What makes a great leader? That’s the million dollar question without a clear-cut, simple, do this and you’ll rock answer. Ask a group of people and you are likely to get a ton of different answers, but I do think there are a few core skills that great leaders have in common.

Growth Mindset

Leaders should always seek to improve and learn; whether through books, podcasts, TED Talks, or talking with other people. A growth mindset requires a certain amount of vulnerability, strong desire to learn, and feedback. While seeking feedback can be scary, it is essential to growth and improvement, so seek it whenever possible.

Dweck also writes

It’s not about you

Great leaders make it about everyone else. They adapt their style to meet the needs of others. Meet them where they are at, not where you expect them to be, and lead them to the desired outcome. Do you know what type of learner the other person is? Try to teach them in the way that works best for them (I wrote more in this blog post). DISC profiles can help you adapt your communication style too (learn more about DISC Profiles).

Empower others

One of the biggest shifts leaders make as they transition from individual contributor to leader of others is the need to shift their mindset from doing the work themselves to empowering others to do the work, and then supporting them along the way. This shift can be extremely difficult for many people. We often have a limiting belief that our way is the best way; but we need to let go and allow them to forge their own path. They may not do it the same way we would, and that’s OK. They might even find a better path.

Listen more than you talk

This ties in with the concepts of it’s not about you and about empowering others. You need to hone your listening skills to do these things. Leaders need to constantly coach, which requires you listen about 70% of the time and talk only 30% (and when you talk, most of it should be questions). Learn about the other person: what do they like; where do they struggle; how can you support them?

Share praise, accept blame

Jim Collins talks about Level 5 Leaders in his book Good to Great; he explains that when praise is given, the Level 5 Leader stands behind their team and let’s the praise flow to them. When criticism arises, however, they stand in front of their team and take the blame; believing that they did not lead well if the team struggled.

Be willing to have difficult conversations

Few of us enjoy walking into difficult, awkward or contentious conversations. Great leaders do it anyway. While there are definitely skills which can be honed to improve your ability to work through these conversations well, it also takes practice. Consider having someone provide feedback on how you did, or set up role plays to get practice.

Lead heart first with an open mind

As Brene Brown writes in Dare to Lead, courageous leaders keep an open mind and gracious heart.

In the end, I reflect back on Maya Angelou’s quote …

Reflect on some of your favorite leaders. How did they make you feel? Chances are, you felt empowered, heard, supported and you knew they had your back. Practicing these key skills will help you be a great leader.

Leadership is a journey and we need to always be learning, practicing and improving. Great leadership isn’t something you achieve; it’s ever-evolving. It also doesn’t take giant leaps. Just do a little bit at a time. Choose one thing and make small progress on it. But most important, just practice.

Prefer to watch? No problem - check out my video on my YouTube Channel where I talk about Key Leadership Skills