Being an effective leader is something that just comes naturally to some. Others have to work at it. The good news is, if you happen to have any of the five personality traits below, you may have some good material to work with. Let’s take a look at what key characteristics some of today’s top executive leaders possess and how you can hone your own traits to improve your own performance as well as that of your property management company.

Learning Agility

You didn’t get to where you are now without encountering a few challenges and life lessons along the way. What you do with those past experiences is what can ultimately determine the strength of your leadership today. The key is applying what you’ve learned to the situations and challenges you’re facing in the present. Executive leaders with this trait can easily adapt to changing environments and are able to apply fresh ideas, varied approaches and innovative solutions to new or unanticipated problems.

Relationship Building

One study conducted by the consulting company Navalent found that the ability to form “deep, trusting relationships” is the most “make it or break it” trait of successful executive leaders. You can apply this in your property management company by honing your emotional and social intelligence, willingly and actively soliciting feedback from others and learning to be vulnerable. This will foster trust and form the foundation of strong, lasting and meaningful workplace relationships.

Realistic Optimism

Leaders who maintain a positive outlook without getting too far ahead of themselves tend to be confident, yet neither delusional nor irrational about themselves or the world around them. They aren’t afraid to push the envelope and set lofty goals, but they always remain keenly aware of the challenges that lie ahead and the difficulties they may face along the way. That’s how you can achieve amazing breakthroughs within your property management company.

Humility

Many executive leaders get so caught up in being a hero – that is, knowing more or working harder than anyone else – that they lose sight of the end goal and end up missing the mark altogether. Others with this attitude may successfully achieve said goal, but will quickly discover that it’s pretty lonely at the top. Truly successful leaders recognize that their job is to draw people together and collaborate around a challenge or problem, engaging them and achieving results as a team.

Flexibility

Just because you happen to have the final say on decisions for your property management company doesn’t mean your opinion is the only one that matters. To the contrary, employees are far more productive in environments in which leadership demonstrates a willingness to listen and actively solicits the thoughts, feedback, ideas and suggestions of others. When workers feel that their opinions matter and that they’re a part of the big picture, they’ll be much more engaged.

Do you recognize any of the above personality traits in yourself or other leaders around you? If not, it may be time to make some changes. Honing the skills above can help your property management company run more smoothly, become more innovative and ultimately achieve greater success.