LeadershipDifferentials

The best leaders I know have some notable difference making attributes. Almost all are learnable skills and/or mindsets.

Those impactful leaders exhibit the following attributes:

-Integrity -- What they DO matches what they SAY, consistently, persistently, reliably.

-Emotional-Social Intelligence -- They know themselves, they self-regulate effectively, they understand others, they are excellent at relationship management (see the writings of Daniel Goleman). 

-Betterness Focus -- They are deeply and energetically committed to improving themselves, the teams on which they serve, the communities they inhabit. 

-Courage -- They are not afraid to try new things, consider new perspectives, engage with those different than themselves, rigorously test their own assumptions, speak the truth. 

-Transparent -- They consistently convey humbleness, willingly show their vulnerabilities, and seek the advice and counsel of many others. They neither traffic in secrets nor engage in low-level conversations. 

-Voracious Learners -- They understand that LEARNING (both personal and organizational) is the basis for all the bulleted items above; thus they relentlessly pursue more knowledge and better skills.

As I review the list above, I see that I have much work still to do.