What qualities do you think make a good leader (not necessarily political)? What makes somebody a bad leader, in your opinion?
Someone who communicates well with their team. Understands the needs of others. Is respectful of feelings, but firm when need be. Is competent at their job. Has the ability to make difficult decisions. Can accept criticism. Can mix being a friend with being an authoritative figure. Is approachable. A bad leader I'd say is someone who is the opposite, or lacks most, if not all of the above. For example, I've had a manager who was very good at their administrative duties, but certainly wasn't a people person. They were ok with customers but treated new staff really poorly. They were patronising. They reprimanded you if you did something that wasn't exact to how they wanted it done. They disliked being made aware of their own failings. They got other members of staff to do work that they should be doing, such as getting them to help out with banking and finances. Most of all, they certainly weren't approachable. On the other hand, I've had a manager who was a real people person. You could approach them and ask them all kinds of questions even if the answer was really obvious. They always made time for you even if they were busy. They were tactful about how they approached letting you know you did wrong. They were hard at their job. They never asked you do tasks that weren't part of your job description. They recognised and understood the needs of others. They really took care with new staff members and trained them really well.
