What qualities do you think every great leader possesses? Vision? Integrity? Openness? Creativity? Fairness? Assertiveness? Humility? Human resources experts have used those words, among others, to describe the traits leaders should have…but that verbiage falls short of actually defining behaviors that separate so-so leaders from those who are consistently successful.
When one of our clients, about to undergo a search for a new CEO, asked us about desirable leadership traits, I encouraged thinking outside the box, just like Tony Schwartz, author of “Be Excellent at Anything.” He takes a slightly different approach to identifying skills great leaders should have, drawing from his personal experiences working with inspirational people, and finding that great leaders possess four key capacities:
1. The ability to recognize employees’ strengths and believe in their abilities, which leads to expectations that become self-fulfilling. Employees will seek to excel when they have the support and confidence of their leader.
2. The ability to understand employees and meet their specific requirements. When employees’ core needs are met (physical, emotional, mental and spiritual), their performance and sustainability are positively affected.
3. The ability to clarify what success looks like, and then empower and trust employees to determine how to achieve it. Employees need to know what’s expected of them and have the freedom to complete those concrete deliverables as they see fit.
4. The ability to embrace their own “opposites,” i.e., vulnerability balanced by strength and confidence alongside humility. Employees will learn to value themselves, despite their shortcomings, when they see leaders freely acknowledging their imperfections.
Schwartz concludes that great leaders recognize the best way to get the highest value from employees is to give the highest value. That sounds a lot like “lead by example,” a concept that never seems to get old.
Schwartz, Tony. (2010), The Four Capacities Every Great Leader Needs (And Very Few Have), HBR blog
Centauric Thinking 
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