15 Traits of Excellent Leaders

By YEC | September 12, 2019 | 0

A leader is someone who, by their personality and skills, inspires others to be the
best version of themselves. While leaders may display different types of
leadership styles, they all hope to achieve the same goal: motivating the team
that they lead to be better and to do better.
But what makes one an excellent leader? To many, leadership comes naturally
and stems from an innate ability to take control of a situation and seek the best
possible outcome for all parties involved. For others, it’s a special talent nurtured
and grown every day.
To learn more about what kinds of skills or abilities are worth pursuing or
nurturing, we asked members of the Young Entrepreneur Council to share some
of the most unique and surprising traits that they think excellent leaders
possess—and how they help. Here’s what they said:

1. Relatability
I have always found the best leaders to be those who know how to relate to
everyone. It sounds obvious, but not everyone has this trait. Being able to be in a
room and connect with everyone on some level is not the easiest to come by.
And it’s important because if people feel like they can relate with their leader,
they will stick with them through thick and thin.
 —Colbey Pfund, LFNT Distribution

2. Maturity
While being genuine, ethical and charismatic are all great skills for a leader, the
one trait often overlooked is maturity. Making informed and enlightened
decisions, giving advice that helps empower others, and refusing to let emotions
rule are all signs of a mature leader. Maturity is a way of building trust. It comes
not with age, but with mindfulness and accepting mistakes as learning tools.
—Joey Kercher, Air Fresh Marketing

3. Resilience
The ability to bounce back from tough situations is ideal for a leader because it
provides the confidence and security that the team may need to keep going.
Being resilient also means coming up with other solutions, which can encourage
the team to do the same.
—Serenity Gibbons, NAACP

4. Accountability
A great leader knows how and when to take blame and accountability for their
team. Ideally, team members are accountable for what they are doing
individually, but when a leader steps up and shares in that accountability when
things maybe didn’t go so well, it helps the team improve for next time.
—Michael Averto, ChannelApe

5. Thirst for Knowledge

A thirst for knowledge is important if you’re a new employee, but it’s also
important for leaders to learn, too. As a manager or owner, it’s vital that you
continue learning about your industry and personal interests. The desire to
learn can give you an advantage when growing your company and managing
your staff.
—Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner

6. Adaptability
Being able to handle change well makes any leader more efficient. This means
that they can handle massive changes in the team, direction and business model
very well. I don’t really care if someone can handle something they have already
tackled before and have experience in; I care if they can handle something that
they have never experienced before.
 —James Guldan, Vision Tech Team

7. Insecurity
While it’s important for a leader to make decisions and stand by them, it’s also
important for a leader to second- or even third-guess their decisions. A level of
insecurity allows a leader to give each decision the rigorous vetting it needs, and
it encourages them to consult other team members before pulling the trigger.
Although paradoxical, insecurity is an essential leadership trait.
—Bryce Welker, Beat The CPA

8. Humility
Being humble through your success is vital to staying down to earth and being
pleasurable company. Letting it get to your head is unattractive in a leader,
whose attitude will rub off on his or her team. When you recognize that everyone
on your team is just as valuable to the company’s success as you are, you’ll reap
the benefits and encourage productivity.
—Chris Christoff, MonsterInsights

9. Simplicity
Simplicity helps you connect with your team at all levels. If you are overly
complicated, sophisticated or fancy, it might not work well with the team. I like to
be simple yet highly visionary and approachable. It really works for my small
team, as they can understand me easily and stay connected.
—Piyush Jain, SIMpalm

10. Helpfulness
Ask your team where you can help. If you have hired great people, ask them
where you can provide resources, perspective and help to ensure they are
successful. Some leaders do not want to “get their hands dirty” or do the hard
work, which can create resentment. When you are willing to roll up your sleeves,
you set an example of collaboration and initiative that fosters both trust and
engagement.
—Jessica Gibson, Ariel Precision Medicine

11. Sense of Humor

Having a sense of humor gets you through difficult situations and stressful times.
It helps build rapport and trust with your team, who see you more for who you are
versus just being an imposing “boss.” From presentations to staff meetings, I use
humor to put everyone at ease and create common ground.
—John Rampton, Calendar

12. Introversion
Contrary to a common misconception, introverts make very good leaders. They
are reasonable and persistent, and their ability to carefully analyze every
situation can sometimes bring incredible results. Also, introverts would rather
listen than talk, which means that they take into consideration various points of
view and then put more time into critical thinking.
—Solomon Thimothy, OneIMS

13. Positivity
Many say they would prefer to be realistic, but practicing positivity is good for
business. If you’re a negative leader, it’ll spread throughout your company like
wildfire. People will think that this kind of attitude is what it takes to be a
successful entrepreneur, but this is wrong. Good leaders radiate positivity and
encourage their team through bringing them up instead of tearing them down.
—Thomas Griffin, OptinMonster

14. Enthusiasm
Have you ever had a boss that was enthusiastic about the work they did,
regardless of what it was? Enthusiastic leaders are great because they
encourage a positive attitude, and that kind of behavior is contagious. Good
energy is contagious and puts everyone in a good mood so they’re prepared to
work efficiently and encourage others to do the same.
—Jared Atchison, WPForms

15. Stability
To be a good leader requires a combination of good traits; one trait is not
enough. But among all the traits, I believe a leader should have stability in both
emotion and passion. When the company encounters any difficulties, the leader
is the one the crowd looks up to. Being stable does not mean being stubborn.
Being stable means that the leader, who is the foundation of the company,
is calm in any storm.
—Yifei Yin, Human Heritage Project

Photo by fizkes / Shutterstock.com

10 Inspirational Quotes to
Remember Sean Stephenson
By SUCCESS Staff | September 11, 2019 | 0

We are so saddened that Sean Stephenson, therapist, self-help author and

motivational speaker, passed away on August 28 due to complications after
suffering a head injury. Sean was born with a rare bone disorder that stunted his
growth and caused his bones to be extremely fragile, but that didn’t stop him
from helping and inspiring millions of people with his positive energy and
empowering message.
To honor and remember Sean and the light he brought to the world, we are
sharing some of his most inspirational quotes.
 “Find people who love you unconditionally,
surround yourself with them, and bring them
the same level of intensity.”

“Communication is merely an exchange of

information, but connection is an exchange of
our humanity.”
“Pain is inevitable, it eventually touches us all.
Suffering is optional.”

“Never believe a prediction that does not

empower you.”
 “Until you believe you have options, you’ll
continue to feel stuck.”

“Choose the words you say to yourself wisely;

they are creating your reality.”
“Anything is possible if you get off your ‘BUT’
and STAND!”

“Doubt is a virus that attacks our self-esteem,

productivity and confidence. Faith that you and
your life are perfectly unfolding is the strongest
vaccine.”

“Until you take ownership for your life, you will

always be chasing happiness.”

“You make a new life by making new choices.”

 mo·ti·va·tion
/ˌmōdəˈvāSH(ə)n/

Learn to pronounce

noun
1. the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way.
"escape can be a strong motivation for travel"
synony motive, motivating
ms: force, incentive, stimulus, stimulation, inspiration, impulse, inducement, incitement, spu
r, goad, provocation; More
o the general desire or willingness of someone to do something.
"keep staff up to date and maintain interest and motivation"
synonyms: enthusiasm, drive, ambition, initiative, determination, enterprise, sense of purpose;
informalget-up-and-go
"keep staff up to date to maintain their interest and motivation"

Motivation
Description
Motivation is the reason for people's actions, willingness and goals. Motivation is derived from the
word motive which is defined as a need that requires satisfaction. These needs could be wants or
desires that are acquired through influence of culture, society, lifestyle, etc. or generally
innate. Wikipedia