When you look at truly exceptional leaders across politics, business, non-profit, arts, and public sectors, a striking pattern emerges. They all share remarkably similar attitudes and beliefs that set them apart.
These aren’t generic platitudes about “thinking outside the box” or “being proactive.” They’re fundamental mindsets that shape how leaders approach challenges, build teams, and drive results. Understanding these attitudes can transform how you lead.
First, Some Definitions
Before diving into the specific attitudes, let’s clarify what we’re actually talking about.
What’s a value? Think of this as what’s fundamentally important to you. It could relate to your leadership philosophy, how you do business, your family, the kind of people you recruit, or the companies you choose to work with. In business terms, values are often described as what motivates people.
What’s a belief? A belief is an opinion you’ve held over time. It’s accepting something as true, even without concrete proof. These beliefs shape your decisions and actions as a leader.
The Attitudes That Set Leaders Apart
1. Integrity: The Foundation
Honesty and integrity underpin any kind of success, whether in personal relationships or professional leadership. Leaders who walk their talk operate from a place of integrity. This consistency creates the foundation for everything else, particularly trust.
That starts with integrity.
2. Trust: The Essential Bond
For teams to truly follow a leader through the highs and lows of business, trust is essential. We’ve seen what happens when trust breaks down. The corporate failures of the late 1990s and the 2008 recession demonstrated how lack of trust can devastate entire industries and destroy consumer confidence.
Team members won’t follow leaders who don’t do what they say they’re going to do. Not for long, anyway.
3. Calculated Risk-Taking
Leaders willing to take more considered risks than their colleagues tend to be more successful. These leaders make decisions without getting paralysed by over-analysis. They aren’t afraid of making mistakes because they view them as learning opportunities rather than career-ending failures.
The key word here is “calculated.” It’s not reckless gambling. It’s informed decision-making coupled with the courage to act when others hesitate.
4. Courage in Challenging Times
Leaders face difficult situations just like everyone else. What sets them apart is the courage to overcome challenges consistently and tackle tasks others are less willing to do, even without guaranteed success.
This courage manifests in difficult conversations, unpopular decisions, and the willingness to be accountable when things go wrong.
5. Fairness Across All Levels
People want to be treated fairly, whether they’re colleagues, team members, or clients. This principle holds true across every organisation and industry.
The most admired leaders navigate paths to success in fair and just ways. They don’t play favourites, don’t let politics dictate decisions, and ensure equitable treatment even when it’s inconvenient.
6. Passion and Enthusiasm
A leader’s role is to inspire, and this becomes infinitely easier when you have genuine passion for what you’re doing. Lack of authenticity is easy to spot. When leaders are just going through the motions or parroting “company speak,” teams notice immediately.
Call it a positive attitude or a can-do mindset. Some leaders simply refuse to leave space for negativity. They consistently find aspects of positivity even in challenging circumstances.
Maxwell Maltz, author of the influential book “Psycho-Cybernetics,” said that humans are fundamentally success-seeking beings. When you’re passionate about your work, that attitude becomes infectious.
7. Commitment to Development
Lifelong learning distinguishes exceptional leaders. They’re committed to their own education as well as developing others. They recognise that businesses only grow when their people grow too.
These leaders are often avid readers, sometimes consuming a book a week. Self-reflection comes naturally to them, and they respond positively to feedback. The learning never stops, professionally or personally.
Beyond their own development, they champion learning within their organisations, encouraging team members to own their growth whilst investing time in mentoring and sponsoring top talent both inside and outside their organisation.
8. Humility Combined With Will
Jim Collins’ research in “Good to Great” revealed something surprising. The most exceptional leaders aren’t the classic charismatic types we’ve always imagined. Instead, they demonstrate a compelling mixture of humility and will.2
These are leaders who can leave their ego at the door and put personal interests aside. Their focus is on what’s best for the business rather than pursuing their own agenda, getting caught up in politics, or winning popularity contests.
This doesn’t mean they lack conviction or ambition. Far from it. But their ambition is directed toward organisational success rather than personal glory.
The Science Behind These Attitudes
Modern neuroscience provides compelling validation for these attitudes. Research on oxytocin (the “trust hormone”) reveals that specific management behaviours stimulate trust and improve outcomes:1
- Recognising excellence
- Creating appropriate challenges
- Providing autonomy in work methods
- Sharing information broadly
- Building intentional relationships
- Supporting whole-person growth
- Demonstrating vulnerability
These findings align perfectly with the eight attitudes above, providing scientific evidence for what great leaders have understood intuitively.
Putting It Into Practice
Developing these attitudes requires consistent effort and honest self-reflection. Leaders who embody these attitudes create significant competitive advantages in today’s challenging business environment.
Start by asking yourself: are you walking your talk in terms of your values and beliefs as a leader? If not, what will you do to change it?
Focus on one or two attitudes initially. Integrity and trust form the foundation, so starting there makes sense. Seek feedback from your team about how your attitudes translate into real-world impact. Be patient with yourself. Most leaders see initial improvements within 3-6 months, but truly embodying these attitudes requires consistent practice over years.
The commitment matters more than perfection. Great leadership isn’t about being flawless. It’s about continuous improvement and authentic dedication to these fundamental attitudes that drive success.
Frequently Asked Questions About Leadership Attitudes
What Sets Leaders Apart
These eight attitudes form the bedrock of exceptional leadership. They’re not quick fixes or superficial techniques. They’re fundamental approaches to how you interact with people and build organisations.
The research is clear: organisations led by people who demonstrate these attitudes significantly outperform their competitors. The question isn’t whether these attitudes matter. It’s whether you’re ready to develop them consistently and authentically.
This isn’t an exhaustive list, and other attitudes certainly matter. But if you focus on developing integrity, trust, calculated risk-taking, courage, fairness, passion, continuous development, and humility, you’ll build a strong foundation for exceptional leadership.
Remember, great leadership isn’t about perfection. It’s about continuous improvement and genuine commitment to these attitudes that drive lasting success.