I recently googled “characteristics of a good leader.”
Some of the results seemed to be from the the previous century: strong authority, top-down decision making approach, clear vision, and strong communication. I won’t argue with clear vision or strong communication, but the others seem less like a good fit for the modern workplace.
Other descriptions mentioned characteristics that resonate more with me, and match what I’ve observed and experienced with good leaders. Here are the ones I’d highlight:
Self-Awareness, the ability to recognize and understand one’s own emotions, strengths, weaknesses, values, and impact on others.
Self-aware leaders are grounded and reflective. They can manage their reactions, make more intentional choices, and build authentic relationships. This awareness also helps them seek feedback, acknowledge blind spots, and continuously grow.
Problem-Solving Ability, or the capacity to analyze complex situations, identify key issues, generate viable solutions, and make effective decisions.
Strong problem-solving abilities often are part of what gets people promoted into leadership. Leaders think critically, weigh trade-offs, and balance short-term actions with long-term consequences. Great leaders create environments that empower other people to solve problems.
Humility is a grounded sense of self that includes openness to others’ ideas, willingness to admit mistakes, and an understanding that leadership is not about ego—nor is it all about the leader.
Humble leaders build trust by fostering collaboration rather than command-and-control. They create space for others to contribute, learn from diverse perspectives, and avoid the pitfalls of arrogance or overconfidence.
Adaptability, or the ability to adjust thinking, behavior, and strategies in response to changing conditions, new information, or unexpected challenges.
Adaptable leaders can adjust course when circumstances change and remain effective in fluid environments. They learn quickly, and show resilience. This flexibility is critical in today’s uncertain contexts.
Empathy hasn’t traditionally been thought of as a characteristic for leaders, but new thinking points to its importance.
Empathy is the capacity to recognize and accept as valid what others are experiencing. This enables leaders to respond with care and sensitivity.
Empathetic leaders build stronger relationships and inclusive cultures. They can see things from another’s point of view and are less likely to be blindsided by emotional responses to change. They listen deeply and recognize individual and team needs. They create psychologically safe environments where people feel seen, heard, and valued.
What didn’t show up in my search for leadership characteristics was system awareness. Yet, this is a crucial capability in increasingly complex organizations.
What is system awareness? Simply put, the ability to see beyond events to discern patterns, and see beneath patterns to perceive the environment and structures that influence patterns. It is the ability to create simple system models that allow informed action to shift the system.
This is part of what we teach in Problem-Solving Leadership—practical tools to aid in systems thinking, challenging assumptions and formulating questions that reveal useful information.
By Esther Derby