Leadership Skills vs Traits

Leadership skills and traits – what are they, and how are they different? Although the terms ‘leadership skills’ and ‘leadership traits’ are often used interchangeably, they are pretty different. One refers to the ability to perform a task and do it well, while the other relates to qualities and characteristics. Yet, both help drive a team towards a shared goal.

However, every aspiring leader needs to understand a couple of fundamental differences between these two concepts. So, let’s explore them in detail.

Leadership skills are a set of individual competencies that, when applied, contribute to developing and implementing practical strategies for achieving a goal.

There are many leadership skills involved in leading a team. Below we have listed five examples:

Strategic thinking – Leaders who think strategically can help an organisation grow to the next level or successfully navigate a period of change.

Delegation – Assigning work to others shows a leader’s confidence in their team, building trust and helping individuals develop their own skill sets. 

Flexibility – Flexible leaders adapt to change and are open to pivoting or revising their plans when circumstances call for new ideas.

Active listening – Acknowledging someone fully and respectfully when speaking shows genuine care and helps resolve conflict.

Problem-solving – An essential element of leadership is to pre-empt problems to minimise their occurrence and to deal with issues when they arise.

Leadership traits are personal qualities that define influential and effective leaders. They are personal attributes, character, and spirit which contribute to individual effectiveness.

There are many characteristics and qualities that have been identified as making up a good leader. Whether you’ve been put in charge of a small group or even a whole company, being able to develop these traits can be extremely useful.

Here are five examples of core leadership traits that help make a good leader:

Dependability – If you possess the leadership trait of dependability, you are accountable, reliable and consistent in your approach.

Positivity – A positive leader is optimistic and helps lift morale, seeing new possibilities and inspiring others through their positive example.

Charisma – Having charisma means being charming and persuasive in how you communicate, to bring others around to your way of thinking.

Determination – Having a plan for success and the passion and motivation to achieve your objectives is a crucial trait that drives leaders towards their goals.

Perseverance – Staying steady and persisting during challenging times helps leaders guide teams to success while setting an inspiring example.

When it comes to leadership, which are more important: skills or traits? The answer is that it just isn’t that clear cut. In fact, it can be helpful to possess a good mix of the two.

Global leaders, when asked what leadership requires, replied with a combination of skills and qualities, from having high moral standards to communicating often and openly, which highlights the importance of a rounded leader with both the inherent personality traits to lead and the skills to put those qualities into practice.

What about when the lines between leadership skills vs traits begin to blur? Some leadership skills and traits overlap, for example, integrity and empathy.

Having integrity is being principled and of upstanding character, and while some people have integrity from a young age, others develop the trait later on in life.

Displaying integrity is where the confusion comes into play regarding leadership skills vs traits. As a leader, having integrity means making choices and taking action in the best interests of the team or the wider organisation. Although integrity is a trait, it could be viewed as a leadership skill when being put into practice.

Meanwhile, empathy can be categorised as both a leadership skill and a trait, and as such, it can be developed over time. Being understanding and compassionate shows humanity and can help build relationships inside and outside of work. In interdependent situations, such as within a team, each person’s reliance on others to achieve goals and provide support helps foster empathy.

If you’d like to discuss how we can help your team to develop their leadership skills and traits, arrange your free discovery call today. We’d love to hear from you!

Originally published 14th October 2020. Last updated 2nd September 2022.