Traits of High Impact Leaders

Admirable traits of strong leadership: 1. Humility - a beginner’s mindset that is open to new ideas and less judgmental. A mindset free of prejudice. A quiet mind that values actions and impact above words. 2. Honestly - radical transparency with grace and dignity. The ability to give feedback without causing resentment is a superpower. The ability to admit mistakes quickly and to ask for forgiveness. And a willingness to show vulnerability. 3. Self-awareness (situational awareness) - reading the room and balancing one’s contributions to ensure a value exchange that benefits all. Knowing when to speak and when to listen. Knowing that given a choice of being clever or kind, being kind is right choice. It is balancing ambition with value. 4. Sense of humor - do not take yourself too seriously and stay accessible. Show passion and ambition but not at a cost to others. Make people comfortable and at ease. Laugh loudly but welcome humor with open arms. But not at the expense to others. 5. Active listening (hear the unsaid and listen with your eyes) - if you are waiting for a pause, so that you can speak, you are not truly listening. And the most important part of listening is the ability to hear the unsaid. 6. Interest in others (empathy) - be interesting first. The goal is to leave people better than when you found them. Everyone you meet knows more about something than you do. Care more about the people around you. 7. Generosity (giving) - the coolest people I know are unselfishly generous with their time and knowledge. Give more than you take. And give without expecting a get. The strongest leaders give more than they take. Takers may end up with more, but givers sleep better at night. 8. Intellectual curiosity -learn to search for the grounded truth. And be willing to change your mind when the facts and the truth contradicts your prior beliefs. The strongest leaders are lifelong students. And also lifelong teachers. Start with 4 word: what do you think? 9. Good manners - be nice and polite to all. This may be life’s biggest hack. Say ‘thank you’ and ‘please’ more. Hold doors a bit longer. Do not interrupt people. Do not brag. Do not shout or speak poorly of others. Be a good person, but do not waste time trying to prove it. 10. No sense or entitlement - the world does not owe you a thing. The best people that I know are not chasing compliments or validation. Learn to fight for your happiness and do it with dignity, optimism and grace. Fall in love with the work, not the praise. 11. Positioning for shared success - In a celebration, lead from the back. In a crisis, lead from the front. In the company of someone that has a better idea, follow first. Leadership is anout positioning and standing in the right places. 12. Legacy of servant leadership - The best leaders leave everything and everyone better than when they found them. You will be remembered by how often you helped others achieve their goals.

I remember I was heading into a board meeting when our office janitor, Mr. Ellis, stopped me. He said, "Your name tag's upside down." My first instinct? → Brush it off. → Pretend I didn't need help. → Protect my pride. Instead, I paused and said, "Thanks for looking out for me." He smiled and replied, "Doesn't matter your title. You represent all of us when you walk into that room." That single moment with Mr. Ellis's big brown eyes shifted how I viewed leadership forever. Six months later, I stood in that same boardroom, presenting a critical strategy. Not because I knew everything. But because I walked in carrying the quiet confidence that comes from respecting everyone who makes our work possible, from the janitor to the CEO. And respect carries more weight than any title ever could, regardless of the room you're in. Here's what most professionals get wrong: They think career growth is about impressing those above them. They forget that everyone, from the janitor to the CEO, sees how you really show up. They underestimate the wisdom in people that society often overlooks. But the highest-impact leaders I've coached share one trait. They lead with respect. → They treat every person like they matter. → They know trust isn't reserved for titles. → They understand influence starts with how you make people feel. That's how careers grow, not just in skill but in humanity. The C.H.O.I.C.E.® Framework makes this real: Courage: Stand for dignity, even when no one's watching. Humility: Know you're not above anyone. Openness: Learn from every voice. Integration: Turn respect into everyday actions. Curiosity: Ask people about their stories. Empathy: See the person behind the role. Here's how to start leading with respect and grow your career: ✅ Start small. → Thank someone whose work often goes unseen. → Respect is built in micro-moments that matter. ✅ Listen deeply. → Instead of dismissing someone's input, ask: → "What do you see that I might be missing?" ✅ Model humanity. → Show others how to treat people well, no matter their title. → Respect shapes culture and careers. The more senior you become, the more your treatment of junior staff defines you. Your peers judge your character not by how you handle power but by how you treat those without it. 💭 Who's someone "behind the scenes" who taught you about leadership? ♻️ Tag someone who leads with humanity. ➕ Follow Loren Rosario - Maldonado, PCC, for career coaching that's human to the core.

In today’s business world, authority isn’t enough. People no longer follow titles they follow behaviors. And one of the most overlooked factors eroding leadership impact? Ego doesn’t always show up loudly it often appears in subtle ways: resisting feedback, avoiding humility, or staying detached from the front lines. Yet the cost is real, and the data makes it clear... Harvard Business Review reports that companies embracing service-based leadership models grow at a rate 2.3 times faster than their counterparts who follow traditional, hierarchical models... 3 Counterintuitive Habits of High-Impact Servant Leaders 1. The Invisible Authority Test Leadership effectiveness is often measured in performance reviews and quarterly results, but one of the simplest predictors of long-term impact lies in who willingly takes initiative in small, service-based moments. Whether it’s volunteering to take notes during a team meeting, cleaning the whiteboard after a strategy session, or offering to grab coffee for a junior team member 2. The Power Flip Framework Inverting traditional power dynamics can significantly enhance leadership adaptability and decision-making quality. By regularly inviting feedback from the most junior team members, encouraging constructive challenges to executive decisions, and offering assistants or support staff a voice in operational prioritization, leaders embed humility and co-ownership into their culture. 3. The Proximity Principle High-impact leaders consistently spend a measurable portion of their time engaging in tasks that fall well outside their executive remit. This may include taking customer support calls, shadowing frontline sales reps, or participating in logistical operations. Far from being symbolic, this practice sends a consistent cultural message: leadership is about contribution, not hierarchy. According to Deloitte, teams led by such hands-on leaders report 17% higher engagement levels, a key driver of both innovation and retention. In a world where the gap between leaders and teams is widening, the most effective leaders are not those who climb higher, but those who choose to go deeper. Because in 2025 and beyond, depth not dominance is the true measure of leadership relevance.

8 rare traits I see in every high-performing leader: I've coached 200+ leaders from companies worldwide. It's not just their strategy and execution that matter. It's the intangibles that often make the biggest impact. Here's what I've seen that sets the best ones apart: 1. Empathetic Strength – They forge deep connections, understanding their teams well beyond the surface. 2. Insatiable Curiosity – Always learning, they're in a constant state of evolution and growth. 3. Adaptive Resilience – Like water, they flow around obstacles with ease. They always find a way forward. 4. Infectious Optimism – Their positive energy not only makes work fun, it elevates everyone around them. 5. Unwavering Integrity – They're true to their word. Building trust is the cornerstone of their leadership. 6. Passionate Drive – It's the journey that thrills them. They're always setting their sights higher. 7. Straight-Up Accountability – Leading by example, they take ownership and inspire others to do the same. 8. Humble Confidence – They know their worth but don't overshadow others. They let their team shine. Great leaders are made, not born. Reflect on these traits. Which do you see in yourself? Which ones will you develop? The best time to start is now. P.S. What's the most important trait of a leader? ___________ If you found this helpful, repost ♻️ to share with others. Thanks! And follow Nihar Chhaya, MBA, MCC for more leadership tips.