5 Rare Habits of Great Leaders

Leadership is more than having a strategic plan. Great leadership means inspiring employee loyalty and commitment to the company and its mission.

These 5 rare habits make for the best managers and bosses.

They Listen Well

Great bosses are effective communicators. But great communication is more than just talking, it’s mastered by those who know how to listen. And great bosses know how to listen. They intuitively ask questions that put others needs at the forefront. Peter Drucker said, “The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said”. Good listeners don’t just actively listen, they read between the lines and intuit what’s not being said.

They Openly Communicate

Great leaders are transparent in their communication. The Container Store, one of the “Top 100 companies to work for” makes this a priority. They believe every employee should know everything. The leadership team has stated: “Nothing makes someone feel more a part of a team than knowing everything has been communicated to them. We know that some information we share could fall into competitors hands, but the advantages far outweigh the risks.”

They’re Compassionate Drivers of Results

Compassionate leadership is the ability of a leader to be able to “walk a mile” in their employee’s shoes. Compassionate leadership inspires others through understanding the pains and difficulties that are part of each employee’s jobs and doing everything possible to alleviate those difficulties. Research shows that organizations with higher levels of compassion and forgiveness have higher levels of customer retention, innovation, performance, profitability, and quality. And employee turnover is lower as well.

They Focus On Growing Others

When a manager or leader is focused on helping their employees grow their strengths and talents, and to reach their potential within an organization, they create greater levels of loyalty and commitment. This type of attitude communicates to employees that employee growth is one of the highest priorities of the company. It also communicates that each employee is important and valued.

They Create Success By Coaching Others

The most effective leaders provide personal mentoring and coaching to their employees to make sure each one is aligned with their performance measures, job purpose, and is fulfilling the company mission. Most people, especially Millenials, gravitate toward working for leaders who coach their employees toward being more successful.