Top leadership qualities of great leaders
Leadership qualities are the personal traits that make someone effective at guiding others—traits like integrity, communication, empathy, courage, and self-awareness. isn’t the same as management: anyone with the right qualities can be a leader, whether or not they’re a manager—and many managers don’t actually possess them.
Good leaders don’t just guide teams through critical decisions. They help shape the company as a whole. Here are the top qualities of exceptional leaders, plus practical ways to develop them.
What are leadership qualities?
Graham Weston, founder of the cloud-computing company Rackspace, said, “We all want to be valued members of a winning team on an inspiring mission.” As leaders, we have a role to play in delivering on this promise.
A good leader helps create an inspiring vision of the future, delivers that vision, motivates others to engage with it, and then builds and coaches a team to help achieve it. Certain qualities consistently show up in people who do this well—and they’re traits every leader can work toward.
12 top leadership qualities
Many qualities can make a great leader, but these twelve traits come up again and again.
1. Integrity
A leader with integrity is trustworthy, reliable, and honest. People with integrity follow through on their promises and take responsibility for their mistakes. They don’t hide them, make excuses, or blame others.
As a leader, integrity matters personally and for the organization. It’s particularly vital for top-level executives who steer the organization’s course and make significant decisions.
2. Delegation
Leaders often take on more work than they can handle, leaving them stressed and overwhelmed. That’s why delegating is one of a leader’s more critical responsibilities.
Effective delegation can be challenging. The point isn’t to get rid of work but to free yourself up to:
- Make better decisions
- Help the organization grow
- Provide autonomy
- Facilitate teamwork
What sets a great leader apart is assigning tasks to high-performing members who will prioritize what needs to be done. Delegation also pushes the leader to weigh everyone’s strengths and weaknesses when deciding who should take on what.
3. Communication
Great leaders can communicate in different ways and “paint the picture.” They can coach others and relay complicated information in an easy-to-digest manner while explaining what’s expected and how to get there. How well your leaders communicate directly affects the success of the company’s business strategy.
A great leader interacts with others authentically. That doesn’t mean they have to be an extrovert or a people person. Rather, they can actively listen, build meaningful work relationships, and show empathy to other while conveying complex information clearly.
4. Self-awareness
A great leader is self-aware—especially about their strengths and flaws. This helps you build a solid leadership style that reflects who you truly are and showcases your best work.
To be a good leader, you don’t want to fit into another person’s mold. Embrace the qualities that make you different. They’ll naturally develop into an authentic leadership style.
5. Gratitude
Leaders who show appreciation to others aren’t only more respected and influential—they’re happier too. Research links gratitude to lower stress and better overall well-being.
Yet leaders often fail to thank their employees for a job well done. Some believe gratitude signals vulnerability or weakness. In reality, it’s a sign of strength that leads to more robust organizations.
6. Learning agility
Learning agility is the ability to figure out what to do in situations where you may not know what to do. If you can quickly grasp new information or succeed in unfamiliar situations, you may already have it.
Anyone can improve their learning agility through practice, experience, and effort. Exceptional leaders are always striving to learn and grow—that’s what makes them successful. In business, things happen. How you deal with what happens is the art.
7. Influence
Influence is a vital leadership quality because it means others will follow and listen to you. It makes you effective as a leader, and employees and managers seriously consider your opinion.
Influence is different from manipulation. Having influence means you present ideas authentically and transparently, and people trust you.
8. Empathy
Empathetic leadership creates a work culture where team members feel appreciated, heard, and understood. This results in greater trust, collaboration, and .
When leaders show empathetic behavior, employees tend to view them as better bosses. This improves workplace conditions and creates stronger relationships and a more . Empathetic leaders also foster a and creativity and make thoughtful, informed decisions.
9. Courage
Courage empowers people to overcome obstacles and embrace uncertainty with conviction. Courageous leaders lead by example, make tough decisions, and act accordingly, even when the outcome is unknown.
Rather than letting conflicts or problems fester and grow, great leaders have the courage to take control of situations and move things in the right direction.
10. Respect
A leader who values respect is more likely to attract employees who prioritize the same mindset, which is crucial for an organization’s success. Respect is a mutual exchange, and it takes a respectful leader to establish a built on it.
Treating individuals with respect helps ease conflict and tension, creates trust, and improves decision-making. Fostering respect starts with being an active listener and making an effort to understand other people’s opinions.
Active listening means fully focusing on and engaging with the speaker—not just hearing their words but understanding their message, feelings, and perspective. It requires giving your full attention, asking clarifying questions, and providing feedback to demonstrate your understanding.
11. Responsible and dependable
Being responsible and dependable are crucial qualities for any leader. Exhibiting these traits in your work and your interactions with team members brings numerous benefits.
Being known as responsible and dependable lets other workers feel confident that you will:
- Fulfill your responsibilities
- Support them during challenging times
- Help them achieve group and personal objectives
12. Patience
Patience is an indispensable trait of a great leader. Effective leaders understand the importance of taking a long-term perspective on a strategy, situation, or goal.
The ability to withstand obstacles and keep moving forward without becoming discouraged or overwhelmed is crucial, whether the task at hand is a minor project or a significant corporate vision.
Benefits of having great leadership qualities
A great leader helps guide an organization. They provide vision and direction for their colleagues while inspiring and motivating them to achieve the company’s goals. They also create a welcoming environment that promotes communication and collaboration.
In short, if you want an organization that can achieve its goals, outstanding leadership and strong management are critical.
Great leadership also brings:
- A better work environment
- Improved productivity
- Better
How to develop the qualities of a good leader
Some people naturally gravitate toward leadership positions, but anyone can develop the skill set of a great leader. If you’re willing to put in the work, you can grow into an exceptional one.
How to become a good leader
The key to becoming a good leader is looking for opportunities to take on responsibility. These can be as small as coaching a sports team, helping your family run their business, volunteering for a local charity, or covering for your boss while they’re out.
These actions are relatively easy, but they’re real ways to step into a leadership role as you continue to learn and develop.
Identify your leadership style
One of the first steps in developing your qualities as a leader is identifying your leadership style. This helps you recognize your strengths and weaknesses and understand how others perceive your decision-making in the workplace.
Becoming familiar with your leadership style also clarifies the influence you have on others and how they see you as their leader. Consider what type of leader you want to be. Who in the organization do you want to be like? What approach or style do they have that you want to emulate?
Define areas of strength and areas for improvement
Because of their roles, most leaders don’t receive the feedback they need to develop their . Taking the time to define areas of strength and areas for improvement helps immensely.
More importantly, is a key practice for all leaders—a systematic approach to making incremental improvements in yourself.
Ways to gather this information include:
- Asking for feedback from people you work with, especially details about how you lead and what they enjoy about working with you.
- Trying self-reflection exercises, then reviewing your notes every month to see how you change over time.
- Figuring out what motivates your team members and creating a vision that works for everyone.
- Encouraging other employees to teach you to be more assertive in areas where they excel.
- Providing feedback to others that’s clear, specific, and constructive.
Find a mentor or coach
Finding a mentor is a great way to develop the qualities of a great leader. Look for mentors who are empathetic, honest, creative, and authentic—someone who’s both caring and invested in your professional growth. To find these mentors:
- Explore your personal network
- Start conversations with those around you about development and growth
- Look for people who have similar tasks to yours and understand your role and position
Coaches are another great option. Coaching offers a huge amount of self-reflection and may develop your longer-term skills better than mentorship. It also helps people learn more about themselves and how to take on a leadership role.
Be patient
Developing into a great leader takes time. It’s a journey, not a destination, and something you’ll work on regularly throughout your career, whatever your level within an organization.
By staying patient and continuously applying these leadership characteristics to the roles you take on, you’ll learn, grow, and—over time—become the leader you always wanted to be.
Learn about who you are
To learn more about your leadership style, consider completing a personality assessment like the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator. It offers further information about your psychological preferences in how you perceive the world and make decisions.
What is the best leadership style?
Leadership style describes how a leader manages, directs, and motivates others. Understanding yours helps you offer better guidance and feedback, giving people insight into your decision-making processes and strategies.
There are various leadership styles, but is often regarded as one of the most effective because it encourages everyone within an organization or group to participate. Everyone gets the opportunity to share opinions, and they know that you, as the leader, will listen. This keeps employees engaged because they know their feedback matters.
While democratic leadership is often the recommended approach, other styles may suit you better. These include transformational leadership, which inspires and motivates others without micromanaging, and servant leadership, which is based on the idea that leaders prioritize serving the greater good.
Should you be using a customer intelligence platform?
Do you want to discover previous employee research faster?
Do you share your employee research findings with others?
Do you do employee research?