The 6 Top Qualities of the World’s Greatest Leaders

Want to join the ranks of the world’s best leaders? If so, start acting like one, because the secret to successful leadership often comes down to a few simple habits. Regardless of your age, industry, or level of experience; the following habits of the world’s greatest leaders will help shape you into a better leader too.

According to a recent study of leaders at some of the world’s biggest companies, the average leader gets up at around 6:15am each day, so if you want to give your leadership skills a boost, then set your alarm clock a little earlier. Leaders particularly well known for early rising include Apple CEO Tim Cook who gets up at 3:45am; Michelle Obama regularly starts her day at 4:30am; and Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey hits the ground running at around 5:00am.

Getting up early not only gives you a head start on your competition, it means having time for important tasks that might otherwise be skipped, such as eating a healthy breakfast, exercising or spending time with loved ones. There’s even been studies that show confidence, motivation and energy are all increased through starting the day off earlier.

If you’re worrying about not getting enough sleep, this isn’t the case at all. Waking earlier does mean you’ll need to go to bed early, yes, but it’s more effective to start your day early, than finish it very late.

The first step towards achieving almost any goal is being able to picture it happening, and not just in a vague ‘hope for the best’ kind of way but actually closing your eyes and picturing exactly what success would look like.

Some people may feel this creates false expectations, but it’s actually the best way to determine the steps it will take to get there in the end. All goals need commitment and work to achieve them, but it’s those that are willing to work the hardest that end up as the next Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg.

While visualisation techniques made their first mainstream appearance in the 1970s, mental imagery exercises have long been used by successful leaders, including Martin Luther King and Steve Jobs. Even the Terminator himself (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has used visualisation throughout his career as an athlete, actor and politician; he says, “What you do is create a vision of who you want to be and then live that picture as if it were already true”.

There is plenty of scientific evidence to support visualisation as well, including a recent article published in Psychology Today that found…

Want to take your leadership qualities to the next level this year? If so start working out, as this is one habit shared by almost all of the world’s most successful leaders.
For example, Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief, Anna Wintour starts each day with an hour of tennis; Tesla visionary Elon Musk stays in shape with regular swimming; while Oprah is well-known for her high intensity daily cardio exercises.

There’s more to it than just setting the goal of becoming a millionaire and hoping to realise it by winning the lottery. If you want that leadership position or promotion, think long-term and consider what it could really take to get there.

There’s many ways you can do this too, and some of the best examples are of professional athletes and business executives alike, who spend time in self-contemplation to understand what their weaknesses may be, how to fix them and what they need to change in their personal and work lives to achieve their goals.

Leaders inspire. They motivate. They energise their team. The world’s greatest leaders are those that continue to leave a legacy even after they’re gone. Steve Jobs is one of the best examples of this. He was a true visionary who is still considered an inspiration to many in the business world. To lead and lead effectively, you need understand people. It’s not just about managing and leading others, it’s also about recognising talent. A leader is often only as good as those they employ and knowing when someone has ability is usually a skill that the world’s best share.

It takes a special type of person to be a great leader and the road to success can certainly be long and winding; however, with the right amount of time, effort and a few good habits, anything is possible.