August 26, 2026 | Read online

The world's greatest leaders share these 10 traits

Think back on those who’ve made the biggest impact on your life. Family members, teachers, bosses, friends. Those who inspired you to be more and do more. We don’t always stop to break down the qualities these leaders possess, but I’d venture a guess that they all displayed the ten we will discuss in this email.

1: The best leaders are compassionate.

You simply cannot effectively lead people when you don’t deeply care about them. Great leaders are sympathetic to the needs of those in their charge and have the responsibility to make decisions that positively impact as many as possible. How can any leader effectively navigate those decisions if they’re not compassionate towards those the decisions affect?

They can’t.

2: The best leaders have integrity.

There is a quote often contributed to C.S. Lewis that says “Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is watching.”

True leaders are fully committed to their obligations at all times. Not all decisions will be made in public and they understand that people are relying on them to carry out their duties no matter what, not just when they are being watched or judged. The decisions made in private dictate the results shown in public.

3: The best leaders are decisive.

Decisiveness signals confidence, and confidence reinforces trust. Accepting a leadership role is accepting the reality that the buck stops with you. Your decisions, your actions, the path you choose. This is a heavy responsibility, but that’s why great leaders are hard to come by.

It is one’s obligation to be thoughtful and informed about each decision that one makes…but when it is made, it must be done free of doubt.

4: The best leaders are honest.

Honesty, as a leader, is sometimes difficult. Not everything is sunshine and rainbows and the reality of life is that we will all face challenges. Whether it is financial struggles at work, or a pandemic in the country you’re running, people look to their leaders for the unbridled truth.

Sometimes this means saying things we wish weren’t true, or giving people updates that don’t show progress. But, transparency and honesty is paramount when it comes to keeping your people informed.

Of course, being harsh or abrasive while giving negative news is not a good look either, which leads me to…

5: The best leaders are great communicators.

Aside from just being eloquent in front of a group, great communication goes beyond enunciation. Leaders need to communicate with diplomacy and grace. To be comforting and empathetic. To be pragmatic but heartfelt. To be inspiring and uplifting.

Without being able to effectively organize and communicate one’s plans, thoughts, or feelings, doubt will be sewed at every corner as people feel uncertain about important information.

Communication skills in any area of life are an enormous strength, but for a leader, how something is said can put people in ease, or into a panic.

6: The best leaders practice what they preach.

Aside from just saying inspiring things, great leaders must lead by example. People look to those who’ve walked the walk, who’ve proven they can get the job done, who live their own lives in ways that make you want to be better.

If you are leading a team at work and encouraging everyone to come in earlier to finish a project, the best way to make it happen is to always be the first one there. Not just dictating what you want done, but showing you hold yourself accountable for the same.

Parents may tell their children “Do as I say, not as I do,” but the truth is that we watch those that we look up to and we learn from them. When taking on a leadership role, we must understand we are held to a higher standard of conduct at all times, because people are paying attention.

7: The best leaders hold themselves accountable.

Reality check: You’re not perfect. Nobody is.

Not a single soul on this planet goes through their entire life without making mistakes. Those who tell us that’s the case are never taken seriously because we all know better.

But beyond that, to always avoid responsibility is the death of trust. It means you will always pass the blame to someone else and never open yourself up to learning new things because you think you’ve got all of the answers. This strips you of a sense of humanity that we need to feel in order to believe in someone as a leader.

Great leaders are not perfect, they own up to their mistakes and work to fix them. People respect that far more than someone pretending they’ve got it all figured out.

8: The best leaders empower others.

As we’ve just established, nobody is perfect. What’s also true is that nobody knows everything about everything.

There is a struggle that many entrepreneurs face when it comes to delegating tasks, because they want to do everything themselves. By holding on too tightly to control, though, we actually impede progress because we may not be the best candidate for a certain task.

Just like on a sports team, players are organized based on their skillset. You wouldn’t expect a quarterback to also be a receiver, and a lineman, and a kicker.

Great leadership empowers those on the team to do what they’re best at. Assembling an effective group with their own strengths is the purpose of a leader. You help to organize them and move them all forward, but empowerment and delegation must be at the forefront.

9: The best leaders are great listeners.

Leadership is not dictatorship. It is not “my way or the highway.” Great leadership requires collaboration and input from a skilled team (see previous point).

Or, at the very least, the willingness to communicate with and listen to those you’ve been tasked to lead. Each individual person will bring valuable insight to a specific problem or challenge that you wouldn’t be experiencing on your own. If you don’t take in new information, you’ll be stuck making decisions solely based on preconceived notions and inaccurate perceptions of reality.

Leaders must take the time to connect with and listen to those around them.

10: The best leaders have a vision.

Why would people follow you if they don’t know where you’re going?

Leadership is about the future. It’s about a common goal or cause that a company, team, organization, or country is working towards. It’s the execution of a plan designed to accomplish a goal, to move people forward, to create positive change and impact.

Great leaders are trusted and admired by those around them. They make us want to excel, to explore our potential, to uncover our own greatness.

Great leaders don’t work to convince us how great they are, they help us to uncover how great we, ourselves, can become.

Your coach,

- James Michael Sama

P.S.: If you’re looking for a private advisor to help you develop these qualities, let’s talk.