20 Proven Things All Great Leaders Always Do
In an inconsistent world, great leaders are consistent.
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Great leaders always:
- Tell the truth.
- Demand the truth.
- Act in the best interest of their organization.
- Get results through others.
- Celebrate the success of others.
- Challenge the status quo.
- Press into the future while honoring the past.
- Try.
- Receive criticism gracefully.
- Learn.
- Inspire.
- Improve.
- Encourage.
- Listen more than speak.
- Take responsibility.
- Show gratitude.
- Pursue clarity and specificity.
- Engage in self-reflection.
- Act in alignment with who they are.
- Rest.
What essential leadership behavior can you add to the list?
Which behavior do you find most challenging and/or effective?
21. Boldly share their intuition
22. Articulate what is going on in the moment
23. Have clear intentions, but remain flexible to outcome
24. Complete with integrity
25. Honor their share when mistakes, or short-comings occur
Deborah,
Thanks for adding to the list. I find #23 a challenging tension. On one hand leaders need tenacity and determination. On the other hand, a leader that can’t or won’t adapt or adjust is a loser.
Thanks,
Dan
Dan,
Very timely, I begin a study this AM with our Crossroads Class (18 to 25 years of age). The study is generation Y and what tomorrows leaders will look like. Thank you for the added thoughts – stability was one of the points for our opening week. Will be using your Development thoughts in the weeks to come
Scott,
Thank you for starting this conversation off. You have my best wishes for success in your study.
Dan
Dan, this is a great list! Rest is probably the most challenging to get right. It is so easy to get absorbed in what you are doing, particularly when you love it and for me, rest is a new focus I wish to allow myself time for more and more.
Thabo,
Thanks for your comment and sharing an area that I’m sure many leaders struggle.
Best,
Dan
Another great blog Dan!! I have started sending these to leaders I interact with in USA, India, Australia–keep up the good work.
Some can write-others can train, some can share…. there is something we can all do to encourage and inspire. Thanks for your writing skills….making it easier for us all to share with others.
Gene,
Thanks for your encouragement. A good word always feels good.
Best to you,
Dan
Good list, Dan, and one that I will copy and pass along, with your permission.
Resting is difficult, as Thabo has pointed out, but I think the heart of what you have listed lies in your intro…consistency. Being consistent, wholistic and integrated in your approach will darw people to you when you are trying to move forward.
Hi Martina,
Feel free to share. Thanks for checking.
You’ve hit on the thing that makes leading most difficult, consistency. Personally, the greatest leadership challenge I feel is that it’s always game on.
Thanks for joining the conversation.
Best,
Dan
– Avoid getting caught.
– Apologize profusely after being caught.
Steve,
Your comment made me chuckle, thanks. How about don’t do anything where “getting caught matters.” 🙂
When it comes to apologizing… I’m definitely in.
Best,
Dan
Hi Dan,
A good refresher and as a short-list, this can easily be used for reference on any place: even on the back of the door in the restroom, just For reminding purposes on how one stands in life.
Keep well
Hi Ewaumans,
I’ve probably been in worse places than the back of a restroom door. Better there than in the garbage… 🙂
Cheers,
Dan
Dan, excellent post. I would also add, be transparent. To my customers and colleagues, be trasparent about what drives my actions and about what I’m doing and how. Don’t make they wonder about my motives, or about what they can expect from me in any situations.
Lisa,
Great addition to the list. I appreciate that you set parameters on transparency. Sometimes we need to hold our tongue and/or be transparent in very selective groups. But we can always be transparent about what drives us, what we are doing, and how we plan to do it. Very useful.
Best,
Dan
Hi Dan very comprehensive list and one to go up on the wall. As several have mentioned rest eludes us unless we actively pursuit it. As far as adding to a very inclusive list I would say show passion in everything you do and remember that leaders are always on stage. Dan I guess if I want to be truthful in the moment and demonstrate how your last point is so difficult, here I am on vacation in the Carribean and although I have been off the grid for 24 hours I find myself migrating back as you can see. Dan is this a Leader’s addiction and if so can you recommend some rehab place? 🙂 Best Al
Ok Al,
Don’t make me block you! 🙂
I’ll give you a couple days to decompress and then I’ll have to start kicking butt.
We love the Caribbean. My favorite island is St. Lucia.
I suppose leaders can have some addictions… be well and enjoy.
Best,
Dan
Well apparently Al, it is more than a 20 step process and life long!
Also agree about the passion piece, if you are doing it, do it 100% and if you can’t do it 100%, keep faking it until you can!?
Half of these can be summed up with one line, “Always act with integrity”.
Hi Susan,
I like what Denny Strigl says about integrity. It’s more than honesty. It’s doing the right thing even when people aren’t watching.
I suppose the other half might be summed up with one word, love.
Thanks for joining in,
Dan
I would add “play” – take yourself lightly, dance in the moment, take time off, laugh, whatever lightens your heart and frees your spirit.
Jeanny, you’ve hit on an important thing. Having fun doing what you’re doing is a must, but making sure you’re able to lighten your heart and free your spirit is the only way we can keep up the pace – and the quality. Thanks for those words, they made me smile.
I just found a new must-read blog, thanks to @StartupPro’s tweet. I love it, Dan.
Hard to add to such a great list, and comments. Perhaps to drill down on one concept: Accept failure.
Too often, failure is spun into something happy and reasoned away about what was learned. To be sure, it is a vital learning opportunity, but don’t act like it didn’t happen, and we all just got smarter. It can be a gut-punch, or worse, and by owning that, a real leader can gain respect by honestly and humbly addressing how the failure hurts– and how much it matters to the team. Without that accounting of what matters, and empathy for others, a leader can start to seem out of touch and therefore less effective.
Mike,
Thanks for your first comment and mentioning @StartupPro. I was fortunate to chat with him month’s ago. He is helpful and generous. I’m thankful I had the opportunity.
Thanks for adding to the list. Your comment regarding failure is well stated and makes sense.
Please come back in the future to add your insights to the discussion.
Best,
Dan
Yep Mike,
Embrace failure!
If you want a continuous improvement model, celebrate failure and of course then learn from it!
The sooner we learn we are all human and it is is our strength/weakness to make mistakes, then we can grow. Now repeated intentional mistakes is a whole different thread…
thank you for the post and looking at the comments its seems I am on the right path. Political minds are every where and I must say they drain of energy. Work,play and truthfulness really helps the team and the individual to get up and get going.
Saumya,
There is a temptation to “play politics”. If people feel it, they must resist it. It opens a downward door, as you say, that drains energy.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Best,
Dan
Dan, Perfect – all 20 are spot on. Thanks for a great post. – Karl
Another great post Dan!
– Read
– Teach
– Motivate – Thirsty horses will drink on their own!
The most difficult for me is “Rest”. It seems like there is always something more to do. Certainly, without rest our efficiencies go down the drain as well.
I have learned though, that our brains need a rest just to sort things out. Letting our brains digest what we already have can lead us to so many new and exciting things. We need to give ourselves the time to let our brains work for us – while we sleep!
Speaking of rest – gotta run! Thanks.
I am learning the value of listening more than speaking. This has been a large lesson in my life. As a Pastor we were taught to have all the answers and enter meetings as informants rather than collaborators. Now, we go in with questions and a listening heart that everyone can contribute and we are constant learners from the team!
I love how you mentioned rest. That one is easy to forget. However, I would add about spending time with family/friends who aren’t involved in whatever it is we are trying to achieve.
Great post and comments! The only thing I would add is:
Build Relationships
Those leaders that do this and earn the respect and trust of their people are much more able to bring about change.
Wonderful list and thread all!!
Status quo=no change Stagnate=stand still (thesaurus) Sound bout the same to me. Why would anyone tolerate the status quo and not want to improve just a little here or there?
Since we are in a continuous improvement mode here…
#9 Seek criticism or again as with mistakes, embrace them.
#14 Listen twice as much as you talk. Goes beyond the two ears one mouth…really listen for the message between the lines.
#99(?) Unrelenting Respect…respect the work, respect the people doing the work, respect the vision, respect yourself…in all that you do be do be do! 😉
If you make the list long, no one would cease to exist..
I think most of leader doesnt receive critisme from others especially from the lower employee,and all leader rather to speak loudly than listen others,this point should be totally eliminate.Its important to them.
A great blog post, Dan. I think the most important thing is a leader’s stability, consistency and their vision. Being erratic is no way to become a great leader.
Great post Dan. I like numbers 10-13 Learn, Inspire, Improve and Encourage. Those 4 actions are vital to the future of any leader and to those that he/she is leading. It’s my opinion, but when we learn and improve our own minds and abilities, we can inspire and encourage others to do the same.
Keep writing Dan. Your blog is providing an opportunity to learn, be inspired to improve and it’s encouraging those who may be struggling.
Glad I subscribed!
To your terrific list, I add:
* Listen to honest feedback
* Manage moods & emotions
* Coach others to tap their leadership ability
* Laugh at self and with others
Great tenets here. More like a tablet full of good commandments to follow: thanks
Great List! Love the comments/additions. A couple of additional thoughts.
– spend as much time finding out what is going right as you do what is going wrong.
– next to #20 – renew
– care about other’s success as much, or more, than your own
– don’t take things personally
– don’t care more than they do (it can create an unhealthy imbalance in your energy and relationship).
Thanks, Dan.
Love it. I’m learning more and more that personality doesn’t make the leader.Humilty makes the leader. Courage makes the leader. Integrity makes(and breaks) the leader. Jesus makes the leader. Thanks for this post. It speaks volumes.
Inspinring Great 20 things to develop my own leadership,
thanks for the post!
Hi
I really like the list. Looking at my own priorities in my leadership I would like to add:
– to be present and available to the ones you lead.
Kind Regards:
/Mathias
I love the list, but there are always more.For my list, I would use all of yours and I would add; 21 Makes mistakes, but learns and adjusts accordingly.
-Encourage Ethics into Business Practise.
Thanks for a great post, Dan! I would toss “rest” into the larger pot of “Practice great self care” and would also add “Know how their work stems from their purpose and values.”
Gotta keep the aliveness there! 🙂
Nicely said Laura. Over the years I’ve come to appreciate the value of self-care and self-reflection. Best, Dan
Oooh! Thought of another one. It’s actually something that has to be present so that #4 above can happen, and that’s “Trust their people.”
This is huge!
Thanks for adding to the list. Cheers, Dan
I find “challenging the status quo” most challenging (6). Though one may desire to go against the grain, we all know there is power in #s. Therefore its a challenge if an individual tries to counter the norm. This is why I am an advocate for community. I’d say #13, “Encourage” is most effective!
This may be basic, and precede a few of the others; but, if I needed to add anything it would be “Decide.” Similar to #19- it should be an authentic act. And even if a mistake is made, as long as s/he is able to “Learn” (6) then one’s leadership is still exhibited.
Hi Dan,
What about over experimenting? Some time over experiments that are not relevant and avoiding consequence of over experimenting. Thanks for the great post. Much appreciated.
There is only one you. Serve others first and treat them (in every circumstance) as you would expect to be treated
Inspinring Great 20 things to develop my own leadership,
thanks for the post!