Think You Are A Great Leader? Then That May Be The Problem

I have been leading for 30 years and have coached hundreds of leaders, whether through running companies or in my coaching business. I have worked with all levels of leadership with varying traits and levels of leadership experience. Throughout that time I have come to learn that there is a big difference between the top 5% of leaders and all the rest.

So what makes the top 5% that much better? It all boils down to four traits they all share.

1. They don’t think they are great (ever) – by far they will tell you they have a lot of work to do (and mean it) to improve their leadership abilities.

2. The are voracious learners, always trying to become better leaders, communicators, and people in general. They don’t continuously learn because they have to, they do it because they love to.

3. They are extremely humble. Always. They don’t wear their titles on their sleeves, they don’t brag or boast, and they don’t have an unhealthy ego. And it is never that “fake” humble.

4. They are the best at active listening, hands down. Fully engaged, fully listening, 100% present in the moment, seeking to understand before being understood.

And the leaders who think they are great (but are average, slightly above average, or not that good)? They simply don’t rise to the levels of what I listed above. They don’t recognize they have to always be working on becoming better leaders, they don’t seriously engage in continuous development, they don’t prioritize active listening, and sometimes quite frankly aren’t that humble.

So where do you stand? Where do you think your boss, peers and direct reports believe you stand? What can you focus on developing so you can become a better leader? There is no finish line or “I’ve fully got it” when it comes to being a great leader. Continuous development, grounded in a desire to learn and improve, is the only way to be in the top tier of leaders.