By Linda Fisher Thornton
A theme I have noticed in the past in the most viewed posts on this blog is Looking For a Better Kind of Leadership. It’s a great time to explore the question “What is Good Leadership?
While it’s tempting to over simplify leadership and think about it as any one thing, good leadership can only be fully understood by thinking about it in multiple ways. Here is a starter list of 16 defining characteristics of good leadership:
- Purposeful
- Ethical
- Intentional
- Thoughtful
- Meaningful
- Respectful
- Caring
- Open
- Invites Dialogue
- Globally Responsible
- Up-to-Date
- Trustworthy
- Culturally Inclusive
- Ethically Inspiring
- Embraces and Adapts To Context and Complexity
- Continual Learner
This list of 16 is designed to get you thinking. There are many more characteristics we could add. Think about great leaders you’ve had in the past (or not). What defining characteristics of good leadership would you add to this list? Share your ideas in the comments!
Unleash the Positive Power of Ethical Leadership
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