94 Powerful Leadership Adjectives That Impress Hiring Managers

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Leadership adjectives are words you can use on your resume to describe your motivational and supervisory skills. These key terms can be a great way to sell your experience to hiring managers and convince them that you would be a great fit for a leadership position. We spoke with executive life coach Guy Reichard and certified career, leadership and happiness coach Manuela Pauer to learn the qualities of great leaders and how you can become one yourself. Keep reading for more!

1. 

   Empowerment The greatest leaders instill confidence in their team and inspire them to feel in control of their responsibilities and future. Using “empowerment” to describe your past accomplishments can emphasize your experiences helping your team members learn, grow, and improve.[1]

   • “Empowered employees to meet weekly targets by implementing a new performance tracking system, resulting in a 60% increase in production.”
   • “I empowered my team to establish and run a successful outreach program, which raised $1 million and helped more than 200 children and teenagers in the community.”

2. Passionate Good leaders tend to have (and show) a lot of positive feelings about their work, which motivates them to persevere through difficult times and inspire others to do their best. For hiring managers, using this phrase can be a good way to show that you really love what you do and that you will invest that energy in your success.[2]

   • “Passionate self-starter with a love of solving complex problems and years of experience developing self-stacking software.”
   • “I am a passionate marketer who loves to create compelling campaigns that resonate and inspire audiences around the world.”

3. Determined Quick and confident decision-making is one of the best qualities a leader can have, which is why the word “decisive” can be useful on a resume. While some leaders may constantly put the problem on the back burner, good leaders follow suit and don’t freeze in limbo when a decision needs to be made.[3]

   • “As a project manager with over 10 years of experience leading others, I am known for making decisive decisions under pressure that drive revenue growth.”
   • “When our ratings dropped, I decisively implemented new marketing strategies that increased our monthly revenue by 35% in just three months.”

4. Compassionate To become a powerful leader, Reichard says you need to “lead with all your heart, with deep love, care, compassion, honesty, courage, and bravery.” Adding the word “compassionate” to your resume can show hiring managers that you not only have the skills to be a leader, but you also have a heart.

   • “As a compassionate sales strategist, I excel at solving customer needs and fostering collaboration among my team members.”
   • “I am a compassionate team leader with a track record of creating a positive work environment that prioritizes productivity, communication and collaboration.”

5. Responsible A responsible leader not only takes full responsibility for his actions, but is willing to give others a satisfactory explanation for them.[4]
   Adding “responsibility” to your resume highlights your experience in making informed decisions that benefit the team and the company as a whole.

   • “In my previous position I was responsible for managing 20 team members to produce high quality products.”
   • “I held myself and my team members accountable for meeting monthly goals, which improved sales by 28%.”

6. Flexible In an ever-changing world, flexibility is an important trait for leaders because it shows that they can easily change gears to suit any situation. Words like “flexible” can show that you adapt quickly to new technology or rules and that you think of change as an opportunity for growth.[5]

   • “I am a flexible manager with years of experience. In my last role, I oversaw a company-wide shift to develop a new product and expand our target customer market by 32%.”
   • “As a flexible leader, I developed and managed our onboarding practices to incorporate new technologies, reducing the projected implementation time by 2 months.”

7. Careful Mindful leaders are constantly aware of their surroundings and listen to their team, understanding the strengths, weaknesses and motivations of each member.[6]
   As a result, hiring managers typically look for a candidate who takes the time to look at the working conditions of their employees and takes steps to solve their problems.

   • “Experienced and thoughtful senior program manager who increased new hire retention by 8% by improving communication and implementing a new onboarding process.”
   • “I am a thoughtful and dedicated support manager who has raised employee engagement from 68% to 80% by identifying and implementing new team bonding initiatives.”

8. Accessible Team members of great leaders can feel like they can turn to them with any problem because they know their leader will work with them to find a solution. They know they won’t be punished for speaking their minds, and their leader knows their team has valuable insights that can improve the workplace for everyone.[7]

   • “As a team leader for nearly 15 years, I developed an open-door policy to appear more approachable, which increased productivity.”
   • “As a dedicated, approachable leader with more than 30 years of management experience, I held open office meetings once a week to encourage team members to share their opinions.”

9. Honest, virtuous Great leaders are transparent about company goals and actions with their employees, which can result in a more collaborative work environment that gives everyone the resources they need.[8]
   Ethical language like “honest” can make it clear to hiring managers that you’re a person of high character who doesn’t cut corners to get ahead.[9]

   • “As an honest and ethical CEO, I am committed to helping Longevity Enterprises achieve its financial goals, serve its customers well and contribute to its mission.”
   • “Extremely organized, honest and results-oriented manager with 8 years of experience in managing projects and mentoring teams from 10 to 35 employees.”

10. Delegative Delegation, or the sharing of tasks with team members, is a key leadership skill that can be difficult to put into practice. Words like “delegate” can convey that you play to your team members’ strengths and goals, provide the right resources they need to succeed, and embrace failure as an opportunity to learn and grow.[10]

    • “Managed and delegated responsibilities to 10 team members, monitored their progress and provided feedback to help them improve.”
    • “Effectively delegating tasks to employees based on their abilities and skills, ensuring efficient and timely completion of each project’s objectives.”

1. 

   Supports, facilitates and motivates others Leadership is not only about seeking one’s own success – it is about wanting others to succeed and helping them to do so. Effective leaders are not afraid to take the spotlight off themselves and make their team members feel important and heard.[13]

   • For example, an effective leader can make sure that his team members are not punished for telling the truth or taking risks and instead verbally encourage such behavior.[14]
   • They also respect people at all levels in the company and embrace opportunities to mentor and develop the skills of emerging leaders.[15]

2. It shows attentiveness and self-awareness Knowing yourself – your biases, dreams and experiences – can lead to better decision-making and a greater ability to influence the outcomes of those decisions. Great leaders are authentic about who they are and see their own self-development as a continuous process.[16]

   • To improve his own self-awareness, a leader might write in a journal, practice meditation, and regularly seek feedback on his performance from others.
   • However, great leaders also know they’re not the smartest people in the room and surround themselves with people who aren’t afraid to challenge company rules and customs.[17]

3. Creates and communicates a clear vision Highly effective leaders create a clear vision of the company’s path and connect it to the motives and mission of the company.[18]
   By establishing a vision and rallying their team around a common purpose, great leaders reduce uncertainty and ensure focus and clarity in the workspace.[19]

   • The CEO of a T-shirt company might envision a way to get their products into stores across the country, and every action or decision they make helps make that vision a reality.
   • At the same time, the CEO constantly communicates to his employees where he sees the company and uses this to inspire them to work harder.

4. Able to innovate and encourage innovation According to a survey conducted by XBInsight, creative and innovative leaders are more likely to effectively manage risk, lead boldly and seize opportunities, all while maintaining a strategic business plan. They also tend to create an environment where others feel free to share their own ideas.[20]

   • For example, a good leader can organize an open meeting to discuss the current workflow system and ask team members how to improve it.
   • A good leader can also inspire his team members to create solutions to the problems that are brought to them.
   • Innovative leaders also know that there is always a better way to do things and are constantly striving to improve working conditions and increase productivity.[21]

5. Respects others and is open to new ways of growth You may have heard the “golden rule” – “treat people the way you want to be treated”. This also applies in the office. Knowing who you are, being open to changing your methods, and wanting to treat others well are qualities that allow you to direct and lead your team members, who will help you build success.[22]

6. Curious, sincere and lifelong learners Strong leaders recognize that learning is a journey, not a destination. They find joy in finding new ways of doing things, are open to different perspectives and admit that they don’t have all the answers. This not only leads to better business dynamics, but also to a better relationship with the team.[23]

   • One study found that curiosity is associated with higher levels of positive emotions, lower anxiety, greater life satisfaction, and greater psychological well-being.[24]

7. Get in on the action Although it may seem like it, good leadership is not about setting yourself above others and staying out of conflict. It’s about taking action, talking regularly with team members, making decisions and constantly finding ways to help.[25]

   • For example, an active leader may keep his office door open so he can help when needed.

Categories: How to
Source: HIS Education