Want to Be a Great Leader? Master These 7 Traits

Before We Begin: A Quick Story

A few years ago, I worked with someone who didn’t have the biggest office, the most direct reports, or the longest resume. But she had something rare.

She remembered birthdays.
She led meetings with calm, not chaos.
She stayed late to help when the team was overwhelmed—without being asked.

When things went wrong, she didn’t blame. She asked how she could help.
When things went right, she gave credit, not commands.

People gravitated toward her. Not because of her title. But because of her presence.

That’s when I realized—leadership isn’t something you claim. It’s something you practice. And the best leaders start by mastering their traits, not chasing their rank.

Introduction

Leadership isn’t about having a title or being the loudest voice in the room. It’s about how you consistently show up, especially when things get hard, messy, or uncertain.

It’s the energy you bring when the room is silent.
The way you carry yourself when no one’s watching.
And the traits you cultivate, day after day, that define your impact far more than any job title ever could.

Across industries and roles, great leaders share a common thread: a commitment to developing traits that drive progress, build trust, and create momentum for everyone around them. These traits aren’t gifts. They’re skills. And they can be practiced every single day.

1. Ambition

Great leaders don’t wait for success. They chase it. And more importantly, they define it on their own terms.

They set personal benchmarks beyond company goals.
They surround themselves with people who challenge them to level up.
They celebrate progress, not perfection—and they keep raising the bar.

Real-world example:
Think of Serena Williams. Her ambition didn’t end at winning a few Grand Slams. She redefined what success looked like in her sport—and for working mothers around the world.

Try this:
Write down a personal or professional goal that excites and intimidates you. Give yourself 30 days and take the first step today.

Ambition is not just about climbing the ladder or chasing accolades. It’s about having a vision bigger than yourself. It’s waking up with a sense of purpose and pushing past your limits even when no one’s watching. Ambitious leaders don’t let setbacks define them; they use failure as feedback. They inspire others to set their own bold targets, creating a culture of high standards and forward momentum.

2. Endurance

Ambition gets you started. Endurance keeps you going. It’s what carries you through long days, tough setbacks, and slow results.

Endurance means breaking big goals into daily habits.
It means honoring commitments even when motivation dips.
It means recognizing that showing up is a form of leadership.

Real-world example:
Angela Duckworth’s research on grit shows that talent means little without perseverance.

Try this:
Choose one task you’ve been avoiding. Finish it before doing anything else today.

Endurance is the secret weapon of resilient leaders. It’s the ability to keep showing up when motivation fades, when others quit, and when success takes longer than expected. Endurance means managing your energy wisely, knowing when to rest and when to push. It’s about developing the discipline to do what needs to be done, especially when no one is clapping. This is what builds long-term credibility and trust.

3. Assertiveness

Assertive leaders speak clearly, own their stance, and stay respectful.

They practice direct communication.
They separate emotion from message.
They lead with confidence, not control.

Real-world example:
Consider Brene Brown—an introvert who leads difficult conversations with clarity and grace.

Try this:
In your next conversation or meeting, share your perspective in one simple, confident sentence. Then pause and let it land.

Assertiveness is about honoring both your voice and others’. It’s the middle ground between passivity and aggression. Assertive leaders know how to express disagreement without hostility and offer clarity without confusion. They set clear expectations, give constructive feedback, and navigate conflict with confidence and emotional intelligence.

4. Leadership

Leadership isn’t about control. It’s about responsibility. It’s not a noun—it’s a verb.

True leaders don’t wait to be asked. They step up and serve.
They mentor others without ego.
They ask themselves daily: “Would I follow me today?”

Real-world example:
Howard Schultz, former CEO of Starbucks, famously visited thousands of stores and spoke to employees at all levels.

Try this:
Identify one small project or initiative that you can lead this week—even informally.

Leadership is less about authority and more about influence. True leaders make people feel safe, valued, and inspired. They understand that their real job is to remove barriers, build confidence, and create opportunities for others to thrive. They lead not just with goals, but with values—and their consistency becomes the foundation others lean on.

5. Nurturance

Empathy builds trust. People follow leaders who care—not leaders who just command.

Nurturing leaders listen deeply.
They support without enabling.
They give people space to grow without rescuing them from discomfort.

Real-world example:
Satya Nadella transformed Microsoft’s culture by leading with empathy.

Try this:
Ask a teammate or friend, “What’s been challenging for you lately?” Then listen. Don’t fix. Just be present.

Nurturing leaders know how to connect without enabling. They create environments where people feel psychologically safe to take risks and learn. This type of leadership builds trust and loyalty. It requires emotional intelligence, patience, and the ability to balance empathy with accountability.

6. Flexibility

Rigid leaders resist change. Adaptive leaders grow through it.

They embrace feedback.
They experiment.
They view uncertainty as a chance to grow.

Real-world example:
Leaders who pivoted quickly during the pandemic adapted and thrived, even without perfect plans.

Try this:
Say “yes” to something you’d usually dismiss and reflect on what you learned.

Flexibility means being adaptable without losing your core. It’s the willingness to pivot strategies while staying true to purpose. Flexible leaders lead through ambiguity with curiosity instead of fear. They encourage experimentation, knowing that innovation requires trial and error. In fast-paced environments, flexibility becomes a competitive edge.

7. Creativity

Creative leaders don’t wait to be told what’s possible.

They challenge norms.
They explore outside their field.
They build what hasn’t been built before.

Real-world example:
Elon Musk reimagined what a car company could be by approaching it with a tech mindset.

Try this:
Write down five outside-the-box solutions to a recurring challenge. One might surprise you.

Creativity in leadership means seeing connections where others don’t. It’s the courage to propose new ideas before they’re popular. Creative leaders encourage brainstorming, welcome failure as part of innovation, and look beyond their industry for solutions. They inspire teams to think bigger and challenge limitations.

8. Self-Awareness

If leadership is the engine, self-awareness is the steering wheel.

Self-aware leaders understand their emotional patterns and leadership impact.
They recognize blind spots and pause before reacting.

Real-world example:
Ray Dalio used radical transparency to cultivate a feedback-driven, self-aware culture at Bridgewater.

Try this:
At the end of each day, reflect: “How did I show up today? How did I impact others?”

Self-aware leaders take responsibility for how their actions affect others. They reflect regularly, seek feedback, and remain grounded through both praise and criticism. This level of awareness helps them lead without ego and build cultures based on humility and growth. When leaders understand themselves, they become better at understanding—and leading—others.

Why These Traits Matter

These traits don’t just make you a better performer. They make you the kind of leader people want to follow.

Ambition and endurance deliver results.
Assertiveness and flexibility build innovation.
Nurturance earns trust.
Creativity sparks progress.
Self-awareness fosters growth.
Leadership brings it all together.

Focus on traits, not just tasks. That’s what sets you apart.

Reflection Time: Build Your Leadership Awareness

You’ve read the traits. Maybe a few resonated right away—and maybe one or two made you uncomfortable. That’s good. Growth lives in discomfort.

Self-reflection is where leadership becomes personal. It’s where knowledge becomes awareness, and awareness becomes action. If you’re serious about becoming a more powerful, grounded, and effective leader, start here.

Take a quiet moment and journal on the questions below. Be honest. Be curious. Be willing to look in the mirror without judgment.

1. Which traits come naturally? Which challenge you?

Lean into your strengths, but don’t ignore the traits that make you squirm. Those are often the ones with the most growth potential. Maybe ambition fuels you, but nurturance feels unfamiliar. Or maybe empathy comes easy, but assertiveness feels risky. There’s gold in that tension.

2. How would others describe your leadership?

Not how you hope they would describe it—but how they actually experience it. Ask trusted team members or peers if you’re brave enough. Then compare it with how you want to be known. Are you bridging the gap, or widening it?

3. What’s one leadership moment you’re proud of?

Go back to that memory. What made it powerful? Was it a risk you took? A decision you owned? A moment of deep care or unexpected strength? That moment holds clues to your leadership identity. Reconnect with it.

4. Where are you hiding behind tasks instead of showing up fully?

It’s easy to stay busy and call it leadership. But true leadership requires presence. It’s easy to manage calendars and checklists. Harder to give feedback, model values, or show up during tension. Where are you avoiding leadership under the mask of busyness?

Write it down. Read it back. Let it guide your next decision.

Reflection is the space between intention and transformation. Real leaders make time for it—not just once a year, but weekly, even daily.

Final Thoughts: The Leaders People Remember

When people look back on their careers, they don’t usually remember the org charts or company slogans.

They remember a leader who believed in them before they believed in themselves.
A mentor who said, “I’ve got your back.”
A manager who gave honest feedback that changed the game.
A teammate who showed up, again and again, with grace and grit.

The leaders we remember most aren’t always the ones with the biggest titles.
They’re the ones who made us feel seen, challenged, supported, and stretched.

They weren’t perfect.
But they were present.
They didn’t pretend to know it all.
But they knew how to own their energy.
They knew how to lead themselves—and that’s what allowed them to lead others.

You don’t need a corner office or a decade of experience to start leading like that.
You don’t need permission. You just need a decision.

So here it is:

Make the decision to show up with intention.
To lead with heart.
To choose growth when it’s easier to choose comfort.
To be the kind of leader people remember—for the right reasons.

Keep building.
Keep growing.
Keep showing up.

That’s not just leadership.
That’s the Savage Way.