How to Be A Leader? Ideas to Develop Leadership and Management Qualities

A Generational Perspective on Leadership Qualities in 2025 and Beyond

Strong leadership qualities are what drive an organization forward and boost employee morale.

Leadership is the driving force that propels organizations forward and fosters a positive and motivated workplace.

However, as we approach 2025, it’s becoming increasingly clear that leadership is not a one-size-fits-all concept.

Different generations—each shaped by unique experiences and values—hold distinct perspectives on what makes a strong leader.

At the core of leadership, regardless of generational differences, lies empathy and a commitment to core values.

These universal traits form the foundation that transcends time, guiding leaders to inspire and connect with their teams.

Yet, how these qualities manifest in practice varies significantly across generations.

Generational Leadership Styles

• Baby Boomers (1946–1964):
  Boomers value hierarchy and respect for authority. They often equate strong leadership with dedication, work ethic, and stability. For them, a good leader is someone who leads with experience and fosters loyalty within the team. Boomers tend to emphasize long-term goals and are less focused on instant gratification.
• Generation X (1965–1980):
  Gen X leaders are pragmatic and independent. They appreciate flexibility and value results over rigid structures. Having grown up in a time of economic shifts, they prioritize resourcefulness and efficiency. A Gen X leader is likely to embrace a hands-off approach, trusting their team to deliver while stepping in as a guide when needed.
• Millennials (1981–1996):
  Millennial leaders focus on collaboration, purpose, and social impact. They bring empathy and inclusivity to the forefront, striving to create workplaces where everyone feels valued. They’re quick to embrace technology and foster innovation, often advocating for a work-life balance that aligns with organizational goals.
• Generation Z (1997–2012):
  Gen Z leaders are digital natives who prioritize transparency, adaptability, and authenticity. They expect leaders to be socially conscious and accountable. For them, effective leadership is about leveraging technology to streamline processes while creating an inclusive and equitable environment.
• The Alpha Generation (2013 and Beyond):
  Though still emerging, the Alpha generation is expected to redefine leadership by blending emotional intelligence with technological prowess. Leaders from this generation will likely prioritize sustainability, innovation, and the global impact of their decisions, drawing from the digital-first world they were born into, but the negative side they will be less emotional and empathic

The Unchanging Core of Leadership

Despite the differences, one common thread connects these generations: empathy and core values.

Empathy allows leaders to understand and address the needs of their team members, fostering trust and collaboration.

Core values like integrity, fairness, and respect remain the bedrock of effective leadership, ensuring a positive and ethical workplace.

Leadership in Practice

A great leader is not just someone with a title or authority. While managers assign tasks and oversee operations, true leaders inspire, support, and innovate.

They lead by example, earning the trust and admiration of their teams. A leader cultivates an environment where employees feel empowered to grow and contribute to organizational goals.

Developing Leadership Skills for the Future

While some may possess natural leadership qualities, these traits can also be developed and honed. In today’s evolving world, countless in-person and online resources can help individuals adapt their leadership style to align with their professional and generational context.

As we move toward 2025, successful leaders will be those who recognize and embrace the generational nuances of leadership while staying rooted in empathy and core values. By understanding the unique traits of each generation, leaders can build stronger, more cohesive teams and ensure their organization thrives in an ever-changing world.

The latter designation is often reserved for those who display a certain set of attributes in addition to practical business skills. These principles of business ethics and management qualities are in high demand and for a good reason too.

While some leaders are born with these qualities, others may need to cultivate them. But this is not a hard thing to do anymore.

There are various courses available to attend in-person or online, which can help you develop leadership and management skills suitable for your profession.

Courses like Certificate IV in Leadership and Management are expertly designed for individuals looking to develop their role as an emerging leader in a range of enterprises and industries.

Such beginner courses are a great starting point for aspiring leaders, while existing managers can benefit from more advanced courses to develop critical business strategies.

But wherever you are on the corporate leadership ladder, every leader should possess the following skills to formulate successful business approaches:

Implement integrity

Integrity is a good quality to have in any given situation, but when you shoulder the burden of leading others as a team, people want someone they can always count on.

Followers look for a leader who delivers on their word and never makes a promise they can’t keep.

Anyone in a position of authority who doesn’t follow through on their commitments invites others in the team to do the same.

But integrity counters this effect and brings forth consistency in all areas of actions, methods, values, principles, measures, expectations, and outcomes.

It shows a leader’s commitment to doing the right thing for the right reason, regardless of the circumstances.

When leaders establish a set of sound ethics policies and integrate them into all business processes, it becomes important for them to live by the same policies. Otherwise, they cannot hope to be effective leaders.

Communicate effectively

To get the most out of their teams, leaders need to communicate their goals and expectations well.

A good leader ensures that everyone knows what their role is and explains the expectations for that role.

When people have clear goals and expectations to follow, they are kept engaged in the job with something to work towards.

Effective communication encourages employee engagement, which helps inspire a higher level of quality and productivity from employees.

Engaged employees do not hesitate to take the initiative and are willing to work overtime without being asked. They will go above and beyond not just for a paycheque but because they are invested in the organization’s success.

Be decisive

It’s hard to envision successful leaders looking unsure and unclear. Instead, good leaders know how to move quickly and proceed with the available information rather than take more time and gather additional information.

People often want to consider every possible alternative, thinking that they will have better choices and make the best decision. Sometimes, this exhaustive search is a way to resolve uncertainty on the assumption that if you go through everything, there will be no uncertainty.

However, when you’re presented with too many scenarios, you have a harder time deciding, and a lack of decisiveness often leads to missed opportunities.

Exceptional leaders often go with their gut when making decisions. They can trust themselves and their expertise without getting stuck in the cycle of overthinking.

The more they know about a subject, the more reliable their intuition becomes, and the easier it becomes to decide.

Motivate and Inspire

Being proficient at motivating employees is, without a doubt, a true measure of a leader’s success.

Motivation is important because it allows a leader to meet and even exceed their own organizational goals.

In fact, motivation plays a critical role in employee productivity, quality, and speed of work.

However, it is important to distinguish between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation.

Extrinsic motivation means that individuals focus on an external incentive, such as receiving a reward or avoiding a penalty.

For instance, if an employee surpasses their sales quota, they may earn a bonus in turn. But, if they miss the sales quota repeatedly, their contract may be terminated.

Intrinsic motivation, on the other hand, motivates employees to improve performance because it’s personally rewarding.

Employees work on a project for its own sake instead of being driven by an external reward.

In another example, please look at an employee who stays behind to complete a task because they find it enjoyable and interesting.

Since both types are equally important and should align with each other, good leaders focus on creating a work environment that is intrinsically gratifying and extrinsically rewarding.

Be confident

Another cornerstone of leadership and management skills is confidence.

Someone in a position of authority with all the technical qualifications for the job but lacking confidence will find it difficult to lead others.

Employees like working with leaders who are sure of themselves as there’s a tendency to trust people who appear confident.

Oftentimes, working with a confident individual assures others that the individual is also competent.

Confidence also ties into the other basics of leadership and management essentials such as decision making, conflict resolution, and delegation.

Solve problems effectively

Conflicts are inevitable, and a person-in-charge’s conflict-handling skills can make them more effective as a leader. When leaders are proficient at conflict resolution, they can see conflict as an opportunity to bring forth any hidden or lingering issues within the organization.

Effective conflict resolution helps increase understanding among employees while boosting both self-awareness and empathy. Those working with successful leaders able to resolve conflict usually find that instead of being alienated from one another, they can perform more cohesively than before.

But when mishandled, conflicts can be damaging. Conflicts can quickly turn into personal dislike, breaking down teamwork and wasting company time and talent as employees disengage from their work and leave.

A leader’s problem-solving potential can demonstrate that despite differences, different employees can work alongside each other and helps develop mutual respect. Also, effective conflict resolution helps individuals re-examine expectations and goals and better understand others’ perspectives.

Delegate purposefully

Delegation is a careful process where the purpose is to get the job done according to company standards.

Ultimately, the best leaders aren’t the nicest or the toughest, but those who get things done and have tangible results to show.

To delegate effectively, leaders first need to know what to delegate.

This means being specific and identifying and listing responsibilities that need to be assigned clearly.

It also implies matching projects to staff members appropriately.

Determining which assignments would best suit each employee requires an understanding of the skills and knowledge of the staff and co-workers. It’s also a good idea to offer projects you know employees will enjoy as they will be more enthusiastic about taking on an assignment if it’s something they like to do.

But successful delegation doesn’t stop after assigning a project.

It’s equally important to follow up on your employees’ progress to see if they need any additional assistance or guidance. And finally, thanking someone for a job well done is just as important as delegating effectively.

Stay relevant

Enrolling in leadership and management courses is an excellent way to stay relevant in your field or industry.

Leaders nowadays have a wide choice of learning opportunities to avail everything from part-time courses to online classes.

Online colleges and institutes offer acclaimed courses like certificate IV in leadership and management online so that busy individuals can learn at a time and pace that suits them best.

Other ways to learn include coaching to build leadership skills, structured learning, and workshops to share tools and experiences within a team and shared 360 assessments.

Coaching helps leaders at all levels to unlock their potential to maximize performance; workshops are great for sharing skills and expectations, while assessments let leaders get feedback on their own leadership.

Continuous learning has the most impact when a combination of activities and learning experiences are implemented over time. Leaders who avail of these find themselves having a competitive advantage over others who don’t.