21 Qualities of a Leader

As a leader, much is expected of you. You are repeatedly pulled and stretched in many different directions. It is sometimes difficult to pin down exactly what a leader looks like. There is not a one-size-fits-all-leader-mold.

However, there are certain qualities that most leaders should possess. John Maxwell sums these up as well as anyone. In his book The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, he talks about those shared qualities that leaders should gravitate toward.

True leaders are in a constant state of self-reflection and improvement. Nobody is perfect. However, the closer you can come to fulfilling each of these qualities, the more likely you are to have a lasting impact on those around you. You will also have a much better chance of achieving true success and attaining worthwhile goals by being a more well-rounded leader.

No leader – myself or John Maxwell – has all the answers when it comes to leading others. We just have a passion to positively affect those people and environments that we are associated with.

We want to make ourselves better so that we can make the world around us a little better.

Here are the 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader from John Maxwell 

1. CHARACTER: Be a Piece of the Rock
2. CHARISMA: The First Impression Can Seal the Deal.
3. COMMITMENT: It Separates Doers from Dreamers.
4. COMMUNICATION: Without It You Travel Alone.
5. COMPETENCE: If You Build It, They Will Come.
6. COURAGE: One Person with Courage Is a Majority.
7. DISCERNMENT: Put an End to Unsolved Mysteries.
8. FOCUS: The Sharper It Is, the Sharper You Are.
9. GENEROSITY: Your Candle Loses Nothing When It Lights Another.
10. INITIATIVE: You Won’t Leave Home Without It.
11. LISTENING: To Connect with Their Hearts, Use Your Ears.
12. PASSION: Take This Life and Love It.
13. POSITIVE ATTITUDE: If You Believe You Can, You Can.
14. PROBLEM-SOLVING: You Can’t Let Your Problems Be a Problem.
15. RELATIONSHIPS: If You Get Along, They’ll Go Along.
16. RESPONSIBILITY: If You Won’t Carry the Ball, You Can’t Lead the Team.
17. SECURITY: Competence Never Compensates for Insecurity.
18. SELF-DISCIPLINE: The First Person You Lead Is You.
19. SERVANTHOOD: To Get Ahead, Put Others First.
20. TEACHABILITY: To Keep Leading, Keep Learning.
21. VISION: You Can Seize Only What You Can.

Which one of these do you do best? Which one needs the most work? How many of the 21 qualities would you say are strengths of yours as a leader?

Until next time, remember that success is a choice. What choice will you make today?

Jamy Bechler is the author of The Leadership Playbook, host of the Success is a Choice Podcast, professional speaker, and trains organizations on creating championship cultures. He is also a certified John Maxwell Leadership Coach. Bechler spent 20 years as a college basketball coach and administrator. He has worked with businesses and teams, including the NBA. Follow him on Twitter at @CoachBechler. To connect with him via email or find out about his services, please contact speaking@CoachBechler.com.