10 Underrated Qualities of Great Leaders You Didn’t Know About

When we think of great leaders, qualities like charisma, decisiveness, and vision often come to mind. However, there’s a hidden depth to effective leadership — a collection of underrated traits that can catalyze great accomplishments and foster resilient teams. Below, we explore ten of these often-overlooked qualities and provide actionable steps for developing them.

1. Empathy

Qualities of Empathy: Great leaders understand their team members’ feelings, thoughts, and perspectives, enabling them to make more compassionate decisions.

Action Step: Practice active listening in your next conversation. Instead of just responding, try to fully comprehend the speaker’s viewpoint. Repeat back what you heard to confirm understanding, and notice how this changes your interactions.

2. Humility

Quality of Humility: A humble leader willingly acknowledges their limitations and mistakes, fostering a culture of honesty and growth.

Action Step: Share a recent mistake with your team and the lesson learned from it. This vulnerability helps to normalize failure as a component of the growth process and encourages others to embrace their shortcomings.

3. Adaptability

Quality of Adaptability: A great leader can pivot in response to changing circumstances, showing resilience amid uncertainty.

Action Step: Conduct a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) of your current project or initiative. Identify areas where adaptability could be improved and develop a plan that assigns specific roles for agile responses to future changes.

4. Inclusivity

Quality of Inclusivity: Leaders who celebrate diversity and encourage participation create environments where everyone feels valued.

Action Step: Implement a system for gathering diverse viewpoints on team decisions, such as regular round-robin discussions or anonymous surveys. Ensure that all voices are heard and incorporated where relevant.

5. Visionary Thinking

Quality of Visionary Thinking: Great leaders don’t just focus on the present; they foresee and strategize for the long-term future.

Action Step: Take time out to craft a vision statement for your team or organization. What do you hope to achieve in the next five years? Write it down and share it, inviting feedback to clarify and inspire collective ambition.

6. Accountability

Quality of Accountability: Great leaders exemplify responsibility, continually reflecting on their actions and decisions, and expecting the same from their teams.

Action Step: Introduce a "check-in" process in team meetings where each member shares their progress towards personal goals, holds themselves accountable, and invites peer feedback.

7. Curiosity

Quality of Curiosity: Digging deeper and asking questions fosters innovation and continuous learning.

Action Step: Set aside time each week for exploration — read articles outside your industry, attend a webinar, or conduct informational interviews with colleagues in different departments. Make curiosity a habit.

8. Trustworthiness

Quality of Trustworthiness: A trusted leader builds a solid foundation for effective teamwork and inspires loyalty among team members.

Action Step: Keep commitments you make. If changes occur, communicate openly about why commitments could not be honored. Building and maintaining trust is a gradual but essential task.

9. Courage

Quality of Courage: Great leaders take calculated risks and make tough decisions, demonstrating strength in challenging environments.

Action Step: Identify a fear that’s holding you back in your leadership journey. Develop a small but actionable plan to face this fear directly, and reflect on the outcome afterward.

10. Gratitude

Quality of Gratitude: Authentic appreciation can amplify team morale and strengthen relationships.

Action Step: Start a weekly practice of acknowledging one team member’s contributions publicly during team meetings or through a dedicated “shout-out” channel in your communication app. Genuine gratitude can transform team dynamics.

Conclusion

Leadership is a multifaceted endeavor; nurturing these ten underrated qualities can lead to a more effective and progressive leadership style. Embrace empathy, cultivate humility, and harness accountability as you journey into becoming a truly transformative leader.

As you implement these action steps, remember:

"Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge." — Simon Sinek

If you enjoyed this article, or found it helpful, be sure to follow Kevin on Instagram @KSteineman for more insights and inspiration!

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