Last week I talked about what I believe is the biggest mistake that leaders make. You can check it out here if you would like to make sure you’re not falling into that trap. Today I want to explore the things leaders do that make them truly exceptional. I prefer to focus on the positive, so this seems like a good follow-up to last week’s negativity.

The list I’m going to share with you comes from Glenn Leibowitz. Glenn is head of communications at a global management consulting firm and he writes about personal and professional development, media trends, and writing well. I like what he has to say about exceptional leaders and wanted to expand upon his thoughts. In full disclosure, Glenn had 13 traits on his list. One felt repetitive and another I didn’t really agree with, so I’m giving you 11 of his 13.

The ironic thing is that this list was shared with me by someone who could really learn a lot from the points Glenn makes. At least half of them are traits this person didn’t possess, or just didn’t understand. That made me think that maybe each point could use some more explanation. So, without further ado, here are 11 Inspiring Traits of Exceptional Leaders:

1. They trust you to do the job you’ve been hired to do

2. They seek your advice and input

3. They find opportunities to let you shine

4. They recognize your contributions

5. They have your back during tough times

6. They challenge you to do bigger and better things

7. They express appreciation

8. They are responsive

9. They know when to apologize

10. They treat others with dignity and respect

11. They care

Let’s break these down.

They Trust You to do the Job You’ve Been Hired to Do 

To be clear, this doesn’t mean that they hire you and set you loose. They hire you, orient and train you, ensure you’re a good fit for the company and culture, and then they trust you to do the job you were hired to do. They are also available if you have questions or need to talk through your ideas. There is no micromanaging or nitpicking. After making sure you have received the tools and resources needed to do your job well, an exceptional leader sets the vision and direction, then supports you as you thrive.

They Seek Your Advice and Input

I love this one! Strong leaders know that multiple perspectives strengthen decision making. They come to you to understand your perspective and how you think about issues or projects. It’s important to realize that the leader is likely gathering advice and input from other team members as well. In the end they may make a decision that is contradictory to what you believe is best. As a leader, that is their job, to consider all angles and to make the best decision for the company.

They Find Opportunities to Let You Shine

Good leaders help identify your strengths. Then they align projects and work so you can use your talents. Exceptional leaders want you to excel because they know it will be good for you and good for the company. Then, when you have done a great job, they . . .

Recognize Your Contributions

They go beyond “giving credit where credit is due” by making it a point to share your hard work and the impact that it’s having on the business. And, they do it in a way that is genuine and appropriate.

They Have Your Back During Tough Times

Nobody’s perfect, we all make mistakes, and we all go through tough times. Strong leaders recognize the difference between a rough patch and a need for corrective behavior. It takes a confident leader to back up their team members when they mess up, but it’s imperative to maintaining a trusting relationship.

They Challenge You to Do Bigger and Better Things

I once had a boss who was great at this. Every time I started to feel like I had everything under control, he would give me more responsibility or a new project. I learned and grew so much in the five-years I worked with him. Those new projects pushed me outside of my comfort zone. I will note that I was also promoted and compensated for the additional work I took on. Raises weren’t given every time I did something extra, but it was enough that rather than feeling taken advantage of, I felt appreciated. An exceptional leader will challenge you appropriately, take care of you along the way, and give you the skills to reach your next level.

They Express Appreciation

This one is similar to #4 about recognizing your contributions. Exceptional leaders GENUINELY express appreciation for you, your work, your talent, your insights, etc. Nothing is more lame than a generic “I just want to thank my team for all their hard work” compliment. I learned through a children’s program I use to coach for that expressing appreciation has two (sometimes three) key components:

• Specifically state the behavior or action that you appreciate

• Share why it matters

• If appropriate, state how it made you feel

Here’s an example: Alice, thank you so much for organizing the marketing presentations. Your contributions helped save the team a lot of time. I’m really proud of how well the team is working together on this project. You are helping accelerate our work for faster growth.

They Are Responsive

Leaders have a million things vying for their attention and a million things they could be responding to at any given moment. Regardless, exceptional leaders pay attention to the needs of their team members. They easily assess when someone needs more support vs needs to be pushed. They have their finger on the pulse of the company culture and are tuned in to any issues that jeopardize it. When something is off, exceptional leaders quickly recognize and address the issue.

They Know When to Apologize

Just like everyone else, leaders are not perfect. They make mistakes. Strong leaders recognize when they have messed up, and they own it. As with expressing appreciation, an apology must be genuine and specific. That same youth program that I coached for also taught the steps to a sincere apology:

• State what your sorry for (specifically)

• State why it was wrong

• Explain what you will do differently moving forward

• Ask for forgiveness

For example: Janet, I’m sorry that I didn’t recognize how much extra time you were putting into creating the schedule. I should have given you more training on how to make that process easier. I realize that my mistake cost you a lot of time. I am going to set up a time where we can work on this together. I’m also going to make it a point to check in with you more frequently than what I have been doing. Will you forgive my mistake?

They Treat Others with Dignity and Respect 

Personally, I don’t think you should get to call yourself a leader if you don’t have this as a baseline. Leaders are exactly-as-human as everyone who works under them. Anyone who cannot or will not value their team members shouldn’t be allowed to supervise staff.

They Care

Generally speaking, on any given weekday we spend more waking time with our co-workers than we do with our families or friends. Any leader worth their weight – cares about the lives of their staff. They care about how work is impacting their “real life” and how their “real life” is impacting their work. They care about the culture they create and how it impacts their people. I would say that this trait trumps all of the others listed above. If a leader has this one, the rest will come naturally.

Want help developing your leadership skills or addressing a challenging culture? Email me at kim@athena-coco.com to schedule a free 30-minute consultation to see how we can help you grow into an exceptional leader or “coach-up”.