9 Things That Separate Great Leaders from the Rest

The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant. —Max DePree

The greatest CEOs and business leaders perform better, and hire smarter to transform the world.

The very best CEOs of our time who are changing the face of business and building strong brands have lots of things in common. They transform their worlds, change the people around them, create systems and build empires. They commit to something bigger than themselves but stick to the vision long enough to see it grow to become a global empire. Extraordinary leaders do more than good leaders to get to the very top.

Most of the best CEOs are known to be great at hiring smart.

Selling other people on your dream or business is crucial for building and growing a great business. You should be able to convince smart people about your vision and why they should follow you and work with you to achieve that dream. In General George Patton’s words, never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.

The best leaders encourage and cultivate a culture of creativity

Building a comfortable culture that gives everyone a sense of belonging and reason to come back to the same office for a number of years is an invaluable trait. Great CEOs focus on creating an environment that attracts and retains talent. The best leaders cultivate the culture of creativity and encourage it among teams in the companies.

Great CEOs do not just hire smart individuals but build innovative teams that can work together and successfully deliver on internal projects, tasks or duties and most importantly, flourish in the absence of the leader.

Great leaders are good at motivating others to accomplish a goal.

They know not only how to sell their idea and vision but also how to charge people with the energy and drive to pursue them. Great CEOs do not achieve success alone, hence the need to get others on the journey to greatness. They are able to motivate their employees to greatness and to give their best. “A great person attracts great people and knows how to hold them together,” says Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe. Frequent keynote speaker on servant leadership Kurt Uhlir says it’s our job to multiply what we’ve been given by helping others reach their potential.

The courage to pursue an idea or dream, regardless of conventional wisdom has taken lots of extraordinary leaders to higher heights.  Most great leaders face lots of opposition about what they intend to do, how they intend to do it and when those dreams need to be realized. A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position. —John Maxwell

Perseverance and tenacity of purpose cannot be overemphasised.  Most great leaders, including Steve Jobs- Apple, Jeff Bezos- Amazon,  Howard Schultz- Starbucks, Larry Page-Google, and Richard Branson-Virgin Group never gave up but kept pushing the envelope! They knew what they wanted, how to get it and with whom to do it for maximum achievement.

Great leaders build products that matter to millions, not just in their locality but globally. Most outstanding and extraordinary brands consumers use today were started by people who had visions to change the way people live and what they use. The very essence of leadership is that you have to have vision. You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet.”-Theodore M. Hesburgh

An indispensable trait is an ability to listen and take honest feedback from employees and customers. In as much as you are the bearer of the torch, it’s important to keep an open mind and remain open to feedback on our ideas, products and your style of leadership.

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. —John Quincy Adams