This article is a Friday Forward. Subscribe and join 270,000+ other leaders who receive my weekly leadership note.A few weeks ago, I wrote a Friday Forward about the leadership throughout the American response to COVID-19, which generated many passionate replies.
What I saw in the various responses is that for many of us, our perspective on what constitutes effective leadership is often informed or even distorted by our political lenses.Many also believe it is unfair to criticize or hold politicians accountable for their leadership aptitude. I disagree with this viewpoint.
I have always thought of great leadership as a more universally objective standard. We are better off when we can find fault with the leadership performance of people we agree with politically, and recognize the abilities of excellent leaders we disagree with as well. There are certain qualities and behaviors every great leader needs to demonstrate, regardless of their ideology.
Over the years, I have read and saved many lists that detail the characteristics of historically great leaders from business, sports, politics, the military and other areas. Looking back on all these lists, these 10 leadership qualities constantly crop up, in no particular order:
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