Nerd alert.  Who’s with me?

I’m a learning junkie.  Or a lifelong nerd, some might say.  Between books, podcasts, and blogs I could soak it all up every hour of every day, forever, and probably not make a dent.

But, the ones I go back to again and again have a secret sauce that I’m sure has propelled their success and helped them increase their impact and influence.

What are three key qualities of the successful business owners, thought leaders, and creative visionaries that I admire?   The ones who inspire me to spread their message all over the place?

Before the big reveal… remember, YOU can cultivate these traits as well.  That’s the best part!  

It’s not always easy.  It’ll take honestly assessing your strengths and areas for growth.  It’ll take others holding you accountable at a higher level.  It may take a mentor or a coach. But, it’s absolutely possible.  And, I’d argue, necessary if you want to achieve your greatest level of success.

This secret sauce really isn’t much of a secret.  But it does take desire, practice, and commitment to make it come alive in your work.

Three Qualities of a Leader… that you can have too

The gift of powerful acknowledgement.  

This is one of my favorites, and it’s often overlooked.  We, as humans, want to feel valued. We want to feel like we matter, like our work makes a difference, like others appreciate us.

The best boss I ever had would take the time to acknowledge my work, my skills, my contribution to the team on a regular basis.  It took her all of 30 seconds to share an observation she’d had about my work, and it made me want to go to the end of the earth to keep serving our organization wholeheartedly.  

Because, she had the gift of acknowledgment.  She took the time to specifically honor why she valued me.  The specific part is huge.  A general “thanks for the great work” is nice, but we humans long to feel special.  And when we feel like we’re valued for what we specifically provide… the leader has leveraged a loyal supporter who will help share their work with the world.

Powerful, personal integrity.  

This one can be complicated.  But, I’ll break it down to a bare bones definition here. Leaders who have integrity are reliable and trustworthy.  They do what they say they’ll do when they say they’ll do it.  When they don’t, they take responsibility for the slip up immediately and restore trust.  They don’t compromise their values, even in uncomfortable or challenging situations.  Again, demonstrating that they can be relied upon.

How many of you can think of bosses, colleagues, family members who could use some growth in this area?  They over commit, so you never know if or when they’ll actually show up.  They always have a million projects they’re launching, but you rarely see any of them come to fruition.

I’m not saying people are bad or wrong to get tripped up when it comes to integrity.  It’s quite human.

I am saying that inspirational and successful leaders usually have a strong practice of powerful, personal integrity.  People count on them.  They deliver.

Clarity.  

Clarity of vision and clarity in communication. Oh my gosh, yes!  Think brilliant orators like Martin Luther King, Jr. to genius marketing slogans you can’t get out of your head (“Gimme a break, gimme a break…” I bet you can finish it!)  When you’re clear on what your vision is, others understand you and can help you share it.  

Equally important is being clear when you’re making requests of others, whether it’s a member of your team or your husband.  Often we don’t get the outcome that we want simply because we weren’t clear in the first place.  Clearly expressing your expectations sets you up to get your desired result.  It’s amazingly simple and brilliantly effective… yet, not often done.

That’s it!  The secret sauce to inspirational, influential, and impactful leadership.  

Now, it’s your turn.  When you give some attention to these three leadership qualities, your work and your vision will have a much bigger impact.

There may be millions of things that make a successful leader.  Personality traits.  Skill sets.  Experience.  

Start with these three and see how your business grows, you community gets bigger, and your message gets shared more with the world.

And in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you,

“What do you think is the most important leadership quality to lead with influence and impact?”

Yours in Badass + Brilliant Living,

xo

Sage