Thinking about a career in business? You’re probably looking at degree programs that will help you build your knowledge in areas like accounting, operations, and marketing. You might also be thinking about the technical skills you’ll add to your resume. But have you considered “soft skills”? Communication, business savvy, and adaptability are all key if you want to become a leader in your field.
Successful professionals not only have strong technical skills and solid educational backgrounds, but they’re also always working to improve their leadership qualities and grow their personal brands. Check out these 13 professional traits that can become some of your most powerful tools for success:
1. Empathy at Work
Empathy is all about recognizing and understanding the emotions and perspectives of others in any given situation.
Why is empathy so important for success at work? When you can empathize with others, you’re better at resolving conflicts, building stronger relationships with customers, clients, and coworkers, and creating productive teams.
So, how can you develop empathy at work? According to Psychology Today, here are some tips:
- Give your full attention when listening, especially to what others care about and need.
- Listen without jumping in to argue, challenge, or ask questions right away.
- Share something about yourself only if it helps connect with what the other person is saying.
- Ask questions that help you understand how the other person is feeling.
Empathy is something you can practice every day and use to become a respected leader.
2. Ability to Leverage Social Networking for Professional Growth
Where do executives go to communicate, share their expertise, network, and keep learning?
Social media is a powerful tool for business professionals, and one platform that stands out for building connections is LinkedIn. It’s a great place to network and grow your business relationships.
A strong network is crucial for success, and in 2023, using social platforms like LinkedIn is essential. Here are some tips to make the most of professional networking:
- Master video sharing: Research shows that LinkedIn users are 20 times more likely to share a video than any other type of post, according to Social Media Today. If you want to be seen as a thought leader, start sharing relevant videos that your connections will find valuable.
- Use technology for lifelong learning: Platforms like LinkedIn Learning offer courses to help you improve your skills or refresh what you already know. You can find training on everything from design to marketing, project management, web development, and more.
- Show thought leadership: Share your expertise and tips across social media channels—LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and even Instagram. Offering helpful information from your education or work experience can position you as a leader in your field.
3. Strong Communication Skills
Don’t underestimate how important communication is in business. According to Forbes, good communication is essential for:
- Preventing and solving conflicts at work
- Building trust
- Strengthening relationships
- Boosting productivity
- Encouraging creativity
- Promoting learning
If you feel like your communication skills could use some work, there are simple ways to improve them in your everyday life, both personally and at work. Forbes suggests a few strategies:
- Ask thoughtful questions.
- Summarize conversations to make sure you understand correctly.
- Keep your sentences short and clear.
- Listen to others before jumping in with your opinion.
- Share your ideas in small, easy-to-remember points.
Improving your communication skills won’t just make you a better leader—it will also help you stand out as you move toward higher-level positions that are key to business planning.
4. Creativity
Using creativity at work can help you come up with new ideas and solutions. Creative leadership means coming up with actionable ideas and inspiring your team to think outside the box—whether it’s generating business plans, changing the work environment, or building meaningful connections with others. Here are a few more reasons why creative leadership matters, according to Indeed:
- Promotes problem-solving: When your team faces challenges, leading with a creative mindset helps them find solutions quickly.
- Encourages a positive work environment: Creativity can encourage people to share their ideas and connect, helping you create a culture of collaboration and inclusion.
- Helps you handle change: A creative approach allows you to come up with fresh ideas that fit industry best practices and prepares you for future changes in your field.
5. Positive Attitude
Being a professional means keeping a positive, “can-do” attitude at work. Having a positive attitude can boost your performance and increase your chances of success. It’s especially powerful in team building because people are more likely to rally around a leader who stays positive, even when challenges arise.
But it’s not just about the leader’s attitude—it can also influence the behavior and performance of others, lifting overall morale in the office. In fact, positivity is contagious. If you’ve ever had a boss with a negative attitude, you probably know just how big of a difference a positive mindset can make.
6. Focus
Professionals understand how important it is to stay focused in order to improve the quality of their work, get things done more efficiently, and stay productive. According to author and consultant Gordon Tredgold, being more focused can help with clarity, decision-making, and overall effectiveness. He also highlights four long-term benefits of improved focus:
- Builds momentum: Staying focused helps you get more done, which builds momentum and allows you to make quicker progress.
- Reduces stress: When we’re not focused, things can feel overwhelming. It’s often not about having too much to do, but about not knowing where to start, which can cause stress.
- Increases engagement: Leaders who stay focused can clearly communicate their goals and how to achieve them, which keeps their teams motivated and engaged.
- Attracts more clients: Sales professionals who are focused can better connect with potential clients and clearly explain the business solutions they offer.
7. Self-Confidence
Effective leaders are self-confident and show trust in their own abilities, as well as in the abilities of others. You might wonder, what’s the difference between self-esteem and self-confidence? While these terms are often used interchangeably, they’re actually a bit different, according to an article in the Indeed Career Guide. Self-esteem is about valuing yourself, while self-confidence is about feeling capable of doing something. It’s a key tool for success because it gives you the belief that you can get things done.
Here are some examples of how self-confidence shows up in a professional setting:
- Doing the right thing, even if others might judge you for it
- Having the courage to take on new challenges
- Recognizing your weaknesses, accepting them, and finding ways to improve
- Accepting praise for your accomplishments
- Feeling confident enough to share your thoughts and ideas in meetings
8. Drive
A key trait of any strong leader is the ability to motivate and inspire others. Whether you call it drive, passion, or something else, leaders who share their enthusiasm with their teams are more likely to boost morale, improve performance, and increase productivity.
For example, entrepreneurs are known for their passion, which gives them the persistence to chase goals that might seem out of reach. By combining passion with determination, they can persuade team members and investors to get on board with their vision.
9. Discipline
Discipline is a key trait for effective leadership. Leaders who are disciplined tend to be organized, focused on routines, and pay close attention to detail. This can be really helpful, but if they’re not careful, it might come across as controlling.
Self-disciplined leaders are great at communicating their goals and showing others what success looks like. They can cut through the chaos, spot mistakes, and bring structure to business processes. So, why are disciplined leaders important? Here are some traits they often have:
- Precision: They have a sharp eye for detail and value clear, well-defined processes.
- Routine: They stick to timelines and deadlines and don’t like surprises or mistakes.
- Structure: They thrive on order and like to feel in control.
10. Integrity
Leaders with integrity have a strong sense of right and wrong, which helps them make fair and balanced decisions. People with integrity are often respected because they stick to their values, even when faced with challenges or outside pressures.
Integrity is a crucial leadership trait and one of the most powerful tools a manager can have. It sets the tone for the entire team, as team members know they can trust a leader with integrity to always do the right thing, even when no one is watching.
11. Optimism
The power of optimism is huge. Optimistic leaders can keep a positive outlook, even through changes and transitions, believing that their company is moving forward toward a better future without focusing too much on the past. Instead of reacting negatively to challenges, they plan ahead and anticipate obstacles.
According to Lifehack.org, optimistic leaders tend to be:
- Solution-focused: They focus on finding solutions rather than getting stuck on the problems.
- Unafraid of failure: They’re confident in their decisions and see failure as a chance to learn, not something to fear.
- Great communicators: Optimistic leaders are comfortable sharing their vision for a better future and motivating others to join in.
- Skilled in collaboration: They want their teams to work together toward a common goal.
- Successful in their mindset: With a “glass half full” attitude, they naturally look for the positive and find creative solutions.
12. Experience
Experience is something we all gain over time, both personally and professionally, but the experiences of others can be just as valuable in building your professional toolkit. Here’s how experience can benefit you at different stages of your business journey:
- Industry experts are often brought in to conduct market research and help create strong business plans.
- As your business grows, you’ll connect with others in similar industries to learn from their experiences, giving you insight into the challenges and opportunities ahead.
- Seasoned professionals can also be a great resource when it comes to recruiting and hiring the right talent to achieve your business goals.
- Over time, your own experiences will open up new opportunities, such as expanding into new markets, acquiring businesses, or even offering consulting services.
Also Read: What are the Common Factors in Successful Manifestation Stories?
13. Preparation
Being prepared means putting in a little extra effort before the actual work starts, so you’re ready for meetings, tasks, and events when they come up. For example, being ready for meetings is key to performing your best. Preparation might include gathering documents, presentations, and other materials you’ll discuss or sharing them with participants ahead of time through an email.
You could start preparing the day before or the morning of the meeting—going through the materials and making notes, formulating questions, and planning your next steps. When the meeting happens, all that preparation will likely help you feel more confident, less stressed, and focused on what others are contributing.