Some people believe that leaders are born, not made. Whether you subscribe to that notion or not, anyone can hone or develop useful leadership skills.

Based on my experience as a leader and working with exceptional leaders, I’ve found a combination of the following are the most successful indicators for identifying a great leader: care, consistency, competence, action, accountability and attitude.

Care and Action

As present or future leaders, we should CARE for and show respect to our most important asset: our human resources.

Leaders must remember that CARE is a verb; it’s a doing and a telling word. The members of our team will only feel cared for when our actions are congruent with our words. Some key components to showing CARE include engaging in active listening, showing empathy, being honest at all times, being humble, and admitting and apologizing when we are wrong.

A popular quote frequently used by John C. Maxwell aptly summarizes what CARE is: “People do not care how much you know, until they know how much you CARE.” Being a leader cannot be a default career decision. It should be a passion to add value to others. Leaders should genuinely have a love for people, and in having that love for people it correlates to how we CONSISTENTLY lead with dignity and respect. A high-performance leader is mindful of the fact that the way we treat the general manager, CEO or shareholders of a company is the same way we treat any member of your team.

Consistency and Accountability

As a leader, I’ve always tried to consistently hold myself ACCOUNTABLE for “walking the talk” and when I did not, I apologized and, most importantly, I changed my behavior. Leaders, the presence or absence of CONSISTENCY regarding our moral and ethical behavior can lead to the success or demise of our organization. My yardstick for CONSISTENCY as a leader is similar to the expectations I have of going on a plane and getting to and from my destination safely. Regardless of any possible turbulence, I always feel assured that the pilot will land the plane safely. This level of CONSISTENCY is what all leaders aim for: Building that confidence with my team, reassuring them that regardless of the crisis or “turbulence,” the leader will be able to navigate through the crisis. No one wants to be on a team with an inconsistent leader, especially if it can literally or figuratively lead to death.

Leadership is a badge of honor, not a badge of power. As a leader, we must always ensure that we focus on not only what we do but also how we do it; how we communicate with our team is critical in earning their respect. We must be fully aware that respect is not something that we can demand … we have to earn it. Based on numerous conversations with leaders, I realize that some are still under the misguided perception that our job title should correlate with the amount of respect shown by our team. I’m certain that many of us can attest to the fact that this perception is clearly not a reality.

As leaders, our teams observe both our verbal and nonverbal communication, and when they’re not congruent it can spark feelings of mistrust. Leaders, we should do everything within our control to take the initiative to make an authentic connection with our team. We should strive to be the leaders that we would like to follow.

Competence and Attitude

Based on my experience, effective leaders demonstrate a high level of COMPETENCE in relationship management, humility, resilience, creativity, influencing others, business and financial acumen, teamwork, and communication skills. When leaders are able to pair these competencies with the right ATTITUDE, they’re able to create a work environment that’s conducive to high levels of productivity and employee engagement.

It’s important to note that a leader’s ATTITUDE is a reflection of the leader’s values. Leaders should value all people regardless of race, socioeconomic class, gender, etc. Leaders who consistently value people are able to drive engagement in their team and establish a sense of identity within their team. Effective leaders cannot change or influence the performance of a team if they cannot change or influence themselves. It’s important to note that engaged teams are productive, which positively influences profitability.

Finally, as we navigate this year, I ask present and future leaders to reflect on these thought-provoking questions:

  • How can I lead others if I do not “walk the talk”?
  • How do I expect my team to respect me if I do not respect them?
  • How can I expect to change the attitude of my team as a leader if my attitude is questionable?

Further insights of the three Cs and three As of high-performance leaders can be found in my book, “The Master Guide to Leadership Through the Lens of Care.”