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9 Subtle Traits of a Great Boss
One of the greatest leaders I’ve ever met, and I’ve met a lot in the military and corporate world, is my grandfather. At 96-years-old, he still influences his family to be their best not by telling them, but by showing them through his example.
Besides the obvious leadership traits he harbors such as unselfishness, intelligence, enthusiasm, integrity, and sound judgment, there are subtle traits he harbors as well. Things such as insatiable curiosity about people, a perpetual drive to learn, and a deft harnessing of emotion.
This got me thinking about the subtle marks of a great leader and I started to see similarities between my grandfather and other great leaders I’ve met over the last 25 years of studying and practicing leadership in military, volunteer, and corporate settings.
Here are a few of these subtle traits I’ve seen in common among excellent leaders.
#1. Curiosity
This is one my grandfather and all solid leaders I’ve ever met have had in common. They were perpetually curious.
Curious about the people they led and their lives, their kids, their thoughts, and their concerns. And it was all genuine, not a patronizing management hack.
