The most important qualities of successful leadership are honesty and integrity, a clear direction, passion and perseverance, and the courage to give creativity room. That is not a list plucked out of thin air. For decades, researchers have asked people worldwide which qualities they look for in a leader they would willingly follow, and honesty invariably comes out on top.
Inspiring leaders have a number of things in common: they have a clear goal, enable others to excel and have a great source of energy and perseverance. They often seem like born leaders. But how do you actually become a successful leader? In this article, I am happy to tell you more about it.
Why leaders' qualities matter so much
Leadership is not a side issue. According to Gallup, the manager accounts for around 70 per cent of the differences in engagement between teams. Gallup And that engagement is under pressure. The latest State of the Global Workplace report shows that only 20 per cent of employees worldwide were truly engaged in their work in 2025, the lowest level since 2020. Gallup
So who you are as a leader makes a direct difference to your team.
Honesty and integrity
Honesty is the best policy. But in the short term, too, honesty and integrity are the most important qualities of successful leaders. Just look at yourself and those around you. Think of a manager or entrepreneur you know and appreciate. This person has probably always been honest and sincere with you. Otherwise they wouldn't be the first to come to mind, would they?
Research confirms that feeling. Since the 1980s, Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner have asked people worldwide which qualities they find important in a leader they would follow. Honest comes out as number one every time. In their 2010 survey, 85 per cent of respondents chose honesty. Kouzes & Posner According to them, credibility is the foundation of leadership, which they sum up in one rule: do what you say you will do. The Leadership Challenge
As Dwight D. Eisenhower put it: "The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity." American University
It all starts with yourself. By being honest, sincere and loyal, you build trust. That also means not putting off bad news, admitting when you have done something wrong and keeping agreements, even when it is inconvenient. That way, your team, partners and customers gain confidence in what you do. Stick to your norms and values.
A clear direction
After honesty, most people in Kouzes and Posner's research chose a leader who looks ahead. People want to know where they are going. In the 2010 survey, 70 per cent chose this quality, followed by inspiring and competent. Kouzes & Posner
A clear direction doesn't have to be a grand vision of the future. It starts with simple questions your team can answer: why do we do this work, what do we want to achieve this year, and what is my contribution? Once that is clear to you, you can give your people much more room to choose the way themselves. Also read how engaging leadership starts with the higher goal.
Passion and perseverance
There are countless stories of successful people who first fell flat on their faces. To be successful, you also need to know what it is like to fail. Where in America it is fairly normal to go bankrupt once before you succeed, and is even seen as a sign of guts, in the Netherlands it is still often seen as failure and a source of shame. A pity, because it is precisely from setbacks that you learn the most.
As a leader, it is very important to have a good dose of passion and perseverance. A feeling inside that motivates you day in, day out to go all out and get the best out of yourself and your team. But that passion only really arises when you do what you enjoy and what motivates you intrinsically.
That ties in with Prof. Dr. Bas Kodden's research into sustainable performance. He names five qualities that determine it: self-efficacy (the confidence that you will complete a task successfully), adaptability, mental fitness, intrinsic motivation and intelligence. According to him, diplomas and experience say much less. Boom Management
Creativity and room for new ideas
Creativity is one of the most important qualities of a successful leader. Now that AI is changing the work of many teams, leaders need to keep finding new ways of doing things. Dare to be creative, don't be afraid to change and keep innovating. Only those who dare to think outside the box come up with new ideas.
But a creative leader doesn't do it alone. The best ideas often come from the team, provided people feel safe enough to voice them. When Google studied what distinguished its best teams, psychological safety emerged as the most important factor: the feeling that you can take a risk or make a mistake without it being held against you. The concept comes from Harvard professor Amy Edmondson. Google re:Work Read more in our article on more effective teams through psychological safety.
What can you do with this tomorrow? Respond to a crazy idea with a question first, rather than a judgement. Tell people about a mistake you made yourself. And celebrate not only successes, but also good attempts.
Can anyone become a successful leader?
I believe so. Of course, some people have more aptitude than others. But being honest, giving direction, persevering and making room for creativity are mainly choices you make anew every day. So nobody is born a successful leader. It comes down to what you do.
Successful leaders are characterised by honesty, a clear direction, boundless commitment, passion for what they do and a great deal of creativity. What do you think is another important characteristic of successful leadership?
