Great Leadership Qualities: What Makes a Leader Great?
- Justyn Bourdier
- May 3
- 8 min read
written by JONATHAN L HARRIS
filed under Leadership Development | Self-Awareness | Personal Growth
In today's rapidly evolving workplace, exceptional leadership has never been more critical. Whether you're guiding a remote team across time zones, building a startup from the ground up, or managing a department within an established organization, the qualities that define great leadership can make the difference between merely surviving and truly thriving.
What Are Great Leadership Qualities?
Leadership qualities are the distinctive characteristics, skills, and behaviors that enable individuals to guide, inspire, and influence others toward achieving shared goals. These traits go far beyond simply holding a position of authority they represent the fundamental building blocks of effective leadership that create positive impact throughout an organization.
In today's complex business landscape, strong leadership qualities matter more than ever. With remote and hybrid work environments becoming standard, global teams collaborating across cultures, and startups disrupting traditional industries, leaders must possess a diverse toolkit of capabilities to navigate uncertainty while keeping teams cohesive and productive.
Research consistently shows that organizations with strong leadership outperform those with weak leadership by up to 19% in revenue growth. Beyond financial metrics, teams led by individuals with well-developed leadership qualities report higher engagement levels, lower turnover rates, and greater innovation output.
12 Best Leadership Qualities Backed by Real-World Impact
Let's explore the twelve most impactful leadership qualities that consistently drive success across industries and organizational contexts.
1. Integrity
Definition: Integrity is the unwavering commitment to ethical principles, honesty, and moral soundness in all decisions and actions, even when difficult or unpopular.
Real-world example: Satya Nadella transformed Microsoft's culture by prioritizing integrity and ethical leadership. Upon becoming CEO in 2014, he established clear ethical guidelines for AI development and rejected lucrative contracts that didn't align with the company's values. This integrity-first approach helped Microsoft rebuild trust with customers and partners while driving the company's market value from $300 billion to over $2 trillion.
Reflection question: When was the last time you made a difficult decision based on your principles rather than convenience or personal gain?
2. Emotional Intelligence
Definition: Emotional intelligence encompasses the ability to recognize and manage your own emotions while understanding and positively influencing the emotions of others.
Real-world example: Jacinda Ardern, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, demonstrated exceptional emotional intelligence during the 2019 Christchurch tragedy. Her ability to authentically express compassion while taking decisive action showcased how emotional awareness can strengthen leadership during crisis. Her approach of "leading with empathy" became a case study in emotional intelligence creating connection and building trust.
Reflection question: How do you typically respond when team members express negative emotions or frustration, and what might this reveal about your emotional intelligence?
3. Vision and Strategic Thinking
Definition: Vision and strategic thinking involve creating a compelling picture of the future and developing practical pathways to achieve it while anticipating obstacles and opportunities.
Real-world example: Elon Musk's clear articulation of SpaceX's vision to make humanity multi-planetary has driven the company to achieve breakthroughs previously thought impossible. By connecting daily engineering challenges to the greater purpose of Mars colonization, this vision has attracted top talent willing to solve unprecedented problems and created a $100+ billion valuation from a startup that many experts initially dismissed.
Reflection question: Beyond quarterly targets, what compelling long-term vision guides your leadership decisions and inspires your team?
4. Accountability
Definition: Accountability means taking ownership of results—both successes and failures—and creating a culture where responsibility is embraced rather than avoided.
Real-world example: Alan Mulally demonstrated remarkable accountability while turning around Ford Motor Company during the 2008 financial crisis. He instituted a color-coded reporting system where leaders openly shared problems (marked in red) rather than hiding them. By personally modeling accountability and creating psychological safety for transparency, he transformed Ford's culture while competitors required government bailouts.
Reflection question: When a project fails under your leadership, how do you typically respond, and what message does this send to your team?
5. Effective Communication
Definition: Effective communication involves clearly conveying ideas, actively listening to others, and adapting your message appropriately for different audiences and contexts.
Real-world example: Ed Catmull, co-founder of Pixar, institutionalized effective communication through the company's "Braintrust" meetings. In these sessions, filmmakers receive candid feedback on works-in-progress in a format designed to separate the creator from the criticism. This communication framework enabled Pixar's unprecedented streak of creative and commercial successes by ensuring ideas were thoroughly examined without becoming personal.
Reflection question: What communication adjustments do you make when you notice your message isn't being understood or received as intended?
6. Empathy
Definition: Empathy is the capacity to understand others' perspectives, feelings, and needs—seeing the world through their eyes without judgment.
Real-world example: Hubert Joly transformed Best Buy from near-bankruptcy to thriving retailer by leading with empathy. Rather than starting with financial engineering, he began by visiting stores and listening to frontline employees. This empathetic approach led to innovations like the "employee first" strategy, where solving problems for workers directly improved customer experience, ultimately driving Best Buy's remarkable turnaround.
Reflection question: How do you regularly practice understanding your team members' individual challenges, motivations, and perspectives?
7. Adaptability and Flexibility
Definition: Adaptability and flexibility involve remaining open to change, adjusting approaches when necessary, and finding opportunity within disruption rather than resisting it.
Real-world example: Indra Nooyi led PepsiCo through a major strategic pivot with her "Performance with Purpose" vision, adapting the company toward healthier products before consumer preferences fully shifted. Despite initial resistance from shareholders focused on short-term returns, her adaptability positioned PepsiCo ahead of market trends, delivering 80% shareholder returns during her tenure while transforming the product portfolio.
Reflection question: What significant belief or approach have you changed in the past year based on new information or changing circumstances?
8. Decision-Making
Definition: Effective decision-making combines analytical thinking, sound judgment, and appropriate speed to make choices that advance organizational goals, even with incomplete information.
Real-world example: Jeff Bezos developed Amazon's unique decision-making framework distinguishing between "one-way door" decisions (irreversible, requiring careful analysis) and "two-way door" decisions (reversible, requiring speed). This approach enabled Amazon to innovate quickly while avoiding catastrophic missteps, as illustrated when they rapidly expanded into new markets like AWS while carefully planning major infrastructure investments.
Reflection question: Do you tend to decide too quickly or too slowly, and how does this pattern impact your effectiveness as a leader?
9. Delegation
Definition: Delegation is the strategic distribution of tasks and authority to team members based on their strengths, coupled with appropriate support and accountability.
Real-world example: Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, transformed the company's bureaucratic decision-making processes by implementing a delegation system that reduced approval layers from 15 to 5. By trusting mid-level leaders with greater authority and establishing clear accountability frameworks, GM accelerated innovation cycles while developing future leaders throughout the organization.
Reflection question: What important responsibilities do you currently hold that could potentially be delegated to develop your team members?
10. Courage
Definition: Courage in leadership means taking calculated risks, addressing difficult issues directly, and standing firm on important principles despite opposition or uncertainty.
Real-world example: Rose Marcario, former CEO of Patagonia, demonstrated courage when she directed the company to sue the federal government over public lands protections. This bold stance risked alienating customers but aligned with Patagonia's core values. The courage to take this principled position strengthened employee commitment and customer loyalty while positioning the brand as an authentic environmental advocate.
Reflection question: What conversation or decision are you currently avoiding that would require courage to address?
11. Passion and Motivation
Definition: Passion and motivation involve bringing authentic enthusiasm to your work while inspiring others to connect with larger purpose and meaning in their contributions.
Real-world example: Howard Schultz built Starbucks with genuine passion for creating "third places" in communities—spaces beyond home and work where people connect. This vision motivated employees to see themselves as creating experiences rather than just serving coffee. Even when making difficult business decisions like closing underperforming stores, Schultz's passion for the core mission maintained organizational commitment and customer loyalty.
Reflection question: When your team observes you daily, what cause or purpose do they see genuinely energizing you beyond financial targets?
12. Learning Agility
Definition: Learning agility is the ability and willingness to learn from experience, apply those insights to new situations, and continuously develop new capabilities as contexts evolve.
Real-world example: Satya Nadella transformed Microsoft's historically fixed mindset culture to a "learn-it-all" philosophy that prioritized curiosity over certainty. This learning agility enabled Microsoft to pivot successfully toward cloud services and subscription models. When Azure initially lagged behind AWS, rather than defending existing approaches, Nadella encouraged teams to study competitors and adapt rapidly, eventually closing the competitive gap.
Reflection question: What was your most significant professional mistake in the past year, and what specific changes have you implemented based on what you learned?
How to Identify and Improve Your Leadership Qualities
Understanding where your leadership qualities currently stand is the first step toward meaningful growth. Use this simple self-assessment to identify your strengths and development areas:
Quick Leadership Self-Assessment:
Rate yourself on each of the 12 leadership qualities above (1-5 scale)
Identify your three highest and three lowest scores
For each low score, note a specific situation where this quality would have improved outcomes
For each high score, identify how you can leverage this strength to develop other qualities
Common leadership gaps and solutions include:
Communication gaps:
Problem: Focusing on information delivery rather than understanding
Solution: Practice active listening by summarizing what you've heard before responding
Decision-making gaps:
Problem: Analysis paralysis or impulsive choices
Solution: Create a simple decision framework matching deliberation time to decision importance and reversibility
Accountability gaps:
Problem: Difficulty admitting mistakes or owning poor outcomes
Solution: Begin team discussions by acknowledging your own contribution to problems before addressing others' roles
Actionable steps to improve your leadership qualities:
Seek regular feedback through formal assessments, 360-degree reviews, or simply asking trusted colleagues specific questions about your leadership impact
Find a mentor or coach who exemplifies qualities you want to develop and can provide guidance based on experience
Practice reflective journaling by documenting leadership challenges and analyzing your responses over time
Take targeted courses focused on specific qualities rather than general leadership development
Create accountability partnerships with peers working on similar development goals
What Kind of Leader Are You?
Different leadership styles emphasize various combinations of the core qualities we've explored. Understanding your natural style can help you leverage strengths while developing complementary qualities.
1. Visionary Leader
Strengths: Strategic thinking, inspiring communication, passion.
Best for: Driving change or setting new direction.
Growth Areas: Delegation, empathy.
2. Servant Leader
Strengths: Empathy, integrity, accountability.
Best for: Building trust and team cohesion.
Growth Areas: Decisiveness in crises.
3. Democratic Leader
Strengths: Collaboration, emotional intelligence, delegation.
Best for: Leveraging team expertise or solving complex problems.
Growth Areas: Courage to act without consensus.
4. Transformational Leader
Strengths: Vision, innovation, adaptability.
Best for: Organizational change or disruptive growth.
Growth Areas: Patience during implementation.
5. Coaching Leader
Strengths: Mentorship, communication, learning agility.
Best for: Developing talent or future leaders.
Growth Areas: Addressing performance issues directly.
Quick Self-Assessment
Identify your style by reflecting on how you:
Make decisions (Independent, collaborative, or delegative?).
Communicate vision (Inspiring, growth-focused, or values-driven?).
Handle conflict (Direct, process-oriented, or coaching-based?).
Key Insight: Great leaders adapt their style to the situation. Use this framework to refine your approach!
Final Thoughts: Leadership Starts With Self-Awareness
The journey toward exceptional leadership begins with honest self-assessment and never truly ends. The most impactful leaders maintain a perpetual learning mindset, continuously refining their qualities while staying true to their core values and authentic style.
Remember that leadership development isn't about addressing weaknesses in isolation—it's about building a complementary set of qualities that work together synergistically. As you strengthen one quality, you'll often find others developing naturally alongside it.
Most importantly, leadership isn't about personal achievement or status. True leadership is measured by the positive impact you create—on your team members, your organization, and the broader community. By developing these twelve essential leadership qualities, you position yourself to make meaningful contributions that extend far beyond your immediate sphere of influence.
Ready to deepen your leadership journey?
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