The general perception is that strong leaders are innovative, opportunistic, brilliant and motivating. However, great leaders are more driven by soft skills with which subordinates can truly identify.

Are you likable? Do you have integrity? Are you honest? Over the course of nearly 28 years running a company, I have come across three key leadership personas that I refer to as the good, the bad and the ugly. Here are their attributes:

The Good

Confident: Great leadership is derived from a can-do attitude. Subordinates thrive on positive energy and want a leader who keeps a cool head. As Warren Buffett said, “The most important thing to do if you find yourself in a hole is to stop digging.”

Transparent: Team members want the information they need to be successful. When leaders are transparent, the team feels empowered, engaged and prepared to face any hurdle. When left in the dark, they feel unprepared when facing adversity.

Mature: Leaders look at the big picture and don’t get embroiled in pettiness. Being moody makes it uncomfortable for subordinates, who walk on eggshells because they’re not sure which boss they will encounter. Confident leaders maintain an even keel and instill the same stability in employees.

Empowering: There is no blueprint for business success. Decision-making can’t be so regimented that a team is unable to adapt. Empowering employees to think on their feet puts them in position to solve problems, make decisions and learn to become leaders.

Empathetic: Good leaders recognize the importance of empathy in managing employees with varying skill levels and personalities. Some leaders worry that empathy is viewed as weakness, but it actually makes leaders more relatable and causes employees to believe that leadership truly cares about them.

The Bad

Controlling: Some micromanaging leaders make all the decisions—a formula for disaster. Good leaders empower teams with responsibility and authority to make decisions.

Egotistic: Simply being in the corner office does not mean a leader is right. Teams reporting to such a leader might withhold opinions, worried that disagreements will make them look foolish. Humility allows leaders to build stronger relationships within
an organization.

Demoralizing: If a leader wants the team to arrive early and stay late, but doesn’t demonstrate the same commitment, it will be hard to set that as an expectation. Employees want to go to battle every day for leaders who are all-in and equally committed to the goals and aspirations of the organization.

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