, and that begins with an appreciation for the labour of your employees.

8. Encourage Teamwork 

Form teams and groups whose chemistry and synergy get things done. Rather than building a culture of competitiveness, foster teamwork and mentor ship. Recognize that many people require support and input from co-workers and peers in order to shape their perspective and do their best work. When you support your employees by creating this kind of environment, you can expect turnaround times to decrease, while engagement, ownership and productivity increase.

9. Ability to Vary Your Approach

Every individual responds differently to forms of mentor ship and motivation.For example, millennials are famously difficult to engage – what works with an older generation probably wouldn’t work with generation Y. In order to optimize your leadership efficacy, you must get the knack of customizing your approach based on the situation at hand. Your capacity to implement this will be one of the deciding factors in getting the best work out of every employee,as well as other partners along your professional journey. It is also a valuable skill to have under your belt when negotiating high-stakes business deals.

10. Don’t Miss the Forest for the Trees

Last but not least; remember to step away from the everyday issues and look at the bigger picture ever so often. Much of every leader's job is tackling crises and problems - this means watching out for new opportunities to be grabbed, and new road blocks to be dodged. If you find yourself regularly surprised by developments on the horizon, then you're not looking closely enough at the big picture.