20 traits of "excellent" leaders

20 Things Excellent Leaders Do Consistently:

1. Read. They are committed to staying current and learning industry trends.
2. Attend workshops. Again they are committed to learning.
3. Join associations. Excellent leaders know that being a part of one or more professional associations is important. More importantly they get involved and volunteer their expertise.
4. Take time off. They make taking time off a priority.
5. Network. Excellent leaders are master networkers.
6. Believe. They believe in themselves and their abilities. Self-doubt and low self-esteem are stumbling blocks.
7. Look at the big picture. Excellent leaders have an unnatural ability for seeing the big picture. They are visionary and help others to embrace their vision.
8. Goal-orientated. However they do it - great leaders set goals in some way or another.
9. Mentor. They mentor others and have a mentor or two. Valuing both giving and receiving feedback.
10. Work with integrity. Great leaders are honest, hard-working and conduct all their business dealing with integrity.
11. Develop others. Excellent leaders make developing and challenging others a priority.
12. Care about others. True leaders genuinely care about people. They make time for them and they are passionate about helping others develop their true potential.
13. Discipline themselves. Leadership requires discipline. Excellent leaders discipline themselves in order to accomplish the tasks at hand.
14. Have fun. The best leaders are the ones who love what they do and have fun with it. Everyone wants to be around a leader who knows how to have fun but still gets the job done.
15. Willing to sacrifice. Leadership often equals sacrifice in some form or another. Great leaders are willing to sacrifice for the team - excellent leaders will never let on that they had to sacrifice for the team.
16. Speak boldly. They are not afraid to speak their mind. Yet they are able to do so with respect.
17. Willing to get their hands dirty. I love when I watch a leader jump in and get dirty. True leaders are able to put aside their role and do whatever needs to be done - even if it's not glamorous.
18. Act humbly. Excellent leaders do not flaunt their status or power. They are humble and have a commitment to serve others.
19. Think often. Leadership requires thought and planning. Excellent leaders plan time to think and to process information before making major decisions.
20. Are awesome! Excellent leaders are awesome - they are dynamic, focused and you feel better when you are around them.