Qualities of Good and Great Leaders

Leaders play a pivotal role in shaping teams, organizations, communities, and even entire societies^[3]. In the business world, effective leadership is often the backbone of success, influencing everything from strategic planning to workplace culture^[4]. By articulating a clear vision and uniting people around common goals, good leaders create an environment conducive to innovation and high performance^[4]. Conversely, poor leadership can be disastrous: research by Gallup found that 24% of employees are actively disengaged due to poor management, leading to lower productivity and higher turnover^[5]. It is no surprise that organizations with strong, principled leadership tend to retain talent, satisfy customers, and outperform their peers^[5][6]. Understanding what qualities make a leader "good" or even "great" is therefore of critical importance.

But what exactly is leadership? One widely cited definition is that leadership is "a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal."^[7] In essence, leadership is fundamentally about influence – the ability to guide and inspire others toward effective action^[8]. This goes beyond the authority of a job title; true leadership involves winning hearts and minds such that followers willingly work toward shared objectives. Good leaders take responsibility for setting direction and motivating others, not through coercion, but through vision, example, and social influence^[8][9]. As leadership expert John Maxwell famously stated, "leadership is influence – nothing more, nothing less." The qualities of a great leader, therefore, are those personal attributes and skills that enable a person to influence others ethically and effectively in pursuit of positive outcomes.

Over the past century, scholars have sought to identify the key traits and behaviors that distinguish effective leaders. Early theories (the so-called "Great Man" theories) assumed that leadership was an innate quality – that great leaders are born, not made^[10]. This trait-based approach produced long lists of attributes (height, intelligence, charisma, etc.), yet initial research yielded inconsistent results and skepticism. In a seminal 1948 review, Ralph Stogdill concluded that there was "no single trait" that guaranteed leadership success, noting that effective leadership depends on a constellation of traits and the fit with situational demands^[11]. This shifted focus toward behaviors and situational factors. Mid-20th-century research at Ohio State and Michigan identified key leadership behaviors along two dimensions: task-oriented behaviors (like setting goals and clarifying roles) and people-oriented behaviors (like showing consideration and support). The rise of contingency theories (e.g. Fiedler's model) further emphasized that the effectiveness of a leadership style depends on context – factors such as team maturity, the nature of the task, or organizational culture.

Modern approaches to leadership have built upon these earlier insights to present a more integrative picture. Contemporary research recognizes that traits, behaviors, and context all matter in producing great leadership^[12][13]. Certain enduring personal traits (like integrity or drive) set the foundation, but leaders must also enact effective behaviors (communicating clearly, motivating others) and adapt to situational needs. Notably, a 2002 meta-analysis using the Five-Factor Model of personality found that traits such as high extraversion, high conscientiousness, high openness to experience, low neuroticism (emotional stability), and to a lesser extent agreeableness, all showed significant correlations with leadership emergence and effectiveness^[14]. In fact, extraversion emerged as the most consistent trait of effective leaders across studies, followed by conscientiousness and openness^[14]. This evidence reaffirmed that traits do contribute to leadership success, even as skill development and situational savvy remain crucial.

In parallel, new leadership models and styles have gained prominence, each highlighting different qualities of great leaders. Influential frameworks such as transformational leadership, transactional leadership, servant leadership, authentic leadership, and others offer lenses for understanding how leaders operate and the values they emphasize. For instance, some great leaders transform their organizations through inspirational vision and change (transformational leaders), while others excel through concrete exchanges and performance management (transactional leaders) – and the best often combine elements of both^[15][16]. Some lead through selfless service and empathy (servant leaders), or through genuine integrity and transparency (authentic leaders). By examining these models, we can see the diverse pathways through which leadership excellence is achieved.

This report provides a comprehensive exploration of the qualities of good and great leaders, with a primary focus on business leadership (while also drawing examples from other domains). We will review major leadership models – including transformational, transactional, and servant leadership, among others – and distill the essential qualities that research and experience show are characteristic of effective leaders. These qualities range from personal integrity and emotional intelligence to visionary thinking and decisiveness. Both historical examples and contemporary studies are used to illustrate how these traits manifest in practice. The emphasis will be on academic research findings (from leadership science and management studies), with additional insights and anecdotes from business experts and thought leaders to add color. Ultimately, great leadership is multi-faceted: it involves who a leader is (character and traits), what a leader does (skills and behaviors), and how a leader inspires and guides others (style and influence).

Leadership Theories and Models: From Transactional to Transformational (and Beyond)

Before focusing on individual qualities, it is useful to understand some of the prominent leadership models and styles identified in leadership theory. These models provide context for how great leaders operate and highlight certain qualities in action. Below, we overview several key leadership frameworks – transformational, transactional, servant, and authentic leadership – as well as other style distinctions (like autocratic vs. democratic leadership). Understanding these will help clarify why certain qualities (vision, integrity, empathy, etc.) are so critical.

Transformational Leadership

One of the most studied models in recent decades is transformational leadership, originally conceptualized by James MacGregor Burns (1978) and later expanded by Bernard Bass. Transformational leadership refers to a style in which leaders transform their followers' attitudes, beliefs, and performance by inspiring them with a compelling vision and engaging them on an emotional and moral level^[17][18]. Transformational leaders move people beyond self-interest, aligning them with a higher purpose or mission that transcends short-term goals^[18]. In Burns' words, "[Transforming leadership] occurs when leaders and followers raise one another to higher levels of motivation and morality", in contrast to more transactional exchanges^[19][20].

Bass's formulation of transformational leadership delineates four components, often called the "4 I's"^[21][22]:

Idealized Influence (Charisma): The leader acts as an admirable role model, earning respect, trust, and emulation from followers. Transformational leaders demonstrate conviction, take stands based on values, and instill pride – essentially leading by example in a way that followers find inspiring^[23]. This corresponds to the leader's integrity and moral courage, fostering deep trust. (This aspect overlaps with the notion of charismatic leadership, which emphasizes the leader's personal magnetism and confidence in inspiring others).
Inspirational Motivation: The leader articulates an appealing and optimistic vision of the future that motivates and energizes followers^[24]. High standards are set and communicated with enthusiasm. By providing meaning and challenge, the leader taps into followers' hopes and ideals. A transformational business leader, for example, might rally employees around the vision of revolutionizing an industry or "making a dent in the universe," as Steve Jobs famously aspired. Visionary communication skills are key here – the ability to craft and convey a clear, uplifting mission. Followers of such leaders often feel a strong sense of purpose and optimism about achieving collective goals^[25][22].
Intellectual Stimulation: Transformational leaders challenge assumptions, solicit new ideas, and encourage creativity and innovation among followers^[26]. They stimulate people to think independently and approach problems from fresh angles. Instead of dictating all the answers, the leader questions the status quo and supports experimentation and learning. This quality requires openness to ideas and a willingness to take risks, creating an environment where trying new approaches (and even failing occasionally) is acceptable in pursuit of improvement^[27][28]. By valuing intellectual contributions, the leader brings out the ingenuity of the team.
Individualized Consideration: The leader attends to each follower's needs for achievement and growth, acting as a mentor or coach^[29]. Transformational leaders get to know their people, listen to their concerns, and provide personalized support and encouragement. This one-on-one focus builds strong relationships and helps followers develop their potential. It reflects the leader's empathy, care, and investment in others' success – qualities we will later see are hallmarks of servant leadership as well. Through individualized consideration, followers feel valued and are more likely to go above and beyond in their roles.

Numerous studies have linked transformational leadership with positive outcomes in organizations. For instance, a comprehensive meta-analysis by Judge and Piccolo (2004) found that transformational leadership showed an overall validity of r ≈ 0.44 with desired criteria (such as subordinate job satisfaction, leader effectiveness, and organizational performance) across many studies^[30][31]. This indicates a substantial positive impact. Transformational leaders tend to foster higher employee engagement, extra effort, and creativity. They also build cultures of trust and loyalty. It is worth noting that transformational leadership often correlates highly with one component of transactional leadership – contingent reward behavior (discussed below) – suggesting that effective leaders use both inspiration and fair exchanges in tandem^[16][32]. Nonetheless, it is the transformational leader's visionary and motivating qualities that typically set "great" leaders apart, especially when major change or innovation is needed.

Historical/Business Example: Nelson Mandela is frequently cited as an exemplar of transformational leadership in a political context, as he inspired a nation toward reconciliation with a powerful vision of a multiracial democracy. In business, Satya Nadella's leadership at Microsoft (beginning 2014) is often described as transformational – he articulated a new vision ("mobile-first, cloud-first" strategy and a culture of empathy and learning), ignited innovation in a previously stagnant company, and treated employees as partners in change. Under his guidance, Microsoft saw a cultural renewal and a surge in performance, suggesting the tangible effects of a leader who combined idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration.

Transactional Leadership

In contrast to the lofty aspirations of transformational leadership, transactional leadership is a style grounded in practical exchanges between leader and followers. A transactional leader views the leader–follower relationship as a kind of contract: the leader sets clear goals and expectations and provides rewards (or punishments) based on performance outcomes^[33][34]. This approach is summed up by the principle, "You do this for me, and I'll give you that in return." Transactional leadership focuses on maintaining the normal flow of operations – keeping the organization running smoothly – rather than driving dramatic change. It is oriented toward short-term results, efficiency, and compliance with established rules and goals^[20][35].

Burns (1978) defined transactional leadership as occurring when one person "takes the initiative in making contact with others for the purpose of an exchange of valued things" – for example, jobs for votes, or pay for performance^[36]. In such transactions, each party is pursuing their own interests but find it mutually beneficial to cooperate to reach their immediate aims^[37]. There is no higher purpose binding leader and follower together beyond this exchange; once the transaction is complete or the contract ends, the relationship need not continue^[37]. In Burns' view, transactional leadership is more common and mundane, whereas transformational leadership is more rare and impactful in changing the game^[17][19].

The characteristics of transactional leadership are typically described in two main elements^[34][38]:

Contingent Reward: The leader establishes expectations and goals, and links achievement of those to concrete rewards^[34][38]. Essentially, the leader says, "If you meet the target, you will receive X reward; if you don't, Y consequence follows." Rewards can be financial (bonuses, raises), recognition, promotions, or other benefits. This approach can be motivating for followers who are driven by extrinsic rewards – it provides clarity about what is required and what they will get for delivering. It relies on the leader's ability to set fair goals and deliver promised rewards or feedback. Contingent reward leadership has been associated with improved follower performance and is considered an effective aspect of transactional leadership when used properly^[39][16]. In fact, as noted earlier, contingent reward behaviors often complement transformational leadership – the best leaders inspire followers and ensure they are rewarded for their efforts.
Management-by-Exception: The leader monitors for deviations and mistakes, and intervenes to correct them only when necessary^[34][38]. In active management-by-exception, the leader continuously watches performance and takes corrective action at the earliest sign of problems. In passive management-by-exception, the leader waits until issues become serious or standards are not met before stepping in^[40]. Either way, the focus is on maintaining the status quo and ensuring that procedures are followed. The adage "no news is good news" applies – followers typically only hear from the leader when something is wrong. This style can be efficient in stable environments or with skilled teams that need little oversight, but if overused in a passive form, it can also lead to neglect or slow response to issues.

Transactional leadership, being more by-the-book, may not be glamorous or deeply inspiring, but it is effective in many routine management situations. Many business leaders employ transactional tactics to meet quarterly targets, manage sales teams through commissions, or enforce quality standards on a factory floor. When stability and reliable execution are top priorities, transactional qualities like clarity, consistency, and fairness in rewards can produce solid results. Indeed, contingent reward leadership was found to have a reasonably strong overall relationship with effectiveness (around r = 0.39) in the Judge & Piccolo meta-analysis^[30][39]. In some specific outcomes (like certain performance metrics), contingent rewards were as effective as or even more effective than transformational behaviors^[41][31].

However, transactional leadership alone has limitations. It typically does not encourage extra effort beyond the contract, nor does it foster innovation or change, since followers may do only what is required to get the reward. There is also an implicit assumption that people are primarily motivated by external rewards, which is not always true – intrinsic motivation and emotional commitment (cultivated more by transformational or servant leadership) often drive higher levels of creativity and performance. Moreover, a strictly transactional approach, if unmanaged, can breed a "what's in it for me?" culture that neglects teamwork and discretionary effort.

In practice, the most effective leaders blend transactional and transformational approaches. Bass argued that the best leaders are both: they reward and manage performance efficiently and they inspire followers with vision and personal influence^[15][42]. For example, a sales manager might use transactional methods (setting targets with bonus incentives) to drive results, but also use transformational leadership by rallying the team around a vision of being "the top service provider" and by mentoring underperformers individually. Research confirms that transformational and transactional contingent reward behaviors are not mutually exclusive but often go hand-in-hand in high-performing organizations^[16][43].

Servant Leadership

"Servant leadership" is a philosophy that turns the typical power hierarchy upside-down: the leader's primary role is to serve the needs of their followers and help them grow, rather than the followers serving the leader. This concept was introduced by Robert K. Greenleaf in the 1970s. Greenleaf described the servant-leader as someone who begins with a natural desire to serve first, then consciously chooses to lead as a way to better serve others, ensuring that the highest priority needs of followers are met^[44][45]. The best test of servant leadership, according to Greenleaf, is: "Do those served grow as persons? Do they become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, and more likely themselves to become servants?"^[44][46]. In other words, servant leaders foster the personal development and well-being of their people, and they strive to benefit the least privileged in society rather than simply advance their own or the organization's agenda^[44][46].

Servant leadership is strongly anchored in ethics, caring, and community. It has gained traction as an ideal in an era when authoritarian, top-down leadership is often viewed with skepticism. We are witnessing a shift in many businesses away from traditional autocratic models and toward more participative, service-oriented leadership approaches^[47][48]. Servant leaders share power, put the needs of others first, and help people develop and perform as highly as possible, thereby improving the organization's performance as a by-product of putting people first^[47][48]. This style resonates with the idea that taking care of employees and colleagues (through support, empowerment, and empathy) will ultimately lead to high loyalty, collaboration, and customer satisfaction – a principle sometimes summarized as "take care of your people and they will take care of the business."

Larry Spears, a former CEO of the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, distilled Greenleaf's writings into ten key characteristics of the servant-leader^[47][49]: listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people, and building community. Let's briefly explain these qualities:

Listening: Servant leaders genuinely listen to others' ideas, concerns, and needs. They have a deep commitment to understanding others through active listening, rather than just commanding or speaking.
Empathy: They strive to understand and share others' feelings. Even when tough decisions are made, servant leaders seek to appreciate others' perspectives and empathize with their experiences.
Healing: Servant leaders recognize the emotional health of their people and work to heal hurts and promote wholeness. This might mean helping someone recover from a setback, resolving conflicts fairly, or fostering an environment where people feel psychologically safe.
Awareness: They have a high awareness of themselves and the organization – including self-awareness of their values and biases, and general awareness of what's really happening around them. As Greenleaf noted, awareness helps one "foresee issues and ethics" and stay connected to reality^[50].
Persuasion: Servant leaders rely on influence and persuasion rather than positional authority. They seek to convince others through reason and empathy, not coercion or decrees.
Conceptualization: This means the leader can think beyond day-to-day realities and see the bigger picture. They nurture their ability to dream great dreams while balancing that with practical execution – encouraging others also to stretch their thinking.
Foresight: Servant leaders have an intuitive ability to foresee likely outcomes and consequences, learning from the past and present to anticipate the future (this often ties with strong ethical insight as well).
Stewardship: They see themselves as stewards of their organization or community – accountable for the well-being of the larger whole. They are trustworthy caretakers of the organization's people, resources, and mission.
Commitment to the Growth of People: Servant leaders are deeply committed to each person's growth, professionally and personally. They invest in others through mentorship, training, opportunities, and support, believing that everyone has potential to grow.
Building Community: They foster a sense of community and belonging within the organization. There is an emphasis on team spirit, collaboration, and the idea that "we are all in this together." They often encourage unity and care beyond the workplace, recognizing the organization's responsibility to the broader community/society as well^[47][48].

These qualities clearly illustrate that servant leadership is heavily people-centric and ethical. A servant leader typically exhibits high humility, authenticity, interpersonal acceptance, and concern for others, combined with a drive to do the right thing. Notably, many of these attributes (like listening, empathy, stewardship, etc.) overlap with qualities we consider vital in any great leader. Servant leadership just foregrounds them even more.

Does servant leadership actually work? Research suggests yes: servant leadership has been linked with a variety of positive outcomes. A systematic review of 285 articles on servant leadership over 20 years found that it is associated with higher employee engagement, trust in leadership, organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB), and even team performance^[51][52]. A meta-analysis found that servant leadership was positively related to important individual-level outcomes like psychological empowerment, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and organizational performance metrics^[51][52]. It also tends to build strong leader–member relationships (high LMX) and perceptions of leader effectiveness^[53][54]. These effects often occur because servant leaders create a positive work climate, satisfy employees' basic needs (for autonomy, relatedness, and competence), and model ethical behavior that inspires imitation. Interestingly, servant leadership has been shown to have incremental validity beyond transformational leadership in predicting certain outcomes, meaning it contributes something unique on top of transformational leadership^[55]. One reason is that servant leadership's focus on humility and serving others may curb leaders' ego-driven behaviors and build trust in ways transformational leaders (who can sometimes be seen as heroic or self-centric) might not^[55].

In real-world practice, many exemplary leaders in business and non-profit sectors exemplify servant leadership. For example, Herb Kelleher, co-founder of Southwest Airlines, was known for a people-first philosophy – famously saying the employees come before customers or shareholders. By taking care of employees (from pilots to baggage handlers) and empowering them, he believed they would take care of customers, which in turn benefits shareholders. Southwest's strong culture of employee loyalty and customer service reflected this servant-led approach. Cheryl Bachelder, former CEO of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, has also been cited for applying servant leadership: she turned the company around by listening to franchisees and employees on the front line and fostering a culture of respect, dignity, and collective purpose, as chronicled in her book "Dare to Serve." These examples highlight that servant leadership is not soft or antithetical to results – in fact, by building a high-trust, caring culture, these leaders unleashed greater performance and innovation.

Authentic Leadership

In recent years, authentic leadership has gained attention as organizations and followers yearn for trustworthy, genuine leaders amid corporate scandals and cynicism. Authentic leadership focuses on the importance of being real, self-aware, and true to one's values as a leader. It is rooted in positive psychology and ethics, asserting that authentic leaders achieve legitimacy and win the loyalty of followers by building honest relationships and acting in line with their core values and convictions^[56][57].

One influential definition by Walumbwa et al. (2008) describes authentic leadership as: "a pattern of leader behavior that draws upon and promotes both positive psychological capacities and a positive ethical climate, to foster greater self-awareness, an internalized moral perspective, balanced processing of information, and relational transparency with followers."^[58]. In simpler terms, authentic leaders are characterized by four main components^[59][60]:

Self-Awareness: They deeply understand their own strengths, weaknesses, values, and impact on others^[59][61]. Authentic leaders have taken the time to reflect on "who am I, what do I stand for?" and are honest with themselves. This high self-awareness allows them to lead from a place of secure identity and consistency.
Internalized Moral Perspective: They have a strong inner compass of right and wrong and make decisions based on their values and ethics, rather than yielding to external pressures or ego^[62][63]. This moral perspective guides their actions even when it's inconvenient. Essentially, they do the right thing when nobody's watching.
Balanced Processing: Authentic leaders objectively analyze information and soliciting input from others before making decisions^[59][60]. They are balanced and fair in considering multiple viewpoints – including criticism – rather than denying or distorting information to fit their ego or biases. This means they welcome opposing opinions and process them without favoritism or defensiveness^[60].
Relational Transparency: They openly share their true thoughts and feelings (in an appropriate manner) and present themselves genuinely to others^[59][60]. They don't hide behind a façade or put on an act to manipulate followers. By admitting mistakes and showing vulnerability when appropriate, authentic leaders build trust through transparency^[64][65]. Importantly, relational transparency is not about oversharing every emotion, but about honesty and openness sufficient to build credibility. For example, an authentic leader might acknowledge uncertainties or personal growth areas to their team, rather than pretending to be infallible.

Authentic leadership, in essence, is about trustworthiness and consistency between words and deeds. These leaders are often described as genuine, principled, and "the same person" in both private and public life. They cultivate positive relationships by practicing what they preach and by encouraging open dialogue. A key outcome of authentic leadership is the development of trust – followers trust authentic leaders because they are seen as morally upright and not "hiding a hidden agenda"^[66][67]. This trust can translate into greater engagement and identification with the leader's goals. Indeed, studies have found that authentic leadership is associated with higher follower commitment, satisfaction, and even performance, often mediated by the trust and psychological safety they foster^[68]. Authentic leaders also report higher levels of personal well-being, as they are not expending energy to maintain a persona at odds with their true self.

Authentic leadership shares similarities with transformational and servant leadership in its emphasis on morality and positive leader-follower relationships, but it is distinct in centering on the leader's self-concept and authenticity as the driver of their leadership. One can think of it this way: an authentic leader could be transformational or servant in style, but what makes them "authentic" is that they are consistently genuine and guided by internal conviction rather than external applause or power for its own sake. In fact, some scholars have suggested authentic leadership is a foundational component that underlies other effective leadership styles – e.g., truly transformational leaders are effective partly because they are authentic in their passion and values, not because they use "inspirational tactics" superficially.

In practice, leaders like Howard Schultz of Starbucks (known for openly sharing his values and decisions, such as his personal story influencing Starbucks' employee healthcare benefits) or Indra Nooyi of PepsiCo (who was praised for her candid communication and emphasis on personal ethics) have been cited as having an authentic leadership approach. They led with a clear sense of self and transparency that earned respect. Authentic leadership is particularly crucial in times of crisis or change, when followers look for leaders who are steady, honest, and can be counted on to navigate difficulties with integrity. For example, during the Tylenol poisoning crisis in 1982, Johnson & Johnson's CEO James Burke demonstrated authentic leadership by transparently communicating the problem, recalling products nationwide at great cost, and reaffirming the company's core credo of customer safety over profits – actions that ultimately preserved the company's reputation and trust. Burke's self-consistency with J&J's stated values made his leadership in crisis both authentic and highly effective.

Other Leadership Styles and Perspectives

Beyond the above models, there are several other notable leadership style distinctions worth mentioning, as they often come up in discussions of leadership qualities:

Autocratic vs. Democratic Leadership: Autocratic (authoritarian) leaders make decisions unilaterally and expect obedience, whereas democratic (participative) leaders involve team members in decision-making and encourage input. An autocratic style might be efficient in emergencies or with inexperienced teams, but often at the cost of morale; a democratic style generally boosts satisfaction and creativity by empowering others, though it may slow down decision processes. Studies have shown that democratic leadership tends to produce higher team morale, and members feel more valued, which often leads to better performance in knowledge-based tasks^[69][70]. In contrast, autocratic leaders can achieve results (some highly successful companies were led by tough autocrats), but they risk creating a fearful or disempowered workplace. As P.E. Bourne observed, enabling leaders (those who share governance and seek consensus) typically make the environment much more pleasant and motivating than autocrats, even if both can achieve organizational success in a narrow sense^[69][71]. Great leaders generally know when to be firm and decisive, but also know the value of listening to their team – finding a balance between authority and collaboration.
Task-Oriented vs. People-Oriented: This classic distinction from behavioral research highlights whether a leader is more focused on getting tasks done (structuring work, setting goals, monitoring results) or on relationships (supporting, developing, and caring for people). The best leaders demonstrate both high task and high people orientation: they drive results and cultivate positive, supportive relationships. Achieving the mission is crucial, but so is how you treat the team. Leaders who are exclusively task-focused might achieve short-term output but face burnout or turnover on their teams, whereas those overly people-focused might have harmony but lack direction. Effective leadership requires attending to both dimensions – setting clear goals and high standards while showing respect, compassion, and support for team members^[6][72]. In practice, this could mean a project manager who meticulously plans and clarifies tasks (task orientation) but also holds regular one-on-ones to coach team members and acknowledge their efforts (people orientation).
Charismatic Leadership: Charisma refers to the personal magnetism or charm that enables some leaders to influence others almost effortlessly. Charismatic leaders use vision, emotion, and personal energy to have an extraordinary impact on followers. They often exude confidence, communicate in powerful and evocative ways, and instill devotion. Charismatic leadership overlaps greatly with transformational leadership's idealized influence component^[23]. Many transformational leaders are charismatic, though not all charismatic figures use their influence for truly transformational goals. Charisma can be a double-edged sword: it can lead to cults of personality, and if not coupled with integrity and accountability, it may result in disastrous decisions followed by uncritical followers. History has examples of charismatic figures who led movements astray. Thus, while charisma is a valuable quality (it can inspire and rally people), great leaders temper charisma with humility and reason. Jim Collins notably warned that being "charismatic and wrong is a bad combination" for organizations^[73][74]. Many of the Level 5 leaders in Collins' research were actually modest and did not rely on charisma, yet delivered superior results^[9][75]. In short, charisma can amplify a leader's influence, but it should ride on the back of substance – vision, expertise, and moral character – rather than hollow charm.
Situational and Adaptive Leadership: The situational leadership theory (Hersey & Blanchard) posits that no single leadership style is best; instead, effective leaders adapt their style to the maturity and competence of followers and the demands of the situation. For example, a new, inexperienced team might need a more directive, coaching style (clear instructions, close supervision), whereas a seasoned autonomous team benefits from a delegating style (more responsibility and freedom given). Great leaders are agile – they can be directive when necessary and supportive or hands-off when appropriate. Adaptive leadership, more broadly, refers to a leader's ability to navigate change and help the organization adapt by mobilizing people to tackle tough challenges and adjust their values or habits. This requires flexibility, learning agility, and resilience, qualities we will discuss in detail later. In dynamic business environments, leaders who can adjust their approach and help others adapt (for instance, shifting from a controlling style to an empowering one as their team grows capable) are far more effective than one-trick-pony leaders who rigidly stick to a single style.
Laissez-Faire Leadership: This is actually the absence of leadership (a "hands-off" approach). Laissez-faire leaders provide little guidance or feedback and essentially let the group fend for itself. In leadership research, laissez-faire is consistently associated with negative outcomes – it tends to lead to ambiguity, lack of accountability, and low morale^[39][76]. It is generally considered an ineffective style except possibly when leading a team of highly skilled, self-motivated experts (and even then, some direction is usually needed). Great leaders avoid laissez-faire behavior; even if their philosophy is to empower others, they remain engaged and ensure clarity of vision and roles.

In summary, leadership models and styles span a spectrum from strongly authoritative to participative, from task-focused to people-focused, from transactional to transformational. The most effective leaders are often those who can integrate the positive aspects of multiple styles depending on context. For instance, they have the vision and inspiration of a transformational leader, the responsibility and reward-orientation of a transactional leader, the empathy and service ethic of a servant leader, and the self-awareness and integrity of an authentic leader. They know when to be decisive and when to seek consensus; when to push for results and when to patiently coach. This versatility is itself a hallmark of great leadership.

Having examined these leadership frameworks, we now turn to the core qualities that underpin good and great leadership. Regardless of style or context, research shows certain fundamental traits and skills consistently emerge among effective leaders^[77][78]. In the next section, we will explore these qualities in depth – qualities like integrity, vision, communication, humility, courage, empathy, and others that we've touched upon through the models. These are the building blocks that leaders draw on to motivate people and drive success. Each quality is accompanied by evidence and examples demonstrating why it matters and how it manifests in leadership excellence.

Essential Qualities of Effective Leaders

What personal qualities distinguish good or even great leaders? Based on decades of leadership research and practical experience, scholars have identified a set of attributes that the best leaders consistently display^[77][78]. A recent comprehensive review by the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) distilled 12 essential traits of effective leaders, which include: integrity, self-awareness, courage, respect, compassion, resilience, learning agility, influence, vision, communication, gratitude, and collaboration^[79][1]. Similarly, other experts and surveys often emphasize qualities such as honesty, strong communication, confidence (with humility), empathy, accountability, and the ability to inspire others as key to great leadership^[80][81].

In this section, we will discuss the most frequently cited and universally valued leadership qualities. For each quality, we will define what it means in practice, explain why it is important for effective leadership (citing research or expert opinion), and provide brief examples of leaders who exemplify it. These qualities are interrelated and often reinforce each other – for instance, integrity and self-awareness bolster trust, which enhances a leader's influence and ability to inspire. Great leaders typically exhibit a combination of these traits, creating a synergistic impact. Importantly, while some people may be naturally inclined toward certain traits (e.g., an extrovert finds communication easier, a naturally empathetic person excels at compassion), all of these qualities can be developed with conscious effort, feedback, and experience^[82][83]. As Linda Hill of Harvard Business School notes, "Leadership is a process of self-development... Mostly we learn from our experiences and facing adversity"^[82][83]. The following, then, are the qualities that great leaders strive to cultivate in themselves.

Integrity and Honesty (Ethics & "Walking the Talk")

Integrity – often defined as doing the right thing even when no one is watching – consistently emerges as the top attribute people want in a leader. In a survey by consulting firm Robert Half, 75% of employees ranked "integrity" as the most important attribute of a leader^[80]. In another study of 195 global leaders reported in Harvard Business Review, "high ethical standards" was the number one leadership competency chosen by respondents (selected by 67% of those surveyed)^[80]. Simply put, good leaders are honest, trustworthy, and principled. They tell the truth, keep their promises, and model the behavior they expect from others. By adhering to strong ethics and consistency between word and deed, leaders build a foundation of trust without which their influence would crumble^[84][85].

Integrity in leadership has several dimensions:

Honesty and Transparency: Great leaders tell the truth and are transparent about their decisions and the rationale behind them (to the extent appropriate). They do not lie or manipulate information. When things go wrong, they do not cover up; instead they acknowledge issues and work to correct them. This openness signals respect for followers. A transparent leader fosters trust because people know where they stand. As HBS professor Anthony Mayo explains, being open about goals and challenges makes it easier for employees to understand their roles and builds engagement^[86]. By contrast, a leader who withholds information or deceives employees will quickly breed cynicism and erode morale.
Moral Courage: Integrity also means having the courage to stand up for what is right and to uphold ethical principles, even under pressure. Leaders often face dilemmas where the ethical choice might be costly or unpopular – for example, recalling a product for safety reasons despite financial hit, or refusing to engage in corrupt practices in a tough market. Great leaders have the courage of their convictions. They prioritize long-term reputation and values over short-term gains. This moral consistency earns them respect. One historical example: Warren Buffett, known for his folksy honesty, once said, "We can afford to lose money – even a lot of money. But we can't afford to lose reputation." Buffett's refusal to compromise on honesty and his insistence on candid communication (e.g., in shareholder letters acknowledging mistakes) illustrate integrity in business leadership.
Walking the Talk (Lead by Example): Leaders with integrity model the behavior they expect from others. They lead by example, setting a tone from the top. P.E. Bourne's first "rule" of good leadership is precisely this: "You cannot expect of others what you would not expect of yourself"^[87][88]. If a leader demands hard work, they demonstrate a strong work ethic themselves; if they stress punctuality or frugality, they embody those traits. By doing so, they earn respect. As Bourne notes, "being respected is a must for good leadership and it is not given, but earned over time"^[89]. A leader who says one thing but does another – for instance, preaches cost-cutting but lavishly spends on themselves, or talks about quality but tolerates shoddy work – will quickly lose credibility. Integrity means no double standards: the rules apply equally, and the leader holds themselves to the same (or higher) standard. A classic example is Mahatma Gandhi, who famously lived modestly and spun cloth by hand while urging Indians to boycott British textiles. His personal sacrifice and consistency with his message galvanized others to follow – a powerful case of leading by example rooted in integrity. In business, Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, took accountability during GM's ignition switch crisis in 2014 – she openly apologized for the company's failing, launched an internal investigation, and made safety the top priority moving forward. By confronting the issue head-on (rather than denying or minimizing it), and enforcing a culture of accountability (several employees were dismissed for misconduct), Barra signaled that integrity and responsibility would guide GM's leadership ethos.

The impact of leader integrity on organizations is profound. When employees trust their leader to be fair and ethical, they feel safer and more loyal, which enhances engagement and effort. They are more likely to emulate ethical behaviors themselves, reinforcing an ethical culture. Conversely, a lack of integrity at the top – say a CEO faking financial numbers or a manager playing favorites and bending rules – can breed widespread cynicism, infighting, and even corruption. Research on ethical leadership (a concept related to integrity) shows that it correlates with higher employee job satisfaction and lower incidence of unethical behavior in teams^[68]. Trust is often cited as the currency of leadership, and integrity is what fills the coffers of trust. Without it, a leader has little moral authority to lead. As the saying goes, "Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom" – and indeed it is the first chapter in the book of leadership qualities as well.

Vision and Strategic Direction

Great leaders are visionary. They have a clear and compelling picture of where they want to take the organization (or team or cause) in the future, and they are able to articulate that vision in a way that energizes others^[90][91]. This forward-looking orientation – seeing possibilities and setting strategic direction – is a key differentiator between leadership and mere management. As leadership expert Warren Bennis put it, "Managers do things right, leaders do the right things" – meaning leaders focus on setting the right vision and strategy before worrying about execution. A leader without vision is like a captain steering a ship with no destination; they may keep things afloat, but they won't inspire people to go the extra mile or achieve greatness.

Vision in a leadership context refers to an imagined future state that is better or different from the status quo, which the leader is committed to achieving and which can motivate others. Effective visions are ambitious yet attainable, idealistic yet concrete enough to guide action. For example, a visionary business leader like Elon Musk has articulated future-oriented goals such as "making humanity multiplanetary" (SpaceX) or accelerating the transition to sustainable energy (Tesla) – grand visions that inspire employees and stakeholders. But vision need not always be grandiose; it could be a simple, clear goal like "delivering the best customer service in our industry" or "becoming the most innovative company in our sector." The key is that it provides clarity of direction and a sense of purpose.

Why is vision so crucial? Because it gives people a sense of meaning in their work and aligns their efforts toward a common objective. When everyone understands the North Star the leader is pointing to, it becomes easier to coordinate and maintain motivation, especially through challenges. Vision also fuels innovation and change – a leader with vision is often challenging the team to reach for something new and better. In Bourne's "Rule 6: Be visionary," he notes that a leader's vision "goes a long way in defining the organization," and if done right, it becomes a collective vision embraced by all^[90][91]. An example given is a university president involving many stakeholders to develop a strategic plan encapsulated in a simple inspiring statement ("Be Both Great and Good"), which then was frequently echoed by everyone in the organization^[92][93]. The leader's job was to seed the vision and let others refine and claim it – "when others speak of your vision as their own, you are successful"^[91][92]. This illustrates how effective leaders not only have vision but also share ownership of the vision so that it truly motivates at all levels.

Strategic direction is closely tied to vision. It's the ability to craft a viable strategy to achieve that future and to anticipate the trends, opportunities, and obstacles on the way. Leaders need to be somewhat prophetic – not in a mystical sense, but in having foresight and seeing the "big picture." This involves being knowledgeable about their industry or domain, analyzing the environment, and making strategic choices. A leader with vision but no strategy may inspire but fail to execute; one with strategy but no inspiring vision may execute well but fail to achieve something significant or rally people's passion. Thus, great leaders combine vision and strategic acumen.

Research shows that visionary, inspirational leadership is strongly linked to higher organizational performance and innovation. For example, a study in Frontiers in Psychology found that transformational leadership (which heavily involves creating and communicating vision) was associated with better work performance and lower burnout^[94]. Visionary leaders also create more strategic alignment – employees know how their work contributes to the larger goal, which can improve efficiency and initiative. Gallup's analysis of effective teams notes that when people find meaning in their work and see how it contributes to a larger purpose, engagement soars^[4][5]. Vision provides that meaning.

One of the classic examples of corporate vision is Microsoft's early mission "to put a computer on every desk and in every home." In the 1980s, this was a bold vision, well beyond the current reality – but it focused Microsoft's strategy (software that could run on any personal computer) and galvanized employees. Another famous one is JFK's 1961 directive that America should land a man on the moon and return him safely by the end of the decade – a vision that mobilized NASA and the nation to an extraordinary technological achievement. Such visions work because they are clear, time-bound, and inspirational.

To develop vision and strategic direction, leaders typically need qualities like imagination, strategic thinking, and openness to information. They should be curious about the world (scanning for ideas and trends), able to synthesize information into insight (the "big picture"), and bold enough to choose a direction that may be risky but promising. Additionally, communicating the vision is vital – which we will discuss in the next section on communication. A vision in the leader's head has no value; it must be transmitted in a compelling way to others.

In summary, vision is the compass of leadership. It differentiates leaders from mere administrators. Good leaders have a vision for a better future and use it to set a strategic path; great leaders make that vision resonate so strongly that it becomes a shared aspiration, igniting collective action. Without vision, an organization may survive, but it likely won't excel or break new ground. With a powerful vision backed by integrity and strategy, a leader can steer the organization to remarkable heights.

Communication Skills and Influence

The ability to communicate effectively may be the single most important skill for a leader day-to-day. Leaders spend a large portion of their time communicating – whether it's one-on-one conversations, team meetings, presentations, written messages, or public speeches. Through communication, they share the vision, set goals, give feedback, inspire, resolve conflicts, negotiate, and build relationships. A leader might have great ideas and noble intentions, but without strong communication skills, those ideas may not translate into understanding or action by others. As one leadership coach put it succinctly: "[Leadership] is all about influencing people"^[8] – and influence is largely exercised through communication.

Key aspects of communication for leaders include:

Clarity: Great leaders communicate with clarity and purpose. They can distill complex ideas into clear, understandable messages that cut through confusion. This is critical when explaining the organization's vision, strategy, or any change. If followers can't comprehend what the leader wants or why, they can't act effectively. Clarity also means being concrete when needed – setting clear expectations and goals. Research on managerial communication shows that clarity improves employees' role perception and reduces stress. An HBS Online article notes that strong leaders "set clear, achievable goals and objectives" and facilitate clear communication across their team^[95].
Inspiration and Storytelling: Beyond bare clarity, leaders often need to inspire and rally people. This is where storytelling and rhetoric come in. Effective leaders use anecdotes, metaphors, and passionate delivery to make messages emotionally resonant. They tell stories that exemplify the values or goals they espouse, making the vision tangible. For instance, a CEO might tell the story of a customer whose life was improved by the company's product to remind employees of the impact of their work. Stories and vivid language engage people's emotions and make the message memorable. Think of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech – its impact came not just from the vision of equality but the powerful, poetic communication that stirred hearts and imaginations. Business leaders don't need to be MLK-level orators, but the principle stands: the ability to inspire through words is a huge leadership asset.
Active Listening: Communication is two-way. Great leaders are not only good at speaking but also at listening. Active listening means fully concentrating on the speaker, understanding their message, responding thoughtfully, and recalling the conversation. When leaders listen to employees – whether it's ideas, concerns, or feedback – it signals respect and openness. It also provides invaluable information. Many a leader has failed by being closed off and not hearing warnings or ground-level realities from their team. In the PLOS "ten rules" article, Rule 3 was "Be inclusive, equitable, and personal," highlighting that simple acts like remembering people's names and recognizing their contributions go a long way^[96][97]. Underlying that is listening to people as individuals. Leaders who listen well create trust and loyalty because people feel heard and valued. Also, listening helps in decision-making; it ensures the leader considers diverse perspectives (tying to the balanced processing of authentic leadership).
Persuasion and Influence: A leader frequently needs to persuade others – to convince employees to embrace a new strategy, to negotiate resources from higher-ups, to win a client, or to align different departments. This requires understanding the audience and tailoring the message to their interests and concerns (which circles back to listening and empathy). Persuasive communication often relies on logic (making a rational case), emotion (appealing to values or excitement), and credibility (the leader's own trustworthiness). Harvard professor Julie Battilana notes that influencing others involves building a sense of trust and understanding what others value^[98][99]. Good leaders ask questions, encourage others to share their opinions, and then use that knowledge to frame changes in a way that shows people their voice matters and their needs are considered^[98][100]. This collaborative persuasion is far more effective than barking orders. Communication that is influential rather than commanding fosters buy-in rather than mere compliance.
Transparency and Feedback: Being appropriately transparent (discussed under integrity) is a communication issue as well. Leaders should communicate not just positive news but also challenges and rationale for tough decisions. When people understand why a decision was made, even if they disagree, they are more likely to accept it. Transparency builds credibility. Additionally, good leaders give constructive feedback regularly – praising good performance (which is motivating) and diplomatically pointing out where improvement is needed (which helps growth). They also solicit feedback about themselves, demonstrating openness to learning. This two-way feedback culture means issues are addressed quickly instead of festering. Communication in a feedback-rich environment is continuous and purposeful, not limited to annual reviews or occasional speeches.

The link between communication ability and leadership effectiveness is well documented. For example, a large survey by Dale Carnegie Training found that leaders who are perceived as excellent communicators have much higher employee engagement levels. Gallup's research similarly highlights that effective communication from leaders is a top driver of engagement (e.g., employees knowing what's expected of them, feeling their opinions count, etc., all come back to communication). Moreover, in crisis situations, communication can make or break leadership: studies of crisis leadership show that timely, empathetic, and clear communication (like during the COVID-19 pandemic or other emergencies) significantly affects stakeholder confidence and cooperation^[101][102].

Historically, many great leaders are remembered as great communicators: Winston Churchill rallying Britain with his wartime speeches, John F. Kennedy inspiring a nation with his vision to go to the moon, or Indra Nooyi at PepsiCo writing personal letters to spouses of senior executives to thank them (a unique communication gesture of gratitude and personal touch). In everyday business, a leader's influence often rises or falls on their communication habits – whether they keep people informed, whether they articulate the "why" behind change, and whether they show they are listening. As one corporate leader interviewed by HBR said, "To get people on board, they need to grasp what you're conveying so they're excited to join you in turning that direction into a reality."^[86][103]. That sentence nicely encapsulates the role of communication: helping people grasp the message (intellectually and emotionally) and get excited to act on it.

In summary, communication is the vehicle for nearly every leadership function – from sharing vision, to setting expectations, to building relationships and culture. Mastering communication (both speaking and listening) allows a leader to amplify all their other qualities. A leader with integrity must communicate their values through actions and words; a leader with vision must communicate it compellingly; a leader with empathy must show it in conversation. Thus, communication skills are truly an indispensable quality of great leadership.

Emotional Intelligence and Empathy

Technical expertise and IQ alone do not make a great leader. Emotional intelligence (EI) – the ability to recognize and manage one's own emotions and to understand and influence the emotions of others – is widely recognized as a critical component of effective leadership^[104][105]. Psychologist Daniel Goleman, who popularized emotional intelligence in the context of leadership, found that truly outstanding leaders tend to have high emotional intelligence, which comprises skills like self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, motivation, and social skill^[104][105]. In fact, Goleman's research suggested that while IQ and technical skills are entry-level competencies for executive positions, emotional intelligence may account for as much as 85-90% of the difference between average and star performers in leadership roles^[106][104]. As Goleman bluntly states, "Emotions drive people. People drive performance."^[107].

A core element of emotional intelligence in leadership is empathy – the capacity to put oneself in others' shoes, understand their feelings and perspectives, and use that understanding to guide interactions. Empathy does not mean agreeing with everyone or being overly permissive; it means truly understanding where others are coming from, which is invaluable for motivating and influencing them effectively. Leaders who demonstrate empathy earn trust and loyalty because people feel understood and cared about as human beings, not just "resources." According to Harvard's Linda Hill, empathy – "the ability to step into the shoes of your team members, understand what matters to them, their priorities, and identify common ground" – is a key trait of strong leadership, enabling a supportive and nurturing environment^[108][109].

Empathy in leadership shows up in various ways:

Individual Consideration: As discussed under transformational leadership's 4 I's, taking time to get to know each team member – their strengths, their personal goals, their challenges – and then tailoring your interactions to their needs is an act of empathy. It could mean offering extra guidance to someone who is struggling, or new opportunities to someone itching to grow, or flexibility to someone dealing with personal issues. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, many leaders had to exercise empathy by recognizing the anxieties and home-life pressures employees faced and responding with increased support (like mental health resources or flexible schedules). Empathic leaders maintained morale and loyalty in those trying times, whereas leaders who were insensitive faced disengagement or turnover.
Listening and Openness: Empathetic leaders listen more and talk less (relative to autocratic leaders). They encourage people to voice concerns and suggestions, and they respond with understanding. When employees or colleagues feel heard, they are more likely to be honest about problems, which allows the leader to address issues proactively. Moreover, showing empathy in listening – e.g., paraphrasing what someone said, acknowledging their feelings ("I can understand why that situation is frustrating for you") – strengthens the relationship. Genuinely caring about employees' well-being also increases their commitment. A Gallup study found that managers who showed sincere interest in employees' development and welfare had teams with higher engagement.
Emotional Regulation and Social Skill: Emotional intelligence also entails managing one's own emotions. Leaders are under stress and scrutiny; if they cannot control outbursts of anger, panic, or despair, they can harm their team's stability. Self-regulation means staying calm under pressure, not venting negative emotions destructively, and maintaining optimism and confidence (which can be infectious). Social skill – being adept at interpersonal interaction – relies on reading others' emotional cues (an aspect of empathy) and responding appropriately. For instance, recognizing that an employee is demoralized and needs encouragement, or that a team is anxious and needs reassurance, is the emotional perceptiveness part; then knowing how to deliver the encouragement or reassurance effectively is the social skill part. Leaders like Jacinda Ardern, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, were widely praised for combining empathy and steady calm in their leadership communication during crises (such as her empathetic response after the 2019 Christchurch shootings, which helped unite and comfort the nation).

The business case for emotional intelligence is strong. Research by Harvard's T. H. Chan School and others shows that emotionally intelligent leaders create better work climates, which can drive up financial results. One study cited by Goleman in HBR found that 50-70% of employees' perception of their working climate is linked to the emotional intelligence of their leader^[106]. Good climate translates to higher performance. Additionally, teams led by empathetic managers often exhibit more cohesion and creativity because members feel safe to express ideas (ties to psychological safety concept). Empathy also plays a role in customer-oriented leadership – leaders who empathize with customers' needs can inspire their team to deliver superior customer service.

It's important to note that empathy doesn't mean softness or lack of accountability. Leaders can be both empathetic and firmly results-oriented. In fact, when people know their leader cares about them, they are often more willing to accept tough feedback or work hard to achieve goals, because they sense it's coming from a supportive place. Empathy is also crucial in conflict resolution – understanding each side's feelings can help a leader mediate and find solutions acceptable to all.

On the flip side, lack of empathy in leaders is a hallmark of toxic leadership. Leaders who belittle employees, ignore their input, or seem unconcerned with their welfare typically generate resentment and high turnover. For instance, employees often cite a bad manager "who doesn't care about me" as a top reason for quitting. The absence of empathy creates a cold culture where only transactions matter – which, as we've seen, is not conducive to discretionary effort or innovation.

As Goleman's five components of EI (self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, social skills) suggest, emotional intelligence is multi-faceted^[104][105]. But empathy is a centerpiece connecting those facets to others. Self-awareness in a leader allows them to recognize their feelings and biases, which helps them empathize without projecting their own issues onto others. A motivated leader uses empathy to rally people by appealing to what motivates them. Social skill is basically empathy in action to influence social situations. So, developing empathy can positively cascade into all areas of emotional intelligence.

In conclusion, emotional intelligence and empathy equip leaders to handle the human dimension of leadership effectively. They enable a leader to forge strong relationships, navigate emotional undercurrents in the team, and inspire loyalty and cooperation. As Linda Hill summarized, "Understanding and connecting with others on an emotional level is a key trait of strong leadership", helping to build trust and a supportive environment^[108][110]. In a world where teamwork, creativity, and retention are critical, a leader's empathy is not just a nice-to-have trait – it's a strategic asset that can drive sustainable success.

Humility and Self-Awareness

In the popular imagination, leaders are often associated with confidence, charisma, and perhaps a healthy ego. Yet, one of the defining qualities of many truly great leaders is humility – a lack of arrogance, an ability to acknowledge one's limitations and mistakes, and a tendency to credit others for successes. Humility goes hand in hand with self-awareness, as humble leaders have an accurate sense of their strengths and weaknesses and do not see themselves as infallible or more important than the team. Jim Collins, in his landmark study Good to Great, found that the CEOs of companies that made the leap from good to sustained great performance were almost universally what he termed "Level 5 leaders": individuals with a "paradoxical combination of personal humility and indomitable will."^[111][9]. They were fiercely ambitious for the cause or company, but modest about themselves. Collins describes Level 5 leaders as often "self-effacing, quiet, reserved, and even shy," the opposite of celebrity CEOs – yet they delivered exceptional results^[9][112]. Their ambition was directed toward the organization's success, not personal glory; they routinely credited the team and blamed themselves for any shortcomings^[9][113]. This empirical finding runs counter to the stereotype that great leaders must be egotistical superstars – on the contrary, Collins observed that companies with big-personality, egocentric leaders often did not sustain greatness^[114][115].

What does humility in leadership look like?

Admitting Mistakes and Learning: Humble leaders readily admit when they are wrong or when they don't know something. Instead of doubling down to save face, they say, "I was wrong" or "I need help" when appropriate. This honesty actually enhances their credibility – it shows authenticity. Admitting mistakes also creates a culture where people aren't afraid to own up to errors, which means problems can be corrected faster (rather than hidden). Additionally, humble leaders treat failures as learning opportunities for themselves and the team. They are often inquisitive and open to feedback. This aligns with Carol Dweck's research on the growth mindset – leaders who believe they can improve will seek feedback and learn, whereas arrogant leaders with a fixed mindset might avoid feedback to protect their ego. An example is Alan Mulally, who as CEO of Ford encouraged his executives to flag problems openly (famously clapping when an executive admitted a serious issue, instead of criticizing him) – his humble approach broke a culture of fear and denial, and helped turn Ford around in the late 2000s.
Respect for Others and Credit Sharing: Humility manifests in how leaders treat others. Humble leaders show respect to people at all levels – they don't consider themselves "above" anyone due to rank or status. They listen to junior staff's ideas, they learn from frontline employees, and they often have an open-door policy. When success comes, they generously give credit to the team or to those who contributed, rather than hogging the limelight. Conversely, if something goes wrong, they do not scapegoat subordinates; they take responsibility. This behavior engenders enormous trust and loyalty. P. E. Bourne's Rule 2 states, "Recognize that a great organization is not solely the result of one leader. Be humble – you can't be the best at everything, so reward and celebrate others for the skills they bring."^[116][117]. Bourne advises saying "we" instead of "I" as often as possible and ensuring others get credit, noting that the credit will come back to the leader naturally if the organization thrives^[117][118]. This philosophy is echoed in an old proverb: "The wise leader gets results, and the people all say, We did it ourselves."
Learning from Others (Including Subordinates): Humble leaders are not know-it-alls. They are teachable. They recognize that they can learn from anyone, including those younger or less experienced. This open-mindedness means they are more likely to hear new ideas and innovate. It also means they might hire people smarter than themselves in certain areas without feeling threatened – in fact, they purposefully seek to surround themselves with talented individuals and give them autonomy. This is captured in Bourne's Rule 8: "Get the right people on the bus and let them define the route."^[119][120], which itself nods to Jim Collins' concept of "First Who, Then What." The idea is that great leaders are humble enough to know that they need excellent people, potentially more skilled than themselves in various domains, and they're willing to empower those people to chart the course. A leader's humility thus can unleash the full potential of the team's collective wisdom.

Humility is closely linked to self-awareness, which was one of the top traits in the CCL list^[121]. Self-awareness means understanding one's own tendencies, biases, and impact on others. Leaders with high self-awareness are conscious of their natural leadership style and how it might be perceived. They know what they do well and where they need advisors or training. This realism prevents them from overreaching or making rash decisions out of overconfidence. It also ties to authenticity – being self-aware helps leaders remain true to themselves (authentic) and not play a fake persona, which others would eventually see through.

From a research perspective, humility in leaders has been shown to have positive effects. Studies on "humble leadership" (often defined by the leader's willingness to admit mistakes, spotlight follower strengths, and be teachable) find that it correlates with higher team learning and performance. For example, a 2015 study in Administrative Science Quarterly by Owens & Hekman found that humble CEOs had firms with more learning-oriented cultures and lower voluntary employee turnover. Why? Because humility at the top led to more openness and collaboration. Similarly, a study in a Chinese business context found that humble leadership was associated with greater employee engagement and creativity, mediated by trust in the leader. Humility also mitigates the risk of CEO hubris that can lead to unethical decisions or reckless strategies. Many corporate scandals have roots in arrogant leadership that disregarded criticism or ethical constraints (think Enron's Jeff Skilling or Elizabeth Holmes of Theranos) – a humble approach could have invited more questioning and course-correction.

Jim Collins famously illustrated the power of humble leadership with the story of Level 5 leader Darwin Smith, the CEO of Kimberly-Clark in the 1970s. Smith was a low-key, humble man who, despite transforming the company and outperforming competitors, never had the trappings of ego. He once said, "I never stopped trying to become qualified for the job," reflecting his humility and continuous self-improvement mentality^[122][123]. Collins contrasted leaders like Smith with comparison company leaders who were often flashy or ego-driven and whose companies did not sustain greatness. The conclusion: humility with strong professional will is a potent mix for sustained success^[115][124].

Another manifestation of humility is knowing when to step aside. Great leaders "know when to stop," as Bourne's Rule 10 says^[125][126]. They don't cling to power forever; they plan for succession, understanding that fresh leadership might be needed for the next phase. They also are content that the mission or organization is bigger than themselves. In Bourne's example, a great leader built a new school and, when the time was right, stepped aside, having built a strong team to continue without them^[126]. This kind of ego-free leadership ensures stability and legacy beyond the individual's tenure.

In summary, humility and self-awareness ground a leader. They keep the leader's ego in check, promote continuous learning, and create an environment where others feel valued and empowered. Humility is not weakness; in fact, it often requires inner strength to be humble when one has power. A humble leader gains respect not by demand but by merit – their evident modesty and fairness make people want to follow them. As Collins observed, those Level 5 leaders were often unassuming to the outside world, but internally they possessed fierce resolve for the cause^[124][127]. This combination – humility plus determination – is extremely effective. Leaders who are humble inspire genuine followership because people trust their intentions and admire their willingness to put the mission and team above self. It fosters a culture of collaboration, learning, and integrity, all of which drive long-term excellence.

Decisiveness and Accountability

Leaders are routinely faced with decisions – some small, some momentous – and one quality that distinguishes effective leaders is the ability to make decisions in a timely and confident manner. Decisiveness is the quality of being able to evaluate information and options, make a judgment, and commit to a course of action. It doesn't mean being rash; rather, it means not succumbing to analysis-paralysis or fear in the face of uncertainty. In business especially, opportunities and threats often require prompt action. A good leader must balance the need for sufficient information with the reality that perfect information is rarely available, and still make a call.

As P. E. Bourne put it in his Rule 7: "Some leadership decisions are hard… What is worse is to not make a decision and leave the organization in an indecisive state."[128][129]. He emphasizes that while a leader should be transparent about decisions and willing to correct course if wrong, the leader must step up to decide – because failing to decide can paralyze the organization[128][130].

Indecision at the top creates ambiguity, wastes time, and can demoralize a team who are waiting for direction. Even a suboptimal decision is often better than none, because the team can at least mobilize and then adjust as needed. Great leaders understand this and are willing to accept the risks of decision-making. They gather input, but when the moment comes, they act.

Linked to decisiveness is accountability – taking responsibility for the outcomes of those decisions, whether they succeed or fail. A decisive leader who is also accountable will not only make the call, but also own the consequences. This means if a decision turns out to be wrong, they acknowledge it and seek to fix it (rather than deflecting blame). If it turns out well, they give credit to the team (as noted under integrity and humility). Accountability also means holding others responsible in a fair way – setting clear expectations and ensuring people follow through, but without scapegoating or shirking the leader's own responsibility. Essentially, decisive leaders say, "The buck stops here." They do not lead by excuses.

Why are decisiveness and accountability so vital? Consider a rapidly changing business environment – say a sudden market shift or crisis. A leader who dithers could miss the window to pivot the company, whereas a decisive one will adapt quickly, giving the organization a better chance to survive or capitalize on change. Research supports that speed of decision-making can be a competitive advantage. A study in Harvard Business Review (2017 by Rogers & Blenko) found that among the factors influencing effective strategy execution, being "fast and roughly right" in decisions was often superior to being "slow and perfect." Leaders set the tone for how decisions are made in the organization. If they model timely, courageous decision-making, their teams are likely to be more agile as well.

Accountability ties into building trust and performance culture. When leaders hold themselves accountable, it sends a powerful message about integrity and high standards. It encourages a culture where people do not hide mistakes but confront them, and where commitments are taken seriously. Conversely, if a leader is known to avoid accountability – e.g., blame subordinates or external factors for failures – it creates resentment and a lack of ownership among the team ("if the boss always blames us, why stick my neck out?"). High-performance teams usually have leaders who foster collective accountability – everyone, including the leader, is responsible for the results.

A hallmark of decisive leaders is courage. Many decisions involve risk; there may be vocal disagreement or potential fallout. It takes courage to make an unpopular move if you believe it's right for the organization. For instance, a CEO might need to divest a once-core but now underperforming division – a tough call that might upset employees or investors in the short term, yet is necessary for long-term health. Or a project manager may have to pull the plug on a project that's failing, admitting sunk costs, in order to redirect efforts elsewhere. Without courage, a leader may default to safer, status-quo choices, which can lead to stagnation or unresolved problems. Courageous decisiveness is often what separates bold, innovative companies from those that fall behind. It's worth noting that courage is supported by the other qualities we discussed: a leader with integrity and vision has the moral compass and direction to know what is right; with empathy and humility, they understand the impact and listen; but with courage and decisiveness, they act on what they believe must be done.

That said, decisiveness does not mean impulsiveness. Good leaders do their homework – they gather relevant data, consult experts or team members for input (especially in their domain of expertise), consider alternatives, and weigh pros/cons. They also consider the timing of decisions (sometimes waiting for a bit more info is prudent; other times waiting would be detrimental). But critically, once sufficient input is gathered, decisive leaders make the call. And after a decision, they ensure proper follow-through – resources allocated, roles assigned, metrics set – essentially, they take ownership to see it executed. Decisiveness is hollow without execution and follow-up.

Accountability also implies transparency with stakeholders. After making a big decision, effective leaders communicate the what and why to those affected. They don't hide from tough questions. For example, if a CEO decides to restructure the company, they will explain the rationale to employees, acknowledge the difficulties, and outline support for those impacted. By doing so, they show accountability for the decision's impact.

Historical Example: A vivid example of decisiveness in leadership is General Dwight D. Eisenhower before D-Day in 1944. He had to decide on launching the Allied invasion of Normandy amid uncertain weather and high stakes. He made the decision to go on June 6, and notably, he prepared a brief statement taking full responsibility in case the invasion failed ("If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt, it is mine alone."). This pre-prepared note of accountability (which he fortunately never had to release, as D-Day succeeded) exemplifies leadership accountability under extreme pressure. In business, one might look at Johnson & Johnson's James Burke deciding to recall Tylenol nationwide during the 1982 poisoning crisis – a decisive action that was costly in the short term but preserved trust and brand in the long term. Burke took accountability by putting customer safety first and openly communicating the decision, which is credited with saving the brand.

From an academic angle, research on decision-making styles finds that top-performing leaders tend to be more "action-oriented" and decisive, rather than purely consensus-driven or avoidant. While they involve others (collaborative style), they do not abdicate the final responsibility. A study in Strategic Management Journal noted that CEOs who made bold strategic decisions (like significant investments or divestitures aligned with a vision) often saw better firm performance, whereas excessive hesitation or reversal could harm credibility and momentum. Of course, not all bold decisions are good – which is why the quality of decisions matters too, not just speed. But part of quality is timeliness and execution.

Finally, accountability in leadership also fosters culture of ownership at all levels. When a leader exemplifies accountability, team members are more likely to hold themselves accountable for their parts. The leader sets the standard: meet your commitments, own your mistakes, and fix problems. It's the opposite of a blame culture. Leadership accountability thus improves problem-solving – instead of wasting energy on finger-pointing, the team focuses on solutions because the leader models that behavior (e.g., "We have an issue; let's all take responsibility to solve it" rather than "You messed up, not my fault."). That resonates with the concept of a learning organization – which requires that people feel safe to admit errors and address them (something a humble, accountable leader enables).

In summary: Decisiveness and accountability ensure that a leader guides the organization with purpose and takes responsibility for the journey. Decisiveness provides direction and momentum; accountability provides integrity and trust. Together, they build confidence in the leader's guidance. People are willing to follow someone who makes tough calls and stands by them. In contrast, a vacillating leader or one who ducks responsibility quickly loses respect. Thus, to be an effective leader: do your due diligence, make the decision, and then own the outcome. This builds a culture where progress is made and lessons are learned, driving the organization forward.

Adaptability and Resilience

In today's fast-changing environment – characterized by technological disruption, market volatility, and unexpected crises – two qualities have become increasingly crucial for leaders: adaptability and resilience. Adaptability is the capacity to adjust one's approach and strategies in response to new conditions, while resilience is the ability to persevere and bounce back from setbacks or adversity. Together, these traits enable leaders to navigate change and overcome challenges without losing momentum or morale.

Adaptability in a leader means being flexible and open-minded. Adaptable leaders do not cling rigidly to one way of doing things if circumstances shift. Instead, they are willing to experiment, pivot, and learn. They recognize that what worked yesterday might not work tomorrow. As Linda Hill notes, stakeholder expectations and business conditions can change rapidly, so a leader "needs to be able to adjust to ever-shifting demands"[131][132]. Adaptability fosters an agile team culture, where the organization can respond swiftly to new opportunities or threats[131][133]. Leaders set the example by showing learning agility: they seek new experiences, collaborate across different areas, and encourage their team to do the same[134][135]. For instance, an adaptable leader might take a rotation in a different department to better understand it, or bring in diverse voices to challenge the company's current products. Adaptability also involves creative thinking – finding innovative solutions when old solutions don't fit. A great example is how many businesses pivoted to digital services and remote work models during the COVID-19 pandemic; leaders who adapted quickly kept their organizations afloat, whereas those who hesitated often struggled.

Resilience is about emotional strength and persistence. Leaders inevitably face setbacks: a major client is lost, a project fails, a crisis hits, or targets are missed. A resilient leader remains determined and optimistic through these setbacks, and crucially, helps their team rebound as well. Resilience doesn't mean ignoring difficulties or never feeling stress; it means not giving up in the face of them, maintaining a stable and hopeful outlook, and finding ways to recover. Nancy Koehn of HBS, in her studies of leaders like Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton, emphasizes that resilient leadership involves "maintaining belief in the mission while flexibly charting a new course when necessary"[136][137]. Shackleton, after his ship Endurance was crushed by ice, immediately shifted the goal from exploration to survival, kept his men's spirits up, and ultimately saved all lives – an oft-cited story of resilient leadership in extreme adversity[136][138].

Resilient leaders have a few common behaviors: they stay calm under pressure (emotional regulation), they problem-solve actively rather than freezing (taking initiative to adjust plans), and they support their people's morale, acknowledging the reality but also rallying them to move forward. They don't dwell on failures; instead, as Hill suggests, they "recalibrate if veering off course," asking for input on another path and regrouping[139][140]. For example, if a product launch flops, a resilient leader would gather the team to dissect what went wrong (without rancor) and figure out how to iterate or pivot that product, or apply lessons to the next one – rather than playing a blame game or giving up on innovation.

Adaptability and resilience are highly interrelated: adaptability helps avoid or minimize the impact of shocks by proactively changing, and resilience helps deal with shocks that do occur. Both require a growth mindset – seeing challenges as opportunities to learn rather than insurmountable problems. They also require courage and perseverance (what Collins calls "indomitable will" in Level 5 leaders[9][112]). During tough times, followers look to the leader for confidence and direction. A resilient leader who projects steadfastness and hope can inspire the team to persist. If the leader crumbles, the team is likely to crumble too.

There is research evidence that adaptive, resilient organizations outperform others in volatile industries, and leadership is key to that. One concept in research is "learning-oriented leadership", where leaders treat unexpected events as learning opportunities rather than threats. This attitude correlates with more innovation and better adaptation in teams. Another concept is psychological resilience in leaders – studies show that leaders high in resilience cope with stress better and maintain more consistent performance. For example, a study in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that CEOs who showed high resilience (measured by their responses to adversity) were associated with companies that recovered faster from downturns.

Modern leadership frameworks like "adaptive leadership" (by Heifetz and Linsky) focus explicitly on how leaders mobilize people to tackle adaptive challenges (those without easy technical fixes) and thrive in changing environments. Adaptive leadership suggests that leaders often need to let go of old beliefs or habits ("get on the balcony" to see the big picture), and orchestrate conflict or innovation in a way that the organization can handle. This requires being flexible and resilient oneself, as well as cultivating those qualities in the team.

Cultivating adaptability and resilience can involve deliberate practices. For adaptability: exposing oneself and the team to new situations (cross-functional projects, training in new skills, bringing in external perspectives) keeps everyone nimble and less attached to fixed ways. Encouraging an experimental mindset – "let's pilot this and see" – helps create flexibility. For resilience: establishing a supportive network, practicing stress management (like mindfulness or exercise), and maintaining purpose can strengthen a leader's resilience. Many resilient leaders credit habits such as reflection, seeking mentorship, or keeping perspective (e.g., "this too shall pass") as keys to not burning out. Also, resilient leaders take care of their people's well-being, understanding that rest and recovery are part of sustained performance (as opposed to driving them to exhaustion which ultimately backfires).

Practical Example: Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, led a massive culture change described as going from a "fixed" know-it-all culture to a "learn-it-all" culture, emphasizing adaptability and continuous learning. Under his leadership, Microsoft became more agile in cloud computing and AI, capitalizing on new trends. Nadella also demonstrated resilience, navigating failures (like Windows Phone's demise) and shifting focus rather than dwelling on what was lost. His personal story – influenced by raising a special-needs child – instilled empathy and resilience that shaped Microsoft's more compassionate, adaptive culture.

In conclusion: Adaptability and resilience are the survival traits of leadership. They ensure that a leader and their organization can weather storms and adjust sails when the winds change. An adaptable leader keeps the organization relevant; a resilient leader keeps it alive and thriving through hardships. As the business adage goes, change is the only constant – so the ability to manage and leverage change is what keeps great leaders ahead of the curve. And when unexpected setbacks strike, it's the resilient spirit of the leader that can mean the difference between giving up and coming back stronger. Combined with vision and decisiveness, adaptability and resilience allow leaders not just to plan for the future, but to continuously steer toward it amid choppy waters.

Empowerment and Collaboration (Developing Others)

One key quality of great leaders is that they don't try to do everything themselves or hog all authority. Instead, they empower others, build strong teams, and foster collaboration. This reflects a shift from the old command-and-control model of leadership to a more inclusive and team-centric approach. An effective leader recognizes that leadership can be distributed – that by delegating power, trusting team members, and encouraging participation, the overall capacity of the organization multiplies.

Empowerment means giving people the autonomy, resources, skills, and confidence to take initiative and make decisions in their areas of responsibility. Empowering leaders share information freely, clarify boundaries (what decisions can be made at what level), and then let their team do their jobs without micromanaging. They provide support and coaching as needed, but they don't interfere unnecessarily. P. E. Bourne's Rule 9, "Delegate," encapsulates this: "You can't do everything yourself… surround yourself with trusted people and let them do the work of the organization."[141][142]. As an organization grows, trying to centralize every decision with the top leader becomes a bottleneck. Great leaders avoid this by building a leadership pipeline – nurturing and trusting deputies and team leads. Bourne notes that in highly functional organizations, deputies have different complementary skill sets, enriching the whole, and are fully trusted and respected by the leader[141][143].

Empowering leadership has concrete benefits: it tends to improve employee motivation, innovation, and speed of decision-making. When people feel empowered, they have ownership of their work and are more invested in outcomes. They're also more likely to use their creativity to solve problems rather than just escalate everything upward. Research on empowerment (often called "empowering leadership") finds that it's associated with higher job satisfaction and performance. For example, a meta-analysis in Journal of Organizational Behavior (2018 by Lee et al.) showed that empowering leadership behaviors (like delegating authority, participative decision-making, coaching) positively affected employee psychological empowerment, which in turn boosted performance and creativity. It also reduced turnover. Essentially, most people want a sense of control and growth in their work; empowering leaders provide that, and reap the rewards of a more capable and proactive team.

Collaboration is closely related. Effective leaders break down silos and encourage teamwork, both within their immediate team and across the organization. They promote a culture of sharing knowledge, joint problem-solving, and collective celebration of wins. As highlighted earlier, Kouzes and Posner's fourth practice is "Enable Others to Act," which is about fostering collaboration and building trust[144][145]. Great leaders know that complex projects often require multiple perspectives and skills, so they facilitate cooperation rather than competition among team members. They might implement collaborative tools, set up cross-functional project teams, or create physical spaces conducive to teamwork. Importantly, they themselves model collaboration – for instance, a C-suite leader actively working with peers in other departments, instead of guarding turf. When the top demonstrates collaboration, it trickles down as the norm.

Collaboration also extends to how leaders involve others in decision-making. While we noted leaders must be decisive, it doesn't mean they shouldn't seek input. On the contrary, the best decisions often arise from collaborative discussions. Leaders will often practice consultative leadership: get input from those with knowledge, encourage debate on important issues, and build consensus where possible. Bourne's Rule 4, "Lead by consensus and shared governance," touches on this: while autocrats impose decisions, enabling leaders seek broad input and aim for consensus, or at least explain openly if they must decide against the majority[146][147]. By doing so, they ensure people feel their voice was heard, which increases buy-in even if the final decision isn't each person's first choice.

One specific aspect of empowerment is developing others – leaders act as mentors and coaches to build the skills of their team. This is a part of servant leadership's commitment to growth and also transformational leaders' individualized consideration. When leaders take time to mentor, provide learning opportunities, and challenge people to rise to new responsibilities, they effectively multiply the leadership capacity in the organization. They are "creating the conditions in which others can excel," as noted in an HBS online piece[148][149]. This addresses succession planning and organizational continuity as well; a leader who hoards all knowledge and power leaves a vacuum when they depart, but one who has empowered and developed a cadre of capable people leaves a legacy of strength.

Trust is the foundation of empowerment and collaboration. Leaders must trust their team's competence and intentions to delegate meaningful work to them. Likewise, team members must trust that if they take initiative, their leader will back them up (and not punish them for failures if they acted responsibly). Building that trust requires consistency, support, and fairness from the leader – essentially many qualities we've covered (integrity, empathy, humility). When trust is high, empowerment flourishes: people feel safe to make decisions and collaborate because they know their leader and teammates have their back. Gallup research notes that when employees strongly agree that their leader trusts them, they are far more likely to be engaged.

A modern development in leadership is the concept of "shared leadership" or "distributed leadership", especially in knowledge-based organizations and agile teams. This is where leadership roles shift fluidly depending on expertise – someone who is not the formal manager might lead a project if they have the relevant knowledge, with the formal leader stepping back. For shared leadership to work, the formal leaders must be comfortable giving up control and trusting others to lead in their domain. This is empowerment to the extreme, and it can unlock tremendous agility and creativity, as everyone is encouraged to take initiative when they are best positioned to do so. Many tech companies and innovative firms operate with elements of this model (flat structures, self-managed teams). Leaders in such environments act more as guides or architects of the system than directive commanders. They set vision and values, and then let teams self-organize to an extent. That requires a high degree of letting go, which only confident, humble, and empowering leaders can do.

On the collaboration front, consider Satya Nadella again: one of his big shifts at Microsoft was breaking the internal fiefdoms and fostering a more collaborative culture (e.g., encouraging the Windows and Office teams to work together, or making Microsoft products more open to working with competitors' platforms). He famously asked teams to "partner, partner, partner" and moved performance reviews away from stack-ranking (which pitted employees against each other) to more holistic evaluations that value teamwork. The result was better innovation and success in cloud services, etc., because the collaboration improved. This underscores that collaboration is not just a feel-good notion but a competitive advantage – in complex domains, no single person can have all the answers, so teams that gel and share knowledge will outperform those with isolated geniuses or siloed units.

Delegation and empowerment also tie to time management. A leader who fails to delegate will be consumed by tasks that others could do, leaving them no bandwidth for truly strategic work or for supporting their people. Effective delegation, on the other hand, frees the leader to focus on high-level priorities and on removing obstacles for the team. It also empowers team members by giving them meaningful responsibility. Bourne notes that even at a small lab level, as it grows, senior members should take on leadership roles – a professor can't micromanage every experiment once the lab scales[141][142]. By delegating, leaders also signal trust and confidence in their team's abilities, which often becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy: people rise to the occasion.

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."

In sum: Empowerment and collaboration are about enabling collective success rather than individual heroics. Great leaders build an ecosystem of leadership around them. They create an environment where people feel powerful, not powerless – where initiative, teamwork, and shared success are the norm. As a result, the organization can achieve far more than any single leader, even a brilliant one, could alone. This quality might be summarized in the proverb: "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." Empowering, collaborative leaders choose to go together – and thus go farther, building organizations that are resilient, innovative, and engaging places to work.

Passion and Commitment

A less "technical" but nonetheless vital quality seen in great leaders is passion – a genuine enthusiasm and commitment to the mission, the work, or the purpose of the organization. Passionate leaders truly care about what they are doing. This passion is often contagious: it inspires and energizes those around them. When employees see a leader who is genuinely excited and dedicated, it can ignite their own motivation. Conversely, a leader who seems apathetic or disengaged will struggle to inspire others to go the extra mile.

Passion in leadership can be manifested as:

Enthusiasm and Energy: Great leaders often display a high level of energy – not necessarily in a hyperactive way, but in terms of being proactive, upbeat, and tireless in pursuit of goals. They come to work with spark. For example, consider Elon Musk working long hours and being deeply involved in engineering discussions at SpaceX and Tesla – his intense passion for innovation drives him, and many employees find that motivating (though it can also set extreme expectations). Or Mary Barra talking with genuine excitement about electric vehicles as the future of GM. Passion gives leaders a kind of charisma, even if they are not traditionally charismatic, because people are drawn to those who deeply believe in what they're doing.
Commitment and Work Ethic: Passionate leaders are committed – they are willing to put in the hard work and persevere through difficulties out of devotion to the cause. Their example sets the tone. If a team sees the leader working hard, not as a martyr but out of sincere commitment, they feel more compelled to give their best as well. Bourne's Rule 1, "Lead by example," described a scenario of a leader waking up before dawn to continue work even after a major event the night before[87][150] – that dedication left an impression on observers. Passion fuels endurance; it supplies the intrinsic motivation to sustain effort. As a result, passionate leaders often handle long hours or stress better because they find the work inherently meaningful or exciting. Passion also correlates with courage to overcome obstacles, because if you care deeply about an outcome, you'll keep fighting for it.
Optimism and Belief: Leaders with passion usually harbor a strong belief in the mission's value and in the team's ability to achieve it. This positive belief can elevate a group's morale and confidence. For instance, Steve Jobs had an almost evangelical passion for creating "insanely great" products; his unwavering belief in Apple's innovative potential helped the team achieve breakthroughs (though his style had both positive and negative aspects, his passion was undeniably a driving force). Passionate leaders are often optimists, not in a blind way, but in projecting a vision of success that others can rally behind. They acknowledge challenges but fundamentally believe in the cause. This belief can manifest in how they speak – with conviction and inspiration – which reassures and motivates others (linking back to communication skill).
Alignment with Purpose: When a leader's personal passions align with the organizational purpose, it creates powerful authenticity. For example, a hospital CEO who is truly passionate about patient care (maybe they have a background in medicine or a personal story with healthcare) will likely be a more inspiring leader to hospital staff than someone who treats it just as a business. People tend to infer a leader's passion from their actions: Do they talk frequently about the mission? Do they engage in the core work or with customers out of genuine interest? Passion is hard to fake consistently. When it's real, it builds credibility. A leader's commitment to the values of the organization also signals passion – e.g., an environmental NGO leader who personally lives in environmentally conscious ways shows alignment and passion for the cause, which can galvanize followers.

Why is passion important beyond morale? Passion often fuels creativity and persistence. Leaders who love what they do tend to immerse in it, which leads to deeper insight and more creative ideas. They might spend spare time reading about industry trends or tinkering with new concepts because it doesn't feel like "work" to them – it's their passion. Also, in tough times, passion equates to strong emotional resilience; they won't give up easily because they are emotionally invested. It's similar to the concept of "grit" (Angela Duckworth's research on passion and perseverance toward long-term goals). Gritty leaders with sustained passion and commitment often achieve more over time than those who are merely skilled but not passionate.

Passion from the top can shape organizational culture. If a CEO is visibly passionate about, say, innovation and customer delight, those things become cultural values that permeate down. Employees catch the fire. On the flip side, if a leader is dispassionate, employees may wonder why they themselves should care deeply. That's why some turnaround efforts involve bringing in leaders with fresh passion for the product or customers, to reignite the company's spirit.

However, it is worth balancing passion with reason; unbridled passion without listening or reflection can become fanaticism. Great leaders temper passion with the other qualities – e.g., humility ensures passion doesn't become arrogance, empathy ensures passion doesn't ignore others' perspectives, and integrity ensures passion doesn't justify unethical means. With those checks, passion is a tremendous positive force.

In employee engagement surveys, one factor that often surfaces is whether leadership displays passion/enthusiasm. Employees prefer to work for leaders who seem to genuinely care about the work and lead with excitement. It makes their own work life more meaningful.

Real Example: Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba, often spoke with such passion about the internet's possibilities for small businesses, his energetic personality and almost theatrical enthusiasm rallied employees (and even a nation of entrepreneurs). His passion was part of the Alibaba ethos of "having fun" while changing the world of commerce. It helped Alibaba overcome early struggles when Chinese investors and partners doubted an e-commerce model – Ma's infectious passion kept his team pushing forward.

In summary: Passion and commitment are the emotional drive behind a leader's actions. They inspire trust and followership because people can see the leader is all in. Combined with vision, communication, and integrity, passion can transform a group from just doing a job to pursuing a mission. It's often said that leadership is about inspiring others to dream and do more – and inspiration inherently involves igniting emotion. Passion is the spark that ignites that flame. Great leaders leverage their authentic passion to motivate their people, to persevere through difficulties, and to celebrate the journey of achieving something meaningful together.

These qualities – integrity, vision, communication, emotional intelligence, humility, decisiveness, adaptability, empowerment, passion, and others – together paint the portrait of an ideal leader. It is a high bar, and no leader is perfect on all dimensions at all times. But the greatest leaders consciously strive to develop and embody these traits. They recognize leadership is a journey of continuous learning and self-improvement[82][83]. The good news, as research and experience show, is that many of these qualities can be cultivated. In the next section, we will briefly discuss how one can develop leadership qualities, and then conclude.

Developing Leadership Qualities

Having identified the myriad qualities that contribute to good and great leadership, a natural question arises: Can these qualities be developed, and if so, how? The consensus of modern research is that while some individuals may have predispositions or early experiences that give them a head start, leadership skills and qualities can indeed be developed through deliberate effort, experience, and feedback. In other words, leaders are both born and made – innate traits provide the raw material, but learning and development shape those traits into effective leadership.

In fact, effective leadership development is a huge focus for organizations and business schools today. Below are some ways in which aspiring leaders (or current leaders seeking growth) can cultivate the qualities we have discussed:

Self-Assessment and Feedback: Development begins with self-awareness. Tools like personality assessments (e.g., Myers-Briggs, Big Five inventories) or 360-degree feedback surveys can help leaders identify their strengths and weaknesses relative to leadership competencies[64][151]. For instance, a 360-feedback might reveal that while colleagues find you very honest and accountable (high integrity), they also perceive you as micromanaging (low empowerment). With that knowledge, you can target improvement. Openly seeking feedback – as Linda Hill advises ("ask peers, what should I keep/start/stop doing?")[152][153] – is a powerful practice. Leaders can even solicit a mentor or coach to observe them and give candid feedback on areas like communication style or emotional responses. Honest self-reflection, possibly aided by journaling or discussions with a mentor, allows leaders to understand the gap between how they see themselves and how others see them, and to monitor their growth over time.
Training and Education: Formal training programs can build specific skills. For instance, many organizations run leadership development programs (LDPs) where participants undergo workshops on topics like strategic thinking, communication, conflict resolution, and emotional intelligence. There are also courses (online or in-person) focusing on areas such as public speaking, decision-making under uncertainty, or cross-cultural leadership. Academic research indicates that well-designed training can improve competencies – for example, a meta-analysis by Lacerenza et al. (2017) in Journal of Applied Psychology found leadership training effective at improving learning, behavior, and outcomes, especially when it included practice and feedback. Business schools incorporate a lot of leadership training in their curricula (e.g., case studies, simulations, teamwork exercises) to instill qualities and give practice in safe environments. However, training alone is not enough; it needs to be paired with real-world application.
Challenging Experiences (The "Crucibles" of Leadership): One of the most powerful teachers is experience, particularly challenging assignments that stretch a person's capabilities. Many leaders cite "crucible moments" – significant challenges or even failures – as the times when they grew the most as leaders. Taking on a project in a new area, leading a team through a crisis, or working abroad in a different culture can all expand adaptability, resilience, and strategic thinking. Intentional job rotations or stretch assignments are often used in corporations to broaden up-and-coming leaders. For instance, moving a manager from a domestic role to an international one can build cultural empathy and adaptability; or putting a technical expert in charge of a multidisciplinary project can improve their communication and delegation skills. The key is stepping outside comfort zones, as Linda Hill emphasizes: "Stepping outside of the spaces where we feel safe is a powerful teacher."[154][155]. Organizations should give emerging leaders opportunities to manage bigger scopes or cross-functional initiatives, with support but also real accountability, so they learn by doing (and sometimes by failing and recovering).
Mentoring and Coaching: One-on-one mentoring from a seasoned leader can be invaluable. A good mentor can role-model the leadership qualities, share wisdom from their own journey, and give personalized advice and feedback. Mentors can also help mentees reflect on ethical dilemmas or big decisions (reinforcing integrity and strategic thinking). Executive coaching, often provided by professional coaches, is another method where through guided reflection and practice, leaders work on specific behaviors (e.g., improving listening skills, or becoming more decisive). Collins mentioned that some Level 5 leaders had significant life experiences or mentors that sparked their development[156][157]. Many high-level leaders have cited mentors as crucial in instilling values like humility or teaching how to inspire a vision. For example, the late General Colin Powell often spoke about how mentors in the Army taught him early on to take care of his troops (building his servant-leader tendencies). So, seeking out mentors and learning from exemplary leaders – even if indirectly by studying biographies of great leaders – can help internalize key principles.
Developing Emotional Intelligence: Emotional intelligence can be improved through practices like mindfulness training (which enhances self-awareness and self-regulation), active listening exercises, and empathy-building activities. Some companies incorporate emotional intelligence workshops where leaders practice scenarios requiring reading emotions or responding with empathy. Additionally, simply investing time in relationship-building with colleagues can improve social awareness – e.g., having informal conversations to learn about people's lives and perspectives fosters greater empathy over time.
Building a Leadership Mindset: This involves adopting attitudes conducive to growth. For instance, viewing leadership not as status but as service (this mindset shift fosters humility and servant leadership qualities). Another aspect is embracing learning – a leader should be a lead-learner, showing curiosity (as Hill's list included curiosity as a top quality[158][159]). Leaders can cultivate curiosity by asking more questions and exploring new domains (take courses, read widely beyond one's field). Encouraging oneself to be open to feedback and admitting mistakes publicly can over time diminish defensiveness and strengthen authenticity.
Feedback Loops and Reflection: Many great leaders are avid reflectors. They might keep a journal of decisions and outcomes to glean lessons. After major projects or events, doing an after-action review (what went well, what didn't, what do we learn) can be institutionalized, and it also helps the leader personally reflect on their performance. Reflection helps connect experiences to personal development – turning experience into insight. It's also an opportunity to align one's actions with values (e.g., "Did I act with integrity in that negotiation? If not, how will I handle it differently next time?"). Some leaders schedule regular time (weekly or monthly) to step back and think about personal leadership challenges, maybe guided by a framework or even spiritual/ethical considerations, which can reinforce qualities like integrity and vision alignment.

Organizations also play a role in encouraging leadership development. A culture that values continuous improvement, allows safe failure (which encourages risk-taking and adaptability), and recognizes the demonstration of leadership qualities (not just hitting numbers) will produce more leaders with those qualities. For example, if a company rewards managers for developing talent beneath them (empowerment) and leading ethically (integrity) rather than just for short-term metrics, it nudges leaders to focus on those areas.

It's important to note that developing leadership qualities is a long-term endeavor – it's often iterative and two steps forward, one step back. Patience and persistence are needed. The leaders we admire typically have worked on themselves over years or decades. As Collins hypothesized, a good number of people have the potential to reach higher leadership levels with the right experiences and self-work[156][157].

In summary: Yes, leadership qualities can be learned and strengthened. Through intentional practice, stretching experiences, feedback, and guidance, individuals can become more visionary, more emotionally intelligent, more decisive, more humble, and so on. The journey is never "complete" – even the best leaders keep learning. This continual growth mindset among leaders is critical because as the world evolves, new leadership challenges arise (for instance, leading remote teams requires even greater communication and trust-building skills than traditional settings). The upshot is that aspiring leaders should take heart: you don't have to be born a charismatic genius or a paragon of virtue to become a great leader. By actively developing the qualities we've discussed, one can significantly improve their leadership effectiveness.

Conclusion

Great leadership is a rich tapestry woven from many distinct qualities – from integrity and humility to vision and courage. In this report, we explored how effective leaders in business (and beyond) combine strong character, clear strategy, excellent people skills, and enthusiastic drive to guide their organizations to success. While the image of the "great leader" can vary – one might be a quiet, servant leader in one context, another a bold transformational visionary in another – the fundamentals underlying their effectiveness are remarkably consistent. Research and experience highlight that the best leaders are trustworthy (honest and ethical)[80], empathetic and emotionally attuned[108], visionary and inspiring[90], humble and self-aware[9], decisive and accountable[128], adaptable and resilient in the face of change[131], empowering of others and collaborative[144], and passionate about their mission. These qualities create a synergy – integrity and empathy build trust, vision and communication spark engagement, humility and empowerment unleash collective talent, decisiveness and resilience drive progress through adversity.

It is the blend of personal virtue and practical competence that makes a leader not just good, but great. Pure charisma without integrity can lead to failure (as seen in numerous corporate scandals where flashy leaders lacked ethics). Conversely, noble intentions without decisiveness or vision can lead to stagnation. Thus, balance is key. We saw, for example, that Level 5 leaders pair intense professional will with personal modesty[9], and transformational leaders balance inspiration with individualized consideration[25][29]. Great leadership is a holistic enterprise.

Throughout, we cited historical and contemporary examples – from Shackleton's resilience to Satya Nadella's empathy and collaborative style – illustrating these qualities in action. These examples reinforce that leadership is context-dependent: Shackleton's qualities shone in a life-or-death polar crisis, Nadella's in rejuvenating a tech giant. But in each case, the leaders applied the core principles of caring for their people, charting a clear course, and exemplifying the behavior they sought from others. They won not just the minds but the hearts of their followers, which is the essence of true leadership.

The business focus of this report underscores that these qualities aren't just "nice-to-haves" – they have tangible impact on organizational performance. Ethical, inclusive leadership builds strong cultures that attract and retain talent; visionary, communicative leadership drives innovation and alignment; emotionally intelligent, humble leadership fosters engagement and collaboration, which in turn improves productivity and service quality[84][160]. Numerous studies we referenced confirm the bottom-line benefits: higher employee satisfaction and commitment, better change adaptation, and even financial outperformance have all been tied to effective leadership behaviors[30][39][51][52]. Gallup's finding that poor leadership is a leading cause of disengagement (with its huge costs) is a cautionary note[5] – leadership quality is not just an abstract moral concern, but a critical economic one for organizations.

We also emphasized that leadership qualities can be developed. Through self-reflection, feedback, training, challenging experiences, and good role models, individuals can grow into better leaders over time. Great leaders typically remain students of leadership throughout their careers – continually honing their self-awareness, learning from mistakes, and adapting to new contexts. The journey to great leadership is iterative and requires humility; it's a process of becoming more effective in serving and guiding others, not a one-time achievement.

In closing, one might ask: given this long list of qualities, is there a single thread that runs through them? Perhaps the single thread is that great leadership is fundamentally others-focused and purpose-driven. All the qualities – integrity (doing right by others), empathy, communication, empowerment, etc. – revolve around elevating others and pursuing a meaningful goal. A leader's legacy is often defined by how well they enabled those around them to flourish and how faithfully they pursued the mission. As one proverb says, "Society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in." Great leaders plant seeds for the future, focusing not on personal credit but on collective success and longevity of the enterprise. They operate with a blend of head and heart: the head to navigate and decide, the heart to connect and inspire.

For anyone aspiring to lead – whether a small team or a large corporation – the message is that cultivating these qualities is both possible and worthwhile. Not only will it improve organizational outcomes, but it will also earn you something perhaps even more rewarding: the trust, respect, and loyalty of the people you lead. And as numerous studies and anecdotal testimonies show, people will go to extraordinary lengths for leaders they trust and admire – leaders who they believe are competent, care about them, and have a compelling vision. That is the true power of great leadership: it unlocks the potential of others. As the late leadership scholar Warren Bennis wrote, "Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality." The qualities we discussed form the capacity to do just that – to turn ideas and values into tangible results through collective effort.

In the dynamic business landscape of the 21st century – with rapid change, diversity, and complexity – the need for good and great leaders is as pressing as ever. By understanding and striving to embody the qualities outlined in this report, current and future leaders can rise to that challenge. The path is certainly demanding, but as countless examples show, the impact of great leadership is profound: organizations that thrive, innovations that change the world, and communities that flourish. In the end, the qualities of great leaders enable them not just to achieve goals, but to elevate those around them and leave a legacy of positive influence. And that is the mark of truly great leadership.

Sources:

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• Center for Creative Leadership (2025). 12 Essential Qualities of Effective Leadership[79][1].
• Judge, T. A., & Piccolo, R. F. (2004). Transformational and Transactional Leadership: A Meta-Analytic Test of Their Relative Validity. J. Applied Psych., 89(5), 755-768[30][16].
• Judge, T. A. et al. (2002). Personality and Leadership: A Qualitative and Quantitative Review. J. Applied Psych., 87(4), 765-780[14][13].
• Yukl, G. (2013). Leadership in Organizations (8th ed.). (Definition of leadership as influence and shared goals)[162][163].
• Collins, J. (2001). Level 5 Leadership: The Triumph of Humility and Fierce Resolve. Harvard Business Review[9][115].
• Goleman, D. (1998). What Makes a Leader? Harvard Business Review (on Emotional Intelligence)[104][105].
• Gallup (2015). State of the American Manager (on disengagement due to poor leadership)[5].
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Qualities of Good and Great Leaders