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Life Health > Life Insurance

One key trait that makes the best leaders better

By Dan Waldschmidt

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Effective leaders make people feel loved. They’re not just intelligent, not just experienced, not just driven, candid, inspiring and visionary.

They love people. They heal people. The people that work for them know that what they do is noticed.

They aren’t just a number on the spreadsheet.

Coworkers are known by name…

That sense of purpose is wildly important in any organization or movement. The best leaders know that to get the best results from those that follow them, they have to invest in a relationship.

That’s not by shouting louder, demanding more, being less approachable, or playing politics.

It’s the simple things: Common decency, respect and candor.

Leaders demand excellence…

People know they are appreciated when they are challenged to do better than they have in the past. Complacency and malaise — being allowed to stay mediocre when extraordinary capability is possible — is the opposite of being loved.

Great leaders demand more because they want the best from those around them.

…Not just so that the enterprise benefits…

Not just for more money for themselves, more profit, or a bigger bonus. Leaders demand more because they know that exceptional behavior and extraordinary effort heals. It mends. It makes us all better.

Helping others become a better version of themselves is the truest form of love.

Leaders push. They strain. They support — nudging those around them towards greatness when just letting go and pretending like everything is okay is a whole lot easier.

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