No company can genuinely grow without growing leaders first.

To cultivate leaders who will grow companies, the focus should be on developing people-centred leaders. They aspire to lead by serving others first.  From there, exceptional results follow.

The journey toward exceptional leadership is one of mindset and continuous personal development. Following are a few characteristics you can spot in others that show they have the innate qualities of becoming an exceptional leader.

Humility

This is the quality of having a moderate or low view of their own importance.  They are willing to relate to people on a human level.  They see their role as contributing to the collective whole.  These people will make time to get to know others on a personal level.  They are not afraid to connect with others and don’t see themselves as being better or lesser than the other person.  They demonstrate thoughtful responses when in communication with others.

Leaders need to demonstrate the courage to be human, not superior to everyone else.

Growth mindset

A growth mindset is where people believe their talents and skills can be developed through hard work, adaptability, learning from their mistakes and feedback from others.  These people will put learning first.  They keep their mind open and give everyone in the organisation a voice.  Every interaction is an opportunity for growth, personally and professionally.  They are interested in learning new ways of doing ‘the same old thing’ and willing to challenge the status quo. 

Exceptional leaders need to develop this skill to drive the business forward. 

Empathy

Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from their frame of reference.  They show compassion to understand others viewpoints, even if they disagree.  This encourages people to open up, and everyone around them tends to understand one another.  This often results in resolutions being found quicker.

Excellent leaders can utilise empathy to nurture their relationships, instinctively knowing they are crucial to business.

Intention in relationships

Intention is a mental state that represents a commitment to carrying out an action.  It involves planning and forethought.  These people will show purpose in how they build relationships.  They intentionally say good morning to team members, calling them by name, connecting back to a moment or story that matters.  This demonstrates that people and relationships are a priority beyond work itself.  They take an interest in those around them at a human level.

Great leaders show intention in their relationships.  They are willing to relate to people on a human level, they don’t think of them as just employees whose sole purpose is to complete a task.

Looking for these qualities in your staff will allow you to develop them into good leaders. 

• They are the type of leaders who open up the room for discussion, healthy debate and exchange of ideas. 
• They will ask for people’s opinions to help them get to know those who might not otherwise approach them. 
• They will drive growth and expansion through their actions, not just words. 

These are the type of leaders you want for your business going forward.