The Five Traits of Any Great Leader
It’s not your title that makes you a leader. It’s these five behaviors

lead·er·ship
/ˈlēdərˌSHip/
noun : the action of causing a group of people or an organization to go with one while moving forward.
Leadership = Action x People
I’ve been thinking about the subject of leadership for quite some time now. What does it mean to be a leader? What does it mean to be an exemplary one? When to lead? When to follow? Who to follow and why?
I’ve had the great pleasure and privilege of working with great leaders. Some are in roles where leadership is expected (executives, C-level, founders, activists, etc,) but most are not.
They’ve inspired me to do better. Be better. Everyday. They’re the inspiration behind this article.
I’ve also worked with people in leadership positions who shouldn’t have been there in the first place. The only thing they’ve inspired me to do is not to follow in their footsteps. They’re not bad people. They’re just not leaders of people.
I’ve learned a great deal from both — the good and the bad. Over time, I’ve come to realize that what I value in the leaders I admire the most is their ability to do the following five things and do them well:
#1 — Communicate Their Vision
Leaders have conviction. They have purpose. They see things others don’t or cannot see. We call that vision. A leader without a clear vision is a train without a destination.
Who wants to hop on a train to nowhere? Not me.
To lead, you need people to join you on that purposeful journey toward that vision. That means leaders have to evangelize, or communicate, their vision effectively.
Thought leadership is part and parcel of anyone’s ability to lead.
Exposure is leverage, and great leaders expose their ideas, their thinking, and their aspirations to their audience frequently. That’s how they gain, and sustain, support, and credibility. That’s why the vast majority of great leaders write articles and blog often.
“Great leaders must have two things: a vision for the world that doesn’t yet exist and the ability to communicate that vision clearly.” — Simon Sinek
#2 — Inspire Action
The difference between a boss and a leader is that a leader leads with influence, while a boss leads with authority. A leader inspires you into action by showing you a path forward that excites you. A boss dictates your actions by telling you what to do.
A leader shows by example. A boss gives orders.
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” — John Quincy Adams
Leaders never undermine you. A boss would. To a boss, making a decision for you is more important than helping you reach that decision yourself. To a leader, the opposite is true.
#3 — Are Authentic
Authenticity engenders trust. Without trust, you cannot lead.
Examine the Trump phenomenon. Love him or hate him, he is perceived to be authentic. His followers value that aspect of him above all else. They trust him.
Leaders aren’t infallible. They’re human. They, too, struggle. The ability to share those struggles in a way that inspires people to do better and be better is the art of leadership.
“Everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Heroes are no different. Everyone struggles. Take solace in that.” — Tim Ferriss
#4 — Promote a Growth Mindset
Leaders are obsessed with setting and driving a culture that nurtures and grows its people. A culture that generates future leaders. They have a great capacity for empathy, and they practice what Carol Dweck calls the Growth Mindset (see below).
Promoting a growth mindset in a corporate culture creates an environment rooted in learning and resilience to criticism. It’s all about what leaders value in their teams.
If they reward talent and intelligence, they create a culture of a fixed mindset, because talent and intelligence are perceived to be fixed traits incapable of evolving or improving.
If, on the other hand, they reward processes, effort, and strategies employed by their teams, they create a culture of a growth mindset; a mindset that values learning, experimentation, and risk-taking.

In building a culture, words matter. I highly recommend this TED talk by Carl Dweck on the power of the words, “not yet”.
This is probably the hardest trait for leaders to master. It takes deep courage and conviction to do this consistently and effectively.
“The courage of leadership is giving others the chance to succeed even though you bear the responsibility for getting things done.” — Simon Sinek
#5 — Are Self-Aware
In my opinion, this is what makes an exceptional leader. They have an acute awareness of their strengths and weaknesses, and they always — always — ask for feedback.
Their growth mindset grounds them in the fact that they’re never done improving. They’re never done growing. They know when to lead and when to follow.
“I think self-awareness is probably the most important thing towards being a champion.” — Billie Jean King
All leaders leave behind a lasting impression, but those who embody the aforementioned traits leave behind a lasting, positive legacy.
By forging a vision, inspiring people to pursue it, sharing their humanity along the way, rewarding progress and effort, and knowing when to let others lead, they change the lives of those who follow them forever.
“Your legacy is every life you’ve touched.” — Maya Angelou