What traits come to mind when you think of great leadership? For many of us, it’s confidence, drive, and assertiveness.
Those are, of course, vital traits – but there are so many more factors that leaders must embrace to be highly effective in their roles. Collectively, I call it the “Leadership X Factor”. The great news is that many of you probably already possess several of these underrated traits. For every leader reading this, I would wager to say that each and every one of these skills can be developed. Take a look at the list below of these underrated traits and see which you possess (and the ones you could spend some time working on).
Underrated Leadership Skills
- Empower Your Team: You prioritize supporting your team so that they can be the best they can be.
- Optimism: Even when the landscape is challenging, you look for the good. You are able to inspire hope.
- Learn from Self-Doubt: You are able to use self-doubt as a pathway toward growth, rather than something that holds you back.
- Earn Respect: Respect is not a requirement. You know that you have to earn it – to deserve it.
- Hiring People Smarter Than You: There’s no coasting. Hiring people who are smarter than you can challenge you in the best way and encourage amazing growth.
- Humility: You know you don’t know everything. You remain humble.
- Empathy: You consider the thoughts and feelings of your team (and everyone around you) and are able to offer them support and encouragement.
- Listen: You know that listening isn’t just a skill you learned in kindergarten. You listen to connect, to grow, to establish trust.
- Agility: There’s no backing down in the face of hardship for you. You pivot, you improve, you chase down success.
- Grit: You’re laser-focused. You’re tenacious, no matter what challenges or dark times you may face. You get the job done.
- Growth Mindset: What comes next? How can you grow, and help your team grow? You’re ready to find out and do whatever it takes to get there.
- Authenticity: Leadership isn’t about looking perfect at all times – you know that looking within and learning how to admit and strengthen your weaknesses is critical.
- Storyteller: We grow up on stories and you remember just how important they are. You know they can change the world, and you use your storytelling abilities to motivate, change, and grow.
- Willing to Learn: New ideas don’t scare you. Your mind is curious and you’re eager to evolve.
As you read this, I encourage all of you to really focus on the skills that you need to develop. These traits will make you stronger and more effective in your role. Creating “urgency” in developing all of these skills will keep you at the top of your game. Click here for more on these traits from successful leaders.
Reach out for assistance developing these underrated leadership skills. I look forward to hearing from you.
Best,
Michael
