4 Non-Obvious Traits of Great Leaders 🚀

What's up, Next Gen Fam!

We know great leaders are loyal and selfless. But what are the subtle things they do to drive impact? This week, we’re covering non-obvious tips that’ll level up your leadership skills.

Let's dive in!

TIPS

Don’t improve their idea. 

Imagine an intern comes to you with an idea she’s excited about. It’s a great plan and you love it. But then you say: “Before you start, do this to make it even better...” Now the intern doesn’t own the idea anymore. She’s lost the excitement to work. So, if an already good idea is brought to you, resist the urge to improve it. Stay quiet and let your team member run with it. 

Ask: Are there any other reasons?

Let’s say you offered someone a job but they declined. You ask them why and they give you a reason. But you’re not convinced, so you ask: Are there any other reasons? Now the person responds with the real truth. That’s because the truth usually comes the second or third time you ask. To find the real answer, always ask: Are there any other reasons? 

Don't say "I." 

Great leaders focus on the team, not themselves. An easy way to build the leadership habit is to avoid the word “I." Rasmus Hoougard, a corporate mindfulness expert, even found in his samples that highly-rated leaders rarely used the word “I.” So, try to replace the vertical pronoun with words like "we" and "us" whenever possible.

Be invisible. 

If an organization produces epic results and no one steps forward to claim credit, there’s a talented leader at work. This leader stays out of the limelight but does all the subtle work to keep team members humble. Be this invisible leader. As Lao-Tze said, “A leader is best when people barely know she exists. When her work is done and aim fulfilled, the people will say: ‘we did it ourselves.’” 

QUESTION FOR YOU

Are there leaders in your life that you aren’t noticing?

OPPORTUNITIES

• ✏️ Donor’s Choose, an impactful organization that allows direct donations to public school projects, is hiring for a Program Management Associate.

• 🥦 TraderJoe’s, the beloved grocery store chain, is hiring for a Cyber Security Analyst.

• 🎥 YouTube, the second largest search engine in the world, is hiring for a Strategy and Operations Manager.

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