5 Traits the Best Leaders Have

whenI have had the opportunity to work under a variety of leaders. Serving under some leaders was pure joy, while serving under others was pure agony!

OK, that’s a tad dramatic, a little black and white, but there’s no denying that your leader has a whole lot to do with how you feel about your work, not to mention the quality and creativity of your work.

Leaders have the ability to inspire their people to go above and beyond. And leaders have the power to inhibit what the team is capable of!

What I’ve Experienced

Early on, I worked with a wonderful leader that I truly appreciated.  She had a knack for drawing out the best in me. She noticed my strengths and expressed great faith in my abilities which gave me the confidence I needed to take on new and significant challenges.

I also knew she had my back. She was a superb delegator and gave me numerous opportunities to stretch my skills and expertise. She listened when I had a differing perspective. And she never hesitated to give positive feedback!

I’ve also worked with leaders who were utterly resistant to delegating and a few who over-delegated by passing on responsibilities that were really their own.

What about the leaders who struggle to handle the messy stuff or confront issues?  Or leaders who aren’t able to clearly articulate what they want or let you know where you stand? Excelling under a leader like that is hard.

I bet you’ve experienced your own positive and negative leaders – and most likely some in-between. After all, there are no perfect leaders!

Leading well is an art! It requires skill. Whether you simply leading yourself, a team, organization, or business, leading effectively doesn’t just happen! There will be sticky situations and problems without clear answers to be navigated.

Leading keeps you on your toes!

The Best Leaders

I’ve noticed that the very best leaders all have some things in common. They possess the ability to:

1. Attract People With Potential

That’s what the gal I mentioned above saw in me: potential. She was able to zero in on my strengths and provide opportunities for me to put those to use. I know for myself, being able to use my strengths and skills is exciting and makes work that much more satisfying.

As a leader, how are you serving those who serve under you? Have you tuned into their “super powers” and created ways for them put them to use?

The bonus is that when your people are able to do what they do best, it makes work a more positive experience for them; it’s a benefit to you, and your organization.

Are you actively on the lookout for people with potential and ways to ignite their super powers?

2. Motivate People Successfully

The leader doesn’t have to have all the answers. In fact, when leaders act like they do have all the answers, it’s an energy deflator for the team.

It’s possible to be an amazing leader without having the experience that the others on the team have. In fact, when leaders rise through the ranks and oversee people in roles they previously had, it’s more tempting to micro-manage or jump in and get things done “right” (aka the way they did it). Both have a discouraging effect on those they lead.

However, when a leader highlights the issues and invites input, it’s highly motivating for the team, not to mention it increases buy in! That’s what the leader I mentioned previously did with me.

When a leader asks provocative questions and offers opportunities for the team members to take on challenges that are a bit beyond them, generates excitement and encourages people to grow.

How might you ask better questions and stretch your people?

3. Provide the Opportunity to Discover

It’s hard to thrive and grow working in an environment where you are punished for making mistakes or where you don’t have a voice.

Great leaders view mistakes as a springboard for learning. They also listen, really listen, and talk less when interacting with their team. Exceptional leaders also set appropriate expectations, clearly communicate those expectations, and regularly follow up with helpful feedback.

When a leader recognizes their own mistakes, owns them, and is willing to admit them to those they lead it enables their people to follow suit. That takes strength of character!

How are you handling your mistakes? What is your response when your people make mistakes? How are you encouraging them to learn and grow?

4. Encourage Debate

You might be surprised by this one! Remember debating isn’t the same thing as conflict. A debate is about thoroughly exploring an issue from all angles – both the pros and cons. By encouraging friendly debate on issues it draws out superior thoughts and ideas than if you, the leader, simply make a decision. Granted, this takes more time, however, it ultimately enables you to arrive at better conclusions and create ownership at the same time.

The key: be sure you are debating the right question!

What issue is on the radar for you right now? How might you spark a debate to help you and your team arrive at a better solution?

5. Actively Invest

Great leaders invest in their people! They provide their people with the resources needed: training, coaching, or back up. This allows leaders to relinquish ownership to the team, or to a team member, so the leader is able to devote their energy to what only they can do.

The bonus: when you invest in your people, offer them autonomy, it is more natural to hold them accountable.

How are you investing in your people? What level of ownership do they have? How are you following up and holding them accountable?

Too often it’s the leader that’s slacking when results are lacking!

Invest in your people and hand responsibilities off and don’t take them back. Allow them to walk out the consequences – it’s a great teacher!

“Leaders” Are Everywhere

Yes! Everywhere! To be a true leader, you don’t even need a title!

Leaders don’t intentionally set out to be poor leaders. In fact, they often have the very best of intentions, but hold their people back in unfortunate ways.

Becoming the leader I described above takes time and practice. It requires self-awareness and emotional intelligence, plus a willingness to be open minded and intentional.

Working with a coach is a wonderful way to speed up the process of growing and becoming a leader others would put in the “best leader” category. A coach is able to help you zero in on the areas that need to change, expose blind spots that are limiting your effectiveness, and highlight the skills in need of being developed.

I’m so thankful I experienced a leader in the “best category” early on. She was a wonderful role model early on!

For more on some common mistakes leaders make, check out this post.

How will you become the leader you need to be?

The concepts shared here are inspired by Liz Wiseman’s ideas described in the New York Times bestseller: Multipliers – How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter. It’s a read worthy of your time!