5 Things All Great Leaders Have in Common

“What leadership boils down to is people. Whatever your style, whatever your method, you need to believe in yourself, your ideas and your staff. Nobody can be successful alone – and you cannot be a great leader without great people to lead. The trick is in striking the right balance between empowering your staff and being an example for them to follow,” Explains Branson

Below he shares his thoughts on what he believes to be the top 5 most common traits in all-great leaders

1) Best in class Leaders care for their people, I mean really care. Like caring enough to understand when staff need support if put into difficult situations where their skill may not match the challenge called upon them.

2) Surround themselves with people who have strengths that they lack. Valuing diversity is critical to this leadership trait. This may mean that its not all smooth sailing and consensus may take some effort but it does mean you have some rigor around your decision making and execution capacity.

3) Understand the true power of relationships and empower problem solvers. All effective organizations are built on great relationships that are based on trust, respect and honor to name a few. Without this you are operating on shaky ground and even the best strategies and technologies will not overcome these shortcomings.

4) Have the grit to defend the company’s values under hardship. Making the hard call to say no to bad business is tough but its what separates true leaders from fakers. Standing for your company’s values will win the hearts and minds of your team, which drives deep engagement.

5) Communicate, Communicate, Communicate. As businesses grow strategies may change, ensuring constant and clear communication is critical to maintaining pace and synchronicity. Too many companies are like caterpillars who lose the plot in every which way, this is taxing and demoralizing for all included.