12 essential qualities of a great leader
Posted on: 19 February, 2025
What does it take to become a great leader in the built environment? Here are the traits and qualities of influential leaders, managers and mentors.
From supply chain disruptions and rising material costs to delays, shortages, and net zero pressures, the built environment is facing a number of major challenges.
With so many issues to navigate, the need for successful leadership has never been more apparent. But what makes a great leader, and what traits should businesses in the sector look for when it comes to filling leadership roles?
What makes a great leader?
Becoming a great leader in the built environment requires a number of traits, characteristics and skills, and all of these need to work in unison to develop effective leadership strategies.
Here are the 12 key qualities of what makes a great leader, manager or mentor:
1. Integrity
For any business, integrity can be the cornerstone of trust.
A leader with integrity is honest and works to create a foundation of trust across different teams, while always ensuring ethical decisions are made. Not only does this behaviour ensure a safer, happier and more fulfilling work environment for all, but it sets an example and encourages everyone to uphold similar values and principles.
With the construction industry being the most dangerous in the world, carrying the largest number of workplace injuries and deaths compared to other sectors, trust and transparency are paramount.
2. Passion
Another important characteristic for leaders in the built environment is passion. A passionate project leader can help to motivate construction teams by demonstrating enthusiasm and remaining engaged and proactive, even when challenges occur.
It’s vital for leaders to feel passionate about helping their teams achieve the end goal, and the most successful managers do this by leading by example and always going that extra mile.
3. Influence
Having influence – or the ability to empower others – is a quality that can turn creative ideas into reality. Anyone can be a leader, but to become an effective, inspiring leader, you need to have the ability to persuade others into your way of thinking, plus the ability to help others reach their potential.
What’s important to note is that there’s a big difference between influence and manipulation. Being influential is done authentically and transparently, and that means anyone in a leadership position must have a high level of emotional and social intelligence.
4. Vision
As a leader in the built environment, having vision is key. Vision is what helps businesses work towards a better, more profitable future. Without a vision, there’s no direction and any desire for growth and change. A construction manager who has a clear vision will be able to inspire employees and increase engagement, drive priorities forward and push projects over the line, while also meeting client goals and objectives and creating lasting partnerships.
5. Resilience
Being resilient to failure and setbacks is highly beneficial in the built environment. Leaders who are able to operate with resilience will find it easier to bounce back when construction projects come into issues.
Furthermore, practicing resilient leadership helps others maintain confidence and strength in the face of adversity. Your actions as a manager or mentor can inspire people to look for creative solutions, thinking outside of the box for challenges such as budget or time constraints.
6. Self-awareness
When it comes to understanding what characteristics make a great leader in our sector, self-awareness should always be included. For many businesses in the built environment, having self-aware project managers is the key to happier, more productive teams. Knowing one’s own strengths and weaknesses leads to continuous self-development, and it also allows you to delegate effectively.
It’s also important to be aware of how your own actions as a manager can impact others. This level of awareness ensures that staff are always supported, improving morale across the board and helping to increase employee satisfaction and retention.
7. Adaptability
To work under budget pressures and tight deadlines, construction companies must be able to adapt quickly when things change. Scope creep can be a major issue for construction projects, and when this happens, team leaders need to respond in a timely manner.
Adaptable leaders are flexible and open to new ideas, and this can be particularly useful in navigating complex environments. For instance, as digital transformation takes hold, leaders need to be champions of change.
8. Decision-making skills
There are multiple decisions to be made throughout any construction project, and a leader must be able to make these decisions confidently, even when goalposts or scope has changed. Reviewing decisions will require consideration of benefits and risks, as well as budget and time factors.
The built environment can be a fast-changing landscape, where projects come across roadblocks and barriers. Therefore, effective leaders must be able to evaluate alternative approaches and make informed decisions to align with both business and client goals.
9. Clear communication
One of the most common failures seen in the business world today is the lack of communication between different teams and departments. While this is problematic in every industry, clear communication can be even more of a challenge in the built environment due to working across multiple sites and the use of contractors.
In terms of building safety culture, what makes a great leader is excellent communication. This is because effective communication, both verbal and written, is paramount, so that clients, subcontractors, stakeholders and employees are on the same page when it comes to health and safety procedures.
10. Collaboration skills
The best leaders work well with others. Vision and passion only get you so far, especially if they can’t be translated or shared with the rest of the team. Social intelligence and emotional intelligence are the pillars of collaborating successfully, because knowing how to communicate and empathise with colleagues and clients is the key to working in harmony.
It’s also vital that anyone in leadership and management is able to relate to people from all walks of life, such as different social identities, and those with different experiences and backgrounds.
11. Accountability
Having people who are accountable for their actions is a powerful asset for change, growth and improvement. Accountable leaders are able to admit when they have made a mistake, and this sets a standard of responsibility for people to strive for. Learning from mistakes also allows for continuous development of processes, meaning better performance and improved services for clients.
More importantly though, accountability at the very top fosters a culture where workers take responsibility for their actions. This prevents toxic environments where teams are affected by a culture of blame.
12. Humility
Last but not least, what makes a great leader, manager or mentor in the built environment is humility. Often overlooked, humility is perhaps one of the most important leadership characteristics to have, particularly for businesses looking to create a supportive workplace culture. Humility allows those at the top to see past their own ego or the organisational hierarchy. Instead, it encourages managers to tap into the collective knowledge and expert skills of the wider team.
Leaders with this trait are often more approachable, leading to stronger relationships and increased trust between higher level and low-level employees.
How to be an effective leader
If you’re interested in management roles in the built environment, start by understanding what characteristics make a great leader and which of those you have already. If there are any gaps, this is the time to work on improving those skills.
Be honest with yourself and get to know your own strengths and weaknesses. One of the best ways of understanding which areas you may be lacking is by asking those around you. Create an open dialogue and ask other team members to provide you with feedback on your management style.
Once you have a clearer picture of how you measure up against the list of leadership qualities, you can focus on harnessing your strengths and taking actions to work on your weaknesses. For instance, if you receive feedback about being a poor communicator, ask what could be done to help improve your communication skills and take these suggestions on board.
When it comes to taking on feedback, remember to always affirm with actions. Focus on following up where appropriate and develop a plan of action to implement any necessary changes. You may also find it useful to ask more questions, and to do so more frequently. The best communicators know how to listen to others, so it will work to your advantage to have strong active listening skills.
Remember, leadership is a learned skill
While some people are born with the natural ability to lead, most of us need to work hard to develop or hone these skills. Leadership is a skill that can be learned, so if you don’t have all of the qualities mentioned on the list, it’s still possible to climb the ladder in construction and get your dream management role.
Even more important to note is that great leadership requires continuous improvement, meaning you need to be ready to learn new skills or new ways of working throughout your career. As long as you have a willingness to learn, and are open to feedback from those around you, you’ll have the tools to become an influential leader.
