The 20 Qualities of the Inspirational Leader

Posted by Mike Ramm on July 20, 2007

There was an article in All About Agile blog, entitled 20 Qualities of an Agile Leader. Well, the title is a little misleading and the author clarifies later that all kind of teams need inspirational leadership and these are the 20 qualities of the inspirational leader:

Strong communication – storytelling and listening
Passion for learning and intense curiosity
Focus on developing people
Having fun and being very energized
Strong self-belief, coupled with humanity and humility
Committed to making a significant difference
Clarity of vision and ability to share it with others
Dogged determination and often relentlessness
Strong focus on priorities
Not afraid to show some vulnerability
Regular use of reflective periods to think and learn
Real passion and pride in what they do
Confidence and trust in their teams, giving them real empowerment
Respect for all (team members, temps, customers, suppliers and directors alike)
Clear standards of ethics and integrity; openness and honesty
Ability to drive, inspire and embrace change and continuous improvement
Positive attitude at all times and an innate ability to be diplomatic in any circumstances
Lateral thinking and ability to find innovative ideas and solutions to problems
Ability to inspire and motivate others
Willingness to take (calculated) risks

I find this list quite comprehensive. I marked the ones I find most important for me in blue. I find them the most important probably because I still need to improve these qualities in me. How about you? Do you agree with all the points? What are the most important ones for you? Do you have all these qualities?