Two Most Important Leadership Characteristics

The two most important characteristics I’ve observed in great leaders are the coexistence of Kindness + Competence.

Here is a quick list of what makes a kind and competent leader.

Kind:

• I care personally about both myself and others.

• I have a “How can I help? How can I add value?” mentality.

• I practice honest and truthful communication.

• I build and value great relationships both internally and externally.

• I am pleasant to work with and be around.

• I have the ability to let go and shift perspective when needed.

• I do not engage in gossip or blame shifting in order to protect my energy and focus on what’s most important.

Competence:

• People can count on me. I show up on time, rarely cancel, and do what I say I will do. 

• I set clear goals, priorities, and action steps for myself and others to work toward and achieve.

• I understand my role and responsibilities. I operate within my strengths.

• In turn, I understand the role and responsibilities of others. I understand the strengths of others and allow them to operate within them. 

When I think of people I have coached who both enjoy their work and lead successful companies with a great culture, they more often than not exhibit the above qualities. They are also very coachable. They are open to trying new things, challenging their own thinking and beliefs, and care deeply about results and people. They often look at themselves first to fix or improve things. 

When I think of people I have coached who struggle to regularly enjoy their work and are often frustrated with others and their career growth, they often lack kindness in the workplace. The narrow focus on results and their way of doing things often come at the expense of collaboration and developing meaningful external and internal relationships which is key to business and leadership success. Unfortunately, these people are harder to coach. They often blame others for their unhappiness and lack of growth. They avoid looking at themselves and are not open to trying new things or challenging their own thinking or beliefs. 

Often when people are stuck in negative thinking cycles, they are not pleasant to work with and be around. This ultimately hurts their own development and upward trajectory. Despite being highly skilled in the technical aspects of their job, the way they talk about and treat others is routinely wrought with frustration and little patience and respect for others. They often struggle to let go of things or shift perspective. A lack of kindness for self and/or others is their major professional roadblock.

The truth is you can be results-driven and kind. In fact, being both may lead to more success over time, and dare I say, be a more enjoyable, sustainable, and fun way to work and lead. How are you practicing both kindness and competence to create a healthy, high-performing culture?