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NextGen Magazine

 
 

Former Microsoft Human Resources VP on Four Traits of Great Leaders

By:
S.J. Steinhardt
Published Date:
Sep 8, 2023

GettyImages-1143297123 Company Meeting Woman Business Boss Board

After 40 years in business, including serving as Microsoft’s vice president for human resources, Chris Hill has observed many leaders and their styles, Now a podcaster, consultant and TikTok creator, he enumerated the four traits that great leaders exhibit, in Business Insider.

The first is team focus; great leaders understand that all the best work gets done when everyone works together—themselves included. Such leaders make everything about the objective and not about titles and rank, and make sure that everyone knows his or her role in this vision.

Second, great leaders possess empathy, he wrote. They listen and acknowledge each person as an individual, recognizing what makes them different and how they can contribute to the shared goals.

Empathy “simply means understanding the feelings of others,” he wrote. “It doesn't dictate what you do about those feelings, just that you understand and acknowledge them.” That includes helping each person succeed.

The third trait is patience. “The best leaders practice patience at both large and small scale,” he wrote. “On the small scale, the best leaders are almost serene.” These leaders are patient with learners, recognize failure as instruction, and know that blame and criticism are poor teaching tools, he wrote.

On the larger scale, great leaders “refrain from overwhelming the team with their urgency,” he wrote. “They recognize that people are applying their best efforts and don't need to be ridden with a whip.” Such self-awareness and patience fosters confidence and trust.

Fourth, great leaders must be candid, he wrote. They understand that secrecy can undermine a team. Telling the truth can result in team members coming up with creative solutions. It can also benefit the team when a leader answers a question clearly and directly, not just saying what someone wants to hear.

“Great leaders speak always with an acknowledgement that the foundation of trust is candor,” he wrote.

In conclusion, Hill wrote that leadership is about “[p]ainting a clear vision, highlighting the path there, and offering whatever help the team needs to get there. … The best leaders make this seem almost effortless.”