30 Secrets to Successful Leadership

Successful leaders exhibit these 30 qualities, behaviors, and skills. Item one is first because it’s most important. The rest are listed randomly.

You’re ready to lead when you:

1. Know yourself and live in alignment with that knowledge.
2. Follow well.
3. Fully adhere to organizational values.
4. Practice influence rather than coercion.
5. Listen to the wisdom and experience of others.
6. Embrace new methods while respecting the past.
7. See issues from many perspectives.
8. Don’t take things personally.
9. Always seek the highest good of others.
10. Advocate for ideas without being adversarial.
11. Understand the difference between leading and managing.
12. Follow up and follow through.
13. Create results through others.
14. Have followers.
15. Consistently demonstrate initiative.
16. Leverage diverse communication techniques.
17. Demonstrate courage and gentleness.
18. Give credit to others and take responsibility yourself.
19. See and leverage the strengths of others.
20. Lead yourself with self-discipline.
21. Listen and learn from criticism.
22. Are already leading.
23. Understand leading is serving not being served.
24. Curiously explore.
25. Get out of the way so others can perform without you.
26. Comfortably ask for and accept help from others.
27. Know you don’t know.
28. Always act ethically.
29. Consistently move forward.
30. Remain optimistic while working on problems.

Bonus: Find simplicity in complexity.

Thank you to the participants of the Leadership Freak Coffee Shop on Facebook who inspired and contributed to this list.