What Makes A Great Leader? (13 Qualities)

In the world of politics, business and personal development, leadership isn’t just a buzzword—it’s the cornerstone of success.

But here’s the cold, hard truth: not everyone who calls themselves a leader actually has what it takes.

You want to know why most people fail at leadership?

Because they’re missing the crucial qualities that separate the mediocre from the magnificent.

Today, we’re diving deep into the 13 non-negotiable traits that every great leader must possess.

By the end of this article about what makes a great leader, you’ll either realize you’re on the path to greatness, or you’ll be forced to face the uncomfortable reality that you’ve got some serious work to do.

Leadership is the responsibility to see those around us rise.

What Makes A Great Leader? – The Essence

Great leadership is crucial to making any idea or concept a reality.

If I were to start a tech company, for example, I would need my employees to follow my vision.

Great business figureheads such as Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and Warren Buffett all have practical skills, and their success proves it.

Being in charge, you need people to follow you.

You could do this in many ways:

Use more money to motivate them.
Use fear and intimidation.
Inspire them with words, ideas, actions, and vision.
Hire people who are obedient and selfless.

I often look at businesses that fail or significant cities with persistent crime, corruption, and poverty problems that never go away as examples.

What thoughts, beliefs, and actions, or lack thereof, created the problem? My next question is: what new ideas, opinions, and steps are needed to get things on track?

To be clear here, anybody can be in leadership positions, such as:

Parents for Children
Teachers for students
Bosses for employees
Managers
School System
Scouts
Military
Business
Government
Police
Coach
Doctors/Health/Healing
Community Organizers
Church/Synagogue/Mosque
Political Democratic
Educational
Financial
Non Profit
Student Council

My List Of 13 Qualities Of Top Leadership

An endless supply of energy
The ability to recognize talent
Integrity/Congruency/Righteousness
Lowering of Ego/Self
Strong Mental Focus
Strong Organizational skills in all areas
Invests in their personal growth
Has flexibility with their beliefs
Inspires Loyalty
Disciplined
Doesn’t like to waste time
Life Experience
Proactive

1. Great Leaders Have Energy, Health, & Vitality

“When you are enthusiastic about what you do, you feel this positive energy. It’s very simple.” – Paulo Coelho

Great leaders treat their energy like it’s their most valuable asset — because it is. You can’t lead anyone if you’re running on fumes. The best leaders know that physical health fuels mental clarity, emotional stability, and consistent performance.

They train, eat clean, and sleep like it’s part of their job — because it is. You can’t make sharp decisions when your body’s exhausted and your mind’s foggy. Energy is the foundation of execution. If you don’t manage it, nothing else you do matters.

Health isn’t just about looking good — it’s about showing up strong, every day. Vitality gives leaders presence. People feel it when you walk in the room — that sense of focus, alertness, and calm confidence.

It’s the byproduct of discipline in how you treat your body and mind. Great leaders know that burnout isn’t a badge of honor; it’s a liability. They protect their energy so they can lead with strength and endurance.

Because when your energy’s right, your leadership hits harder — and people naturally follow the person who looks like they can go the distance.

These three key ingredients are crucial. It drives me crazy to see lazy people in charge because they affect many people below them on the hierarchical pyramid.

Influential movers and shakers understand the importance of eating whole, healthy foods and drinks and exercising regularly.

2. Great Leaders Can Spot Talented Individuals

A great leader spots talented individuals and uses them to their advantage by placing them in positions where their talents can be used effectively.

They surround themselves with enthusiastic and competent people in their assigned roles.

They can see weak or underperforming managers on their team and replace them with more effective managers.

A great leader can spot the proverbial “cancer in the locker room” and find a way to demote, transfer, or remove them outright. Successful people like J.P. Morgan knew it was crucial to surround themselves with the brightest minds they could find.

Morgan knew he didn’t have all the answers, so he understood the importance of surrounding himself with people more intelligent than he was. This would greatly benefit his business success, which it did.

3. Great Leaders Have Integrity/Congruency/Righteousness

To be a good leader, you have to mean what you say and say what you mean. Your word must be as good as gold.

These days, average figureheads say one thing and do the exact opposite. Great leaders have integrity and do what they say they will do.

You must have a moral compass, which gives you a strong sense of integrity.

Competent Leaders understand right and wrong and how they should behave.

A quality commander doesn’t have to be perfect or saintly, but must adhere to the rules for the rest of the team to follow suit.

Good chairmen don’t lie and manipulate their people to get what they want because they understand the importance of truth and honesty.

An acceptable commander knows that the people will lose respect for them once trust is broken through lying and deceitful manipulation.

They know their job is to improve the lives of their people and the nation, state, business, or Country they live or work in.

Integrity means doing, saying, or being for the greater good.

A leader asks themselves: “If everyone did what I am doing, would it help humanity and the planet, or would it have a negative impact?” Are your actions helping the collective, or are they only benefiting you and your plan?

4. Lowering Of Ego/Self

Notice I didn’t say ‘become egoless’ or ‘selfless’. That would not be very smart.

Good leaders have a vision that requires the ego/self to go along for the ride. Along with that ride, there will be mistakes, bad decisions, and often failures, but great ones don’t become stagnant because life gets too complicated.

Great leaders accept “The Human Factor” within themselves. The Human Factor means that you are imperfect and will never be perfect, yet you learn from your mistakes and continually become a better version of yourself.

5. Mind & Emotions

Being in charge will be taxing on the mind and body. Great chiefs understand their minds and emotions and know when to take a break for self-care.

Great leaders are Type A personalities more often than not, and these types tend to be more prone to burnout than the average person. Type A’s learn through experience when to take a break and recharge their batteries.

A Great leader doesn’t let their emotions rule them; instead, they use their feelings to their advantage when needed. Emotions are a great tool to get people to take action, yet emotions without a firm groundedness in logic and reason make for a terrible commander.

6. They Are Organized

Great leaders don’t rely on chaos to get things done — they build systems. Organization isn’t about being neat; it’s about creating clarity.

When everything has a place — your priorities, your schedule, your goals — decision-making becomes faster, and execution becomes cleaner.

Disorganized leaders waste time solving problems that better systems would’ve prevented. Organized leaders design environments where success becomes automatic. They know structure doesn’t restrict freedom — it creates it.

Being organized also builds trust. When your team sees that you’re in control of your time, your plan, your follow-through — they relax and perform better. You can’t lead people into clarity if you’re drowning in clutter.

Great leaders plan, track progress, and communicate expectations clearly. They use systems to think less about logistics and more about strategy. Because the truth is, being organized isn’t about perfection — it’s about consistency. And consistency compounds into results.

They are organized in all areas of their lives. They understood early that having all aspects of their responsibilities neat, orderly, and systematized creates an environment where “flow” can occur much more naturally.

They have an uncanny aptitude for logistics and planning.

7. Education & Self Improvement

Great leaders never stop learning — because they know stagnation is the first step toward decline. The moment you think you’ve “arrived” as a leader, you’ve already started to fall behind.

The best leaders treat education like fuel — not a one-time fill-up, but a daily requirement. They read, listen, ask questions, and seek out people who challenge their thinking.

They’re obsessed with growing their capacity to lead — mentally, emotionally, and strategically. Whether it’s through books, mentorship, courses, or even failure, they understand that every experience is feedback that shapes better judgment.

The truth is, leadership isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about staying curious enough to keep finding them.

Great leaders create a culture of self-improvement by modeling it. They encourage their teams to invest in personal growth because they know a company (or community) can only rise to the level of its collective mindset.

Continuous learning builds confidence, resilience, and adaptability — the exact traits needed to lead through uncertainty. In short, leaders don’t just educate themselves to stay relevant; they do it to stay effective.

They have open minds and are continually educating themselves and improving. They read a lot of books and research topics online and off.

They continuously improve themselves in any way, shape, or form.

8. Flexible Beliefs

Great leaders don’t cling to being right — they cling to finding what works. That’s the difference. Most people get trapped defending their opinions because their egos are tied to them. But great leaders?

They update their beliefs as soon as they receive new data. They understand that flexibility isn’t weakness — it’s leverage.

Being rigid might make you feel confident, but it also makes you blind. Flexible beliefs let you adapt faster, make better decisions, and pivot before everyone else even realizes there’s a problem.

The best leaders treat beliefs like tools, not trophies. If a belief stops producing results, they drop it and find one that does.

They’re constantly testing assumptions, asking: “Is this still true?” or “Does this still work?” That mindset creates momentum. It keeps them learning, evolving, and outperforming people who care more about being right than about winning.

Flexibility isn’t about changing your values — it’s about upgrading your operating system so you can lead in a world that never stops changing.

An honest commander recognizes limiting, self-defeating beliefs and replaces them with empowering beliefs.

They aren’t afraid to step outside of their views from time to time to test the waters. This key component is what separates a mediocre leader from an exceptional one.

9. Inspires Loyalty

Great leaders don’t demand loyalty — they earn it. People don’t follow them because of their titles; they follow them because they trust them. Loyalty comes from consistency — doing what you say you’ll do, showing up when it’s hard, and caring about people beyond their output.

When your team knows you’ve got their back, they’ll go through walls for you. It’s not about grand speeches or fake motivation; it’s about actions that prove you’re in it with them, not above them.

Loyalty also comes from alignment. Great leaders create clarity around the mission so everyone knows why they’re doing what they’re doing. That shared purpose builds commitment stronger than any paycheck.

When people see you working just as hard — or harder — than they are, they don’t just respect you; they believe in you. And belief scales faster than authority ever will. That’s how loyalty is built: not through fear, not through control, but through trust, consistency, and shared vision.

They gracefully inspire loyalty by being authentic and generally caring and considerate of their people. In return, loyal people generally hold them in high regard and do almost anything to please them.

They can “read the people’s pulse” and make decisions that would benefit the greater good of their people.

10. They Are Disciplined

They are disciplined. What separates barbarians from great commanders is one word: Discipline. Being disciplined means setting up your beliefs, values, and rules and then adhering to them consistently.

Great leaders don’t rely on motivation — they rely on discipline. Motivation fades. Discipline doesn’t care how you feel. It’s doing the work when it’s boring, uncomfortable, or inconvenient.

That’s what separates talkers from executors. Discipline is how great leaders stay consistent when everyone else burns out. They’ve built systems and habits that keep them moving forward no matter what.

You’ll never see a great leader panic in chaos — because they’ve already trained for it through routine, repetition, and relentless self-control.

Discipline is also how leaders earn respect. People follow what you do, not what you say. If your team sees you keeping promises, hitting deadlines, and holding yourself to the same standard you demand from them, they’ll follow you without hesitation.

Discipline is contagious. It sets the tone for the entire culture. Great leaders know that how they do one thing is how they do everything. That’s why they don’t chase feelings — they chase consistency. Because in leadership, discipline is the bridge between vision and results.

11. Doesn’t Like To Waste Time

Great leaders treat time like it’s the most valuable resource — because it is. They know you can’t buy it, store it, or get it back, so they refuse to squander it on distractions, drama, or low-impact tasks.

Every action, every meeting, every conversation has a purpose. If it doesn’t, they cut it out. That focus isn’t about being harsh; it’s about maximizing impact. Leaders move fast because they understand that speed compounds advantage.

This also sets a standard for the team. When people see their leader valuing time, they start valuing it too. Procrastination, inefficiency, and fluff get replaced with action and results.

Great leaders streamline processes, delegate what they shouldn’t do, and make decisions without unnecessary delay. They don’t chase busyness — they chase outcomes. Time is the ultimate leverage, and leaders who protect it outperform everyone else.

Great leaders understand the value of their time. They know that sitting around a table talking is not the same as taking action.

Great leaders know the Pareto Principle: 20% of invested input creates 80% of the results, or roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.

This is very common in the workplace, where only 20% of employees carry out 80% of the workload. The other 80% of people are usually time wasters, indulging in idle chit-chat and goofing around on Social Media.

12. They Have Life Experience

Great leaders don’t just learn from books or courses — they learn from life itself. Every challenge, failure, and triumph shapes their judgment, sharpens their instincts, and builds resilience.

They’ve been in the trenches, made mistakes, and come out stronger. That experience becomes their edge — the ability to see opportunities and risks before others even notice them.

Theory is fine, but action teaches lessons that stick, and great leaders use those lessons to guide themselves and their teams.

Life experience also builds empathy and perspective. Leaders who’ve faced setbacks understand what it’s like to struggle, to doubt, and to push through. They don’t just bark orders — they connect, mentor, and inspire because they’ve lived the realities their team faces.

Experience allows them to balance vision with pragmatism, courage with caution, and confidence with humility. In short, life experience turns knowledge into wisdom — and wisdom is what makes people follow you.

Life gives you experiences just by being alive; the more life you live, the more skills you will have. Exceptional ones start young in their positions and learn through experience what they need to change to become great.

Winston Churchill, a great leader, had an epic failure early in his political career during World War I when he decided to attack Turkey at Gallipoli.

It failed so miserably that he was dismissed from his cabinet position, excluded from the war council, and banned from any dealings with the war effort.

Winston eventually bounced back through humility and self-correction to become prominent.

13. They Are Proactive Leaders

Great leaders don’t wait for problems — they anticipate them. They don’t sit around reacting to what happens; they create what happens.

Being proactive means thinking several moves ahead, spotting patterns before they become crises, and preparing your team to handle what’s next instead of scrambling when it hits.

Most people only move when they’re forced to — great leaders move because they’ve already decided where they’re going. That’s what gives them the advantage.

Proactivity is a mindset. It’s about taking ownership before anyone asks you to. Great leaders don’t blame circumstances or wait for permission — they act.

They understand that every challenge is easier to solve when you’re ahead of it, not behind it. They stay curious, plan strategically, and make decisions early — even when the data isn’t perfect.

That bias for action creates momentum. It builds the team’s confidence and sends a clear message: “We don’t wait for opportunities — we make them.”

They do not exist in a reactive state. They have a supernatural ability to foresee future challenges and address them before they occur.

Through life experience, they know what to avoid and how to handle challenging situations confidently.

Charlemagne Was A Great Leader

One of the most significant political and military leaders in known human history (and a distant relative of mine) is Charlemagne, from Western Europe, 768-814AD. Charlemagne was tall, standing at 6’3&1/2″; he was a man amongst boys.

Charlemagne understood the importance of maintaining his vision for his empire and did everything in his power to unite, educate, and improve the lives of everyone in his territory.

He was such an active and respected commander that Pope Leo III approached him for help from Rome’s enemies. Charlemagne came from a distinguished line of leaders, including his father, Pepin the Short, and his grandfather, Charles “The Hammer” Martel.

A great leader studies humanity’s history and learns what ideas and principles worked and what didn’t. They are an avid reader of human history because they know that he who does not learn from his past is bound to repeat it.

When you have time, I suggest you read about the Carolingians and see how powerfully and effectively they led their empires, including how they usurped power from the Merovingians.

Leadership in Business

The best bosses have a complete and intimate understanding of every facet of their business and industry.

They know everything about their own companies (their strengths and weaknesses, for example), their customers, their competition, and the business environment in which they operate.

There is a direct relationship between the number of prospective customers your company can attract and the number of sales you will make.

As the boss, you must ensure that lead generation is central to your marketing and sales activities.

Understanding what works and what doesn’t will also help you take charge in improving your company’s marketing methods to generate more leads and attract more potential customers. Marketing is everyone’s business—from the corner office to the front lines.

The priority of business is to attract interested prospects. The second is to convert them into customers who buy from you rather than from someone else.

Your sales strategies and techniques in this area can make you or break you. In your role, you must guide and enable continued efforts to increase conversion rates.

How can your company convert more prospects into paying customers? The answer begins with a leadership understanding of why prospects buy and don’t.

They must also recognize that the market is continually changing, so sales strategies and techniques may need to adapt.

Great Leader Conclusion

Now that we’ve laid out the 13 essential qualities of what makes a great leader, let’s get real for a second. Leadership isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s not about fancy titles or corner offices.

It’s about rolling up your sleeves, facing challenges head-on, and inspiring others to reach their full potential.

If you’re not willing to embody these qualities — live and breathe them every single day — then do yourself and everyone else a favor: step aside.

But if you’re ready to take on the responsibility, push yourself beyond your limits, and make a real impact in this world, then congratulations.

You’ve just taken the first step towards becoming the kind of leader people will follow through hell and high water.

Remember, great leaders aren’t born—they’re forged through relentless self-improvement and unwavering commitment. Now go out there and lead, as your success depends on it, because guess what? It does

Thanks for reading my article about What Makes A Great Leader!

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