What defines a good leader? Look for these six qualities

WHAT DEFINES A GOOD LEADER? LOOK FOR THESE SIX QUALITIES

Modern business challenges can require new approaches. Leadership will need to evolve in order to continue to guide organisations in tomorrow's world of work. But what are the characteristics of a good modern leader in the workplace - and how can organisations develop them? 

Many studies draw parallels between effective leadership and solid organisational performance. But whether they’re a junior manager or a senior executive, the qualities that leaders need are changing.
 
Nearly 1,500 HR professionals ranked leadership development as the number one priority for 2025, with managers feeling 'overwhelemed' by the expansion of their responsibilities. In today’s unpredictable world, you must combine traditional leadership skills with new abilities. So, what does an effective modern leader look like?
 

1. Remember what makes a good leader

Before looking at the new skills future leaders may need, it is worth reflecting on what a leader actually is.
 
What are the qualities of a good leader? It’s not what you may think.
 
Being in charge of colleagues does not necessarily make you a ‘leader’. Former Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg explains: “Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.”
 
Retired astronaut Chris Hadfield believes that good leadership is: “Not about glorious crowning acts. It’s about keeping your team focused on a goal and motivated to do their best to achieve it. Especially when the stakes are high and the consequences really matter.”
 
There may be varying opinions on the strengths and weaknesses of leaders. But overall, most people believe that great leaders motivate their team members to perform their best and achieve common goals.
 
What traits do you need to achieve this in the modern workplace?
 

2. Use blended leadership styles for a VUCA world 

Stacey Philpot from Deloitte Consulting maintains that the core skills needed historically in leadership roles have remained unchanged.
 
“These skills allow someone to become a leader faster than their peers. This is even true in today’s volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) environment,” she says.
 
The core skills for leading in a VUCA environment include:
 
  • Pattern recognition
  • Motivation
  • Agility
  • Emotional intelligence
  • Ability to understand, control and express emotions
 
This represents psychological assessments of 23,000 senior leaders globally over the past 25 years.
 
Consider introducing servant leadership:
 
Leaders need new styles of leadership to deal with changing cultures. Being comfortable with not having the answer and owning failure can create an environment of trust and openness.
 
Collectively, these behaviours form ‘servant leadership’. The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) defines servant leadership as emphasising behaviours and values such as:
 
  • Active listening
  • Empathy
  • Leading by example
 
These are instead of opting for a more authoritative, ‘command-and-control’ leadership style. Leaders create the conditions for team members to excel by displaying vulnerability. But given the stigma around servant leadership, how can organisations encourage it?
 
How to combat stigma surrounding servant leadership:
 
Alsu Polyakova, HR Leader for GE Healthcare, says reducing stigma around servant leadership will take a specific strategy. Most importantly frequent performance appraisals for leaders.
 
“We give leaders lots of opportunities for self-reflection, so they understand how they behave,” she says. GE Healthcare’s most successful leaders help to encourage behavioural change, Polyakova says. The company measures success by how well employees rate leaders on achieving GE Healthcare’s ‘cultural pillars’. These pillars include inspiring trust and empowering employees.
 

3. Create a culture of trust in the workplace

Gaining workers’ trust is more important than ever. One way to build trust is for leaders to take action on issues such as climate change. 71 percent of employees consider their CEOs’ social awareness as critically important, according to the Edelman Trust Barometer.
 
Social awareness may yield rich rewards. The Edelman poll shows that workers who trust their employers are far more engaged and remain more loyal than their more sceptical peers.
 
Leadership styles are clearly changing. The most effective leaders will need to tailor their styles to suit different scenarios, says Professor Sattar Bawany. “Leaders need a broad repertoire of management styles and the wisdom to know when each style should be used,” he says. “In crisis scenarios like cybersecurity breaches, for example, leadership should be authoritarian because the scenario is unstructured.”
 

4. Adapt your leadership style for different generations

Managers must also balance leadership styles to suit different generations. Modern workplaces will soon house up to five generations under one roof. Therefore, there will be many people with differing preferences on leadership style.
 
As of 2023, millennials are the biggest group in the UK workforce, at 35 percent. Modern leaders must mix old and new leadership styles that meet the needs of younger generations. Doing so will future proof organisations. However, new leadership approaches cannot come at the expense of alienating older workers.
 

5. Commit to lifelong learning

With the workplace evolving so rapidly, leaders cannot rely on past experience alone to get by. Ben Farmer, Head of HR at Amazon UK agrees: “Experience is not always synonymous with wisdom and judgement. And naivety doesn’t always engender novel thinking and openness to change.”
 
Organisations should look for leaders who understand the future as well as those with experience. “Success comes from the ability to combine understanding of exciting, new trends with the experience required to put that knowledge into action,” says Farmer.
 
But what is the right balance? There is no one-size-fits-all approach when balancing experience with adaptability. Achieving the right balance will mostly depend on the organisation and the sector it operates in.
 

6. Be conscious of culture

Organisational culture is an important factor. Risk-averse firms may prefer experience over novel thinking. Leaders may be fearful of a backlash from stakeholders should novel thinking fail. To lower risk, companies should seek leaders who use both scientific evidence and intuition when making decisions.
 
Ultimately, there’s no single blueprint for an effective modern leader. Each organisation must tailor their approach to leadership development. There must be a focus on organisational culture, industry nuances and employee mix.
 
But above all, leaders should recognise that today’s reality may be old news tomorrow.
 
 

For more expert advice, take a look at the following articles: 

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null 5 factors to consider when deciding where to hire tech talent

5 FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN DECIDING WHERE TO HIRE TECH TALENT

Women working on a modern touch screen

The rise of remote working and the globalisation of tech teams has changed the way we think about where to hire tech talent. The world is quite literally our talent pool. But of course, tech recruiting is not as simple as that.

Highly skilled employees and contractors want the flexibility to work remotely. These people demand to live and work in a location of their choice. Additionally, employees know that plenty of employers will not only accommodate, but will actively embrace this way of working.

What do employee needs mean when attracting top talent in the tech industry? 

Tech talent acquisition is a seller’s market. Both recruiters and companies need to prepare to meet potential candidates on their terms. This proactive approach is the only way to make sure that any employment offer has the best chance of success. As such, it is essential to understand the challenges and opportunities of multinational recruitment strategies.
 
These strategies may include:
 
  • Local, nearshore or offshore hiring solutions
  • Hiring into an existing location
  • Tapping into new markets
  • Seeking remote workers or contractors
 
Whichever one your organisation chooses to explore, there is much to keep in mind.
 

1. The availability of talent and the longer-term pipeline

It is normal to gravitate towards well-known talent hubs during the recruitment process. But a savvy employer will also be aware of potential talent pools within emerging networks.
 
Offshoring has been a growing trend for many years now. Consider whether it is better to follow the crowd to a well-established location. Or, is it wise to explore the opportunities a fast developing location could bring?
 
Consider your early careers institutions when hiring IT talent
 
Look at local universities and the types and variety of specialist courses they offer. Ask yourself these questions:
 
  • Are the degree courses evolving?
  • Do they focus on teaching the latest, most in-demand tech skills?
 
Some IT courses include internships or placements which can help identify emerging talent in more niche areas. Research the links between these universities and the local business network. How well do they work together to invest in and nurture tech talent? You may be able to identify new talent pipelines by investigating the post-graduate scene.
 
Research government incentives and community initiatives that focus on attracting and retaining tech start-ups and scale-ups. TechHub Bucharest, for example, has created a community of entrepreneurs and start-ups with sister companies in London, Swansea, Riga, Madrid and Warsaw. This community can offer insights into the latest tech trends and access to specialist skillsets and marketing opportunities.

 

2. How to recruit tech talent from a global pool

When you are hiring from a global talent pool, make sure you understand the local labour market laws. Your company must be able to adapt to them. Understanding local salaries is not sufficient; you should also understand:
 
  • How easy it is to recruit, including local interview processes
  • Efficient onboarding strategies
  • Effective and worthwhile offboarding processes
 
Find out the laws and hiring processes around temporary workers if you expect to hire contractors or freelance staff. Make sure you are aware of any benefits or allowances that you may have to offer.
 
Also, how does the labour market flexibility impact your own offering? Offering project based, fixed-term contracts may not be the right fit for every market. Countries such as Spain favour permanent employment and ignoring this may mean you’ll struggle to compete.
 
It is also worth looking at the compliance standards in the local job market. You need to be aware of any regulations that could impact your company. Are there any rules that may affect your ability to recruit and reshuffle your staff in the area?
 

3. Where is the best tech talent? Look for innovators

Ideally, you will be able to recruit from countries which have diverse tech ecosystems in place. Locations with a focus on innovation will already support start-ups, scale-ups and multinationals alike. A diverse tech ecosystem means there will be a range of skill sets available within a particular location. All of which will reward future hiring initiatives.
 
It is also important to look for a commitment to ongoing innovation that will promote tech talent availability. Doing so tells you there will be a continuous pipeline of new tech talent coming onto the market in the years to come.
 
The 2021 Kalifa Review detailed the UK government’s plan to improve tech visas to attract global talent. Applications for skilled workers rose by 34 percent between 2023/24 as a result. Current estimates suggest that over 50% of London’s tech workforce is from outside the UK. To stay at the forefront of tech innovation, it’s vital to do what you can to discover new talent.

 

4. Research local infrastructure: not just in the tech sector

Infrastructure is more important than many overseas employers realise. There needs to be reliable broadband, Wi-Fi and telecommunications networks in the country. Without these in place, you are unlikely to find a strong community to hire tech talent.
 
Transportation may also be an issue if you expect your staff to work from an office or to travel. Some European cities have well-developed tech hubs and business centres. However, these are often only accessible by car in locations outside of residential areas. As a result, these companies limit their talent pool to car owners, licence holders, and those happy to commute.
 
If your workforce spans multiple countries, easy access to an international airport may also be important. In all this, there is clearly value in offering remote working as part of the job description.
 

5. How tech companies can meet the needs of talent 

Most importantly, you need to understand the needs of tech industry talent in different locations. For every experienced software developer, you can assume several recruiters are trying to tempt them to a new company. To have the best chance of success, you need to offer tech workers what they want.
 
Increasing salary or offering a generous signing-on bonus was once enough. But now, companies must also offer:
 
  • A compelling employee value proposition
  • Internal learning and development programmes
  • A flexible work environment with opportunities to work remotely
 
The balance of coming into the office or working from home needs to be in favour of the candidate. If your company policy prohibits flexible working, you may find it difficult to secure the skills you need.
 
In the most competitive roles, full-time remote working should be an option, otherwise you limit your search. If you can make an attractive lifestyle a part of your offer, it could give you the edge over other recruiters. Your business needs to fully embrace these policies and not just tolerate them.
 
 
 

What do you want to achieve? 

Ultimately, the best course of action will depend on your company and what you want to achieve. Perhaps you want to expand into another country or upgrade your tech abilities on an ongoing basis?

Recruitment experts can help to narrow down your options by location or expertise, as well as providing invaluable local insight and sector-specific advice.

Visit Tech Talent Insight to learn more about identifying and hiring tech talent and navigating challenging job markets. 

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AUTHORS

Ruth Munday
Global Head of Client Development, Enterprise Solutions at Hays 
 
Ruth joined Hays in 2010. With an Honours degree in modern languages from the University of Liverpool in the UK, Ruth has built a career working with organisations across Europe to help find solutions to a range of workforce related challenges and supporting and advising them through change.
 
Starting out in a traditional staffing agency operational role she built up teams in the UK and France, where she supported Hays’ fledgling business, now its fourth largest globally. Ruth then moved into executive search for several years, working in the public and private sectors, UK, international and cross border. She then spent several years building our outsourcing business across Europe, leading the sales and solutions teams, developing services and directly working with clients.
 
Today Ruth is our Global Head of Client Development, responsible for evolving our strategies in key account management and strategic client development and working with our teams and our customers around the world, putting the client at the heart of what we do. In her spare time she teaches yoga, paddleboards and cultivates her encyclopedic knowledge of eighties music.
 
 

James Milligan
Global Head of Technology, Engineering and Contracting, Hays

James is responsible for ensuring operational excellence across our Technology, Engineering and Contracting businesses, as well as shaping our expertise in structurally growing domains including Cyber Security, Data and AI, Embedded Software Engineering and Sustainability.

Having joined Hays in 2000, he has nearly 25 years' experience in the Technology, Telco and professional services sectors, supporting many Fortune 500 and FTSE 250 organisations in navigating their staffing and skills challenges. With an impressive background across the technology sector, James also oversees the growth and continued development of Emposo, our IT professional services business.