I read a concise article online on the Harvard Business review: Ten Fatal Flaws That Derail Leaders
by Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman
I reversed the language and came up with the following: Ten Vital Traits of Leaders
Leaders:
Have energy and enthusiasm. They embrace new initiatives, volunteer a lot, take a leap of faith.
Do not accept mediocre performance.
Have clear vision and direction.
Have excellent judgment. – They make decisions that colleagues and subordinates consider to be in the organization’s best interests.
They collaborate. They welcome peers, act interdependently, and view other leaders as collaborators. They realize that these other people are the very people whose insights and support they need.
Walk the talk. They set standards of behavior or expectations of performance and stick to them. They’re perceived as having high integrity.
Embrace new ideas. They constantly evaluate suggestions from subordinates and peers. Good ideas are implemented, and the organization creates greater momentum.
Learn from mistakes. They strive to use setbacks as opportunities for improvement.
Have interpersonal skills. They are socially gifted; They’re thoughtful and well-mannered; They’re personable, available, and ready to praise.
Succeed at developing others. They develop their subordinates, causing individuals and teams to engage and unite.