What I look for in leaders #blindpost

I saw this headline come up in my news feed recently: Richard Branson knows what to look for in leaders. And while I’m curious what Richard has to say on the topic (I’m a big fan of his), I decided it would make a great blindpost. A blindpost is when I see a headline and then pretend its my headline, and I write the article (without ever reading the original). Here are some examples of past blindposts.

Now, I’ve written a great deal about leaders and leadership on this blog, but I’m not sure if I’ve ever laid out what I specifically look for in leaders. So, here we go…

What I look for in leaders:

People who are empathetic. The ability to appreciate someone else’s point of view and struggles is a key to being a great leader.

Are they team players or individual players? Leaders need to be team players. They should help align their teams around a vision that they believe in.

Do they lead by example? Do they emulate the traits and characteristics that they want to see in their team?

Are they willing to roll their sleeves up and do the work when needed? Making it to a high level in a company can make some people feel like they don’t have to do the hard work any longer. That’s not the kind of leader I want.

Do they embody our culture? Are they going to be a champion for it?

Can they build trust amongst their team members?

Are they patient and thoughtful in how they mentor?

Perhaps Howard Shultz said it best:

Effective leaders share two intertwined attributes: An unbridled level of confidence about where their organizations are headed, and the ability to bring people along.

…what do you look for in leaders?

Here is another #blindpost I wrote, The two traits every entrepreneur needs. And a handful of my friends will suggest blindposts for me to write from time to time, please feel free to do that too!

~ above photo by Daniel Cheung