Mick Hunt is the founder of Mick Unplugged.
Our culture today tends to celebrate the exceptional: the visionary, the superstar, the prodigy. Too many people, driven by their desire for external validation, want to be extraordinary, but they overlook the basic qualities that make a good leader.
True leadership begins with mastering the fundamentals—learning to be humble, empathetic, adaptable and self-aware—and knowing how to serve others before yourself. You can’t skip these steps. Greatness is a byproduct of being good consistently, not a goal you can fast-track. Before you strive for greatness, focus on being good.
Four Essential Traits Of A Good Leader
In my experience as a business leader and an executive coach, I’ve found that these four traits form the bedrock of good leadership.
1. Humility
A good leader never thinks they’re the smartest person in the room. When you lead from a place of humility, you acknowledge that you don’t have all the answers and are willing to learn from others. Staying humble keeps you connected to your team and open to their ideas and feedback.
2. Empathy
A dictatorial, “my way or the highway” leadership style is a thing of the past. The modern leader must be empathetic and attuned to the emotions and experiences of the people around them. Showing empathy builds a culture of trust in your organization and makes you more human and relatable. Empathetic leadership is also tied to critical business outcomes, including greater productivity, innovation, inclusivity and engagement.
3. Adaptability
If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that the world is constantly changing. What was solid yesterday is no longer solid today. You may not be able to predict what challenges the future holds, but you can learn to be agile and adaptable. A good leader pivots when necessary and remains open to new solutions, keeping their business and their team resilient.
4. Self-Awareness
A strong leader recognizes both their strengths and their weaknesses. Knowing what you bring to the table and what you need to work on helps you stay grounded and make better decisions.
Common Leadership Pitfalls
Bad leadership habits often become ingrained because leaders don’t recognize that they are harmful. They may have adopted these practices with good intentions, not realizing that they are eroding trust and motivation on their team.
Micromanagement
One of the biggest leadership misconceptions is that micromanagement is actually enhanced attention to detail. A leader who is micromanaging a person, a process or an idea may justify their behavior by saying they are just being thorough or cautious. But the truth is, they are reluctant to relinquish control. Micromanagement hinders innovation, autonomy, morale and trust within a team. If you’re constantly looking over every employee’s shoulder, you’re likely to stifle their creativity and performance, undermining your own objectives.
Self-Promotion
Leaders may think that talking about their own successes will motivate others, but this approach often backfires. Self-promotion under the guise of inspiration comes off as ego-driven and insincere. Good leadership is about building others up, not constantly showcasing your own achievements.
Over-Delegation
Some leaders believe that they’re empowering their team by delegating as many tasks as possible, but in reality, they’re abdicating responsibility. Delegation without direction leads to confusion, misalignment and a lack of accountability. You truly empower your team when you delegate the right things while offering the support and guidance needed for success.
Best Practices For Good Leadership
Good leaders are willing to set aside their egos and commit to ongoing development. No matter where you are in your leadership journey, these strategies can help you lead and learn effectively.
• Reflect on your leadership style.
Set aside time for regular self-reflection. Look back on your decisions over the past week or month, and ask yourself if your actions have truly aligned with the kind of leader you want to be. When did you feel you were living your intentions and values? When did you fall into habits you’d like to change?
• Seek feedback from your team.
A good leader is flexible in thought and understanding, and that flexibility starts with active listening. Encourage honest input from your team, both positive and critical, to sharpen your self-awareness and keep you grounded. I advise the leaders I coach to hold bi-weekly meetings—once a month for receiving feedback and once a month for giving feedback—to create a culture of purposeful, two-way feedback.
• Delegate with purpose.
Don’t just pass tasks along to your team without context. Start by identifying your desired end result, whether you’re launching a successful new product or fixing an internal process. Then create a clear vision around that outcome and communicate it to your team. Make sure that each team member understands not only what they are responsible for but also why it’s an important part of the bigger picture.
• Model the behavior you want to see.
Your team will follow your example, not just your words. If you want your team to be humble, empathetic, adaptable and self-aware, you must demonstrate those traits in your own actions.
• Focus on continuous growth, not perfection.
Michael Jordan famously said: “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
Perfectionism is a barrier to success. Instead of striving for perfection, focus on constant, incremental improvement. Keep learning and growing imperfectly.
Leadership is a lifelong journey. You can’t be great until you’ve mastered being good. Aim to be good today, knowing that greatness will follow.
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