Personally, I’ve worked with a number of great leaders, and just a few leaders that I couldn’t quite figure out how they were promoted into their position. I would imagine your career experience is something similar to mine.

What do I value in a leader? There are endless adjectives that describe the ideal leader, but naturally because I tend to be fond of lists of 10, I’ve chosen ten words that to me best describe my ultimate leader.

TEAM-ORIENTED

January is a time when the work I completed in the final months of last year either makes the current month smooth and easy or a potential headache. With a good leader, you don’t feel like you’re operating alone on an island. They jump in and ask, “how can I help?” or give constructive suggestions on how to rectify whatever the situation is that’s going on at a particular time.

COMPASSIONATE

Hopefully you report to a leader that has walked in your shoes. Being only human, all of us experience failure at one time or another (or are you learning anything?). The ability of a leader to make you feel uplifted in those down times and know that they’ve experienced the same feelings is a hallmark of good leadership.

ACCOUNTABLE

When I was in college, I had a boss who basically ran roughshod over all of us underlings, and definitely let us know we were simply tools to be used to complete tasks. If something went wrong, this individual was quick to find a way to deflect any kind of responsibility from their plate to one of ours. A good leader accepts accountability for those who report to them and works to create a cohesive and competent team. Your failures are their failures, so there is built-in incentive to be accountable to their superiors and their team.

INSPIRING

Winston Churchill had the unenviable task of leading Britain and the Allied powers into World War II against the Nazis. His spirit, wisdom and perseverance helped to save democracy around the world. His ability to speak and inspire the nation was one of his most prevalent superpowers. Nothing matters more in a working environment than being inspired to excel by your leadership.

Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts.

Winston Churchill

A GREAT COMMUNICATOR

Conveying a thought or idea to a team and pursuing excellence together takes the ability to fully help a colleague visualize the concept and how they play an important role in its execution and success. As actor-turned-US President Ronald Reagan so easily demonstrated, passion and purpose in communication style can make the seemingly impossible seem not improbable.

Whatever else history may say about me when I’m gone, I hope it will record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears; to your confidence rather than your doubts. My dream is that you will travel the road ahead with liberty’s lamp guiding your steps and opportunity’s arm steadying your way. 

Ronald Reagan

RESPONSIVE

How many times have you gone into a one-on-one or an annual review with your boss and came out feeling like you weren’t heard? Like your opinion really just doesn’t matter? Almost as if they already know what they plan to do in a particular situation, even though they solicited your thoughts and/or opinion?

A great leader does more than listen. They recognize the talents that each one of us possess and coordinate with us to capitalize on them. When something goes awry, they are in the trenches with us to resolve the issue…titles don’t matter.

COMPETENT

Now and again, you move into a position where you just get the feeling you know more about what’s going on than your supervisor. Normally a situation such as that is short-lived, as the person’s lack of competence is soon revealed. Demonstrating competence in their position instills confidence in a leader’s direct reports, making the working environment productive and stable.

RESPECTFUL

It’s hard to be proud of the work you do when you are treated like Rodney Dangerfield eight hours a day. Having an understanding and respectful leader makes you want to perform better for them, knowing you’re respected and that your work is appreciated and matters.

APPROACHABLE

On one hand you have the boss that sends a clear message that they don’t want to be disturbed…ever. Then you have the boss who touts their door is always open, to a point you’re ready to close it yourself. A good leader finds the happy medium where (in the words of .38 Special) they hold on loosely, but don’t let go. You can succeed without ever feeling alone.

FORWARD-THINKING

I believe “visionary” is a bit pompous to describe most leaders, but the ability to foresee issues before they arise or anticipate a need before the need surfaces only makes the team as a whole stronger and more cohesive. The demonstration of that thought process also creates other forward-thinkers, which in today’s super-fast paced world gives some businesses the upper hand.

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So, there you have it! Ten of my favorite words to describe traits of great leaders. What adjectives have I left off the list? Are you a great leader? What advice would you give someone who strives to that level of excellence? Share your thoughts in our comment section.