I’m lucky.
I’ve had the privilege to work with a handful of truly exceptional and inspiring leaders.
Not surprisingly, these individuals shone in the most challenging situations. One way or another, their skills surfaced and made a difference.
The issue, though?
None of them could sustain their state of excellence, and eventually, things went down.
As I keep deconstructing what these top leaders had and then lost, I have identified many of the classic leadership attributes.
But four traits, in particular, seem to be the hardest to retain to be that perfect leader. Here they are:
The Perfect Leader Is Constantly Willing To Improve
She simply never stops learning! Her worst enemy is complacency. No matter how overwhelming or painful it can be at times, she genuinely tries to understand people and situations, asking practical probing questions to get to the bottom of it.
Along these lines, the perfect leader is never afraid of asking for help to ensure continuous progress.
The Perfect Leader Doesn’t Fear Failure.
The perfect leader takes the heat and admits her mistakes while moving on quickly to the next chapter. Perfection is not of this world. So, the question is not whether we’ll fail or not, but more about how we will approach failure and what we’ll learn from it.
Failure is an opportunity to learn, progress, and improve.
The Perfect Leader Is an Unconditional Giver
We’re all used to seeing negotiations and give-and-take in our relationships at work. Yet, the perfect leader knows she’s demonstrating formidable strength by giving without expecting anything in return.
It is the key to building the most robust relationship and winning allies for life.
The Perfect Leader Excels at Difficult Conversations
Proactively and timely putting uncomfortable topics on the table is a recipe for gaining respect and mitigating catastrophic outcomes. She openly shares her feelings about a situation and what’s on her mind to sort things out.
Most importantly, the perfect leader clearly understands her wants and needs as she’s getting into these difficult conversations.
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As I reflect on leadership excellence, I know too well that it’s hard to remain 100% focused on these four traits in the long run.
But it all starts with consciously nurturing and growing your aptitude at these. So keep the focus, and you’ll stand a chance to become that – close to – perfect leader!