11 Powerful Leadership Habits to Make You a Better Leader

Most leaders don’t fail because they lack intelligence. They fail because of their habits. If you looked at your daily habits, would they reflect the kind of leader you want to be?

Here are eleven leadership habits that have helped me become a better and more effective leader and can help you do the same.

1. Read on a Regular Basis

I’m not talking about reading the latest spy thriller that topped the bestseller list (although I love indulging in those too). Yes, you need to read books (check out my recommendations) and articles on leadership. Dedicate time each day or week to reading. If reading just isn’t your thing, consider listening to audiobooks or podcasts while you're driving or working out. It doesn’t matter how you absorb the information, as long as you do so you can make it a habit to continue learning.

2. Share Your Knowledge

Don’t hoard all your newfound knowledge to yourself! Share the lessons you’ve learned with the leaders you are trying to develop. I believe it is an inherent responsibility of a leader to grow other leaders. Carve out time on a regular basis to host group discussions on articles or books you’ve read, and encourage others to explore those articles and books as well.

3. Get to Know Your People

Be deliberate about getting to know your subordinates on a deeper level than just work acquaintance. This may feel a bit awkward, especially if you harbor introverted tendencies or find small talk uncomfortable (see my suggestions for conversation starters). This may also be awkward for your direct reports because they're reluctant to share personal information about themselves. But it doesn't need to be that way. When you make it a habit of being genuinely interested in what the other person has to say, they will get used to it and realize you really mean it when you ask how their family is doing. In turn, let them get to know you. Be sure to maintain your professional boundaries when you do this. This makes you a real person and easier to approach.

4. Visit Your People

Holing up in your office all day does you or your team no good. Be present regularly, but not predictably. The goal isn’t to monitor, it’s to connect. Carefully pick the days and times you appear. Coming around every Friday afternoon may feel like you’re checking up on them. Coming around at the same time every Tuesday makes it seem like you scheduled it (even if it’s true, it appears as if you’re doing it out of obligation). Switch it up so people get used to you visiting at random times.

5. Be Consistent

Make it a habit to be so consistent, you become boring. I know, this is like the complete opposite of what I just said for habit #4. But people like to know what they’re going to get from a leader. Your team shouldn't have to guess which version of you they're going to get. Consistency helps you manage expectations and no one should ever wonder how you’re going to react in different situations.

6. Learn to Let Go

The habit of letting go can be a difficult one to do for some people. You will be disappointed at times. That’s part of leadership. The lesson isn’t to tighten control, it’s to develop your people to perform better next time. No one enjoys working for a micro-manager, so don’t be one. When you tell your subordinates that you trust them to take care of a project, let them run with it. They should give you regular updates and come to you for clarification and guidance or when they need help, but don’t be the kind of leader who gets frustrated because it wasn’t executed step-by-step the way you would have done it.

7. Give Feedback Often and in a Timely Manner

Feedback isn’t wine and it doesn’t get better with age. The longer you wait, the less effective it becomes, and the harder it is to deliver. A lot of people are averse to giving negative feedback and avoid confrontation at all costs. You cannot be like that and be an effective leader. Address problems early on, and similarly, make it a habit to tell someone they’re doing well as soon as you can. Feedback is meant to help people and shouldn’t be viewed as a negative thing.

8. Be Open to Feedback

It’s important to have confidence in yourself, but there’s a balance. People who are overly confident can sometimes be too proud to accept feedback. Seek feedback and show people you truly want to hear it by acknowledging it and putting forth the effort to make improvements.

9. Be Human

Leaders are human too. Like everyone else, they go through life making mistakes and learning lessons from those mistakes. Leaders aren’t born knowing everything, so don’t pretend like you were. I mean, literally, I don’t know a single leader who was born and knew how to walk or talk. So make it a habit of showing people your human side, that you empathize with them and that you have vulnerabilities too. They will appreciate you for it.

10. Carve Out Time for Yourself

Prioritize yourself. Dedicate time to do the things you enjoy to decompress and spend time with the people you love. Leaders who care will feel this compulsion to take care of everything and everyone. They want to make sure their families are happy and their subordinates are on the right path. They want to make sure their projects are going to be successfully executed. All of this takes time, and you only have 24 hours in a day. If you keep giving your time away, you’ll have no energy left for yourself.

11. Model the Behavior You Expect from Your People

People watch what their leaders are doing, and yes, they will judge them for it. Are they doing what they say, or are they saying one thing but doing the opposite? Exhibit the behavior you are asking of your teams. If you want team members who are helpful and work well together, you need to show them you are a helpful leader who works well with others. If you want people who are excited to come to work, then you need to be that person too. And if you want high performers, be a high performer. Be mindful, if you are a workaholic, your team may try to emulate you believing it's the expectation. Or they may decide to leave you so they can work for someone who displays a better life balance.

In Conclusion

Leadership isn’t about occasional big decisions, it’s about the habits you practice every day.

You don’t need to master all eleven at once. Start with one or two, build consistency, and grow from there. Over time, these habits will shape not just how you lead, but how people experience your leadership.

Which of these leadership habits do you already practice, and which one will you start this week? Drop a comment below. I’d love to hear what’s working for you.