The 8 qualities of successful leaders

1. Authenticity

According to Hill, leaders need to embody their best selves, meaning they need to be the version of themselves that's not only highly effective but also motivating and inspiring.

"Your competence is not enough; people need to trust your character and connect with you, otherwise they will not be willing to take risks with you," she said. This ties with your ability to be self-aware, Hill added. "You need to figure out how to create the conditions for your success, and don't assume others will do it for you."

The key to growing in this area is understanding how people perceive you and seeking feedback from peers in times when you can remain open without becoming defensive.

2. Curiosity

According to Hill, curiosity is a mindset. "It's about looking around the corner, exploring uncharted territories, and trying to understand the art of the possible," she said.

A good leader has an "outside-in" perspective of their organizations and teams, Hill added, meaning they can look at situations from the standpoint of an external stakeholder, allowing them to make more informed decisions because they're considering the broader context.

To get better at this, Hill recommends taking a cue from children, who are naturally curious — be open to new experiences and people outside your division, function, or industry; don't be afraid to ask questions; reflect on your personal passions and interests; and think expansively and ambitiously.

3. Analytical prowess

Being a good leader requires the ability to break down complicated problems, figure out what their root cause is, and develop a fresh solution, Hill said. Trusting your gut isn't enough — you need to develop analytical skills and focus on cause-and-effect relationships, paying close attention to patterns and trends.

Making good decisions depends on how you can leverage your experience alongside analytics, expertise, and ethical judgment, Hill said. "[I]t's not about being data-driven, it's about being data-informed."

As a leader, you should dive into the complexity of data collection, understand its implications, and pay attention for any potential biases, Hill said. "Your role as a leader is to decode the stories hidden within the data and figure out what the data are telling you."

4. Adaptability

Thanks in part to new technologies and artificial intelligence, the world is changing fast, Hill said. As a result, "stakeholder expectations are evolving faster and you, as a leader, need to be able to adjust to these ever-shifting demands."

Being adaptable fosters an agile team culture, Hill said, allowing you to quickly respond to varying dynamics, pivot when you need to, and embrace any new opportunities or challenges.

To become more adaptable, you need to take on assignments and experiences outside your comfort zone, Hill said. If your background is finance, consider working with the marketing team, for example. "Stretching yourself in these ways will also expand your personal growth and development," Hill said.

5. Creativity

New, useful ideas are creativity, Hill said. "Some of those ideas are incremental and others are breakthroughs."

The most innovative ideas typically come from what Hill refers to as the "adjacent possible," or the range of possibilities within reach. The driving force behind innovation is diversity of thought, as everyone brings their own unique perspective and "slide of genius" to the table, Hill said.

Leaders need to establish an environment that nurtures creativity and recognizes the interconnectedness of people's thinking, Hill said. She recommends encouraging and promoting diverse perspectives on your team and embracing the concept of learning from failure.

6. Comfort with ambiguity

Dealing with ambiguity means holding different, conflicting ideas in your head and managing competing priorities that seem equally important, Hill said.

Often people fall into the trap of linear thinking, and as a result, can overlook how different dynamics interplay with one another, Hill added. To be an effective leader, you need to have a systems mindset, "which helps you understand how things are connected and allows you to grapple with opposing ideas in the face of uncertainty." However, at times, you may still feel like you're "navigating through a fog."

To get better at embracing ambiguity, you need to immerse yourself in the complexity of various situations, Hill said. Ask a lot of "what ifs" and "so whats" and think about things from varying perspectives. "The stronger your sense of certainty, the clearer the indication that a fresh approach is needed," Hill said.

You should also establish a way to clear your mind, whether through mindfulness mediation, yoga, or some other practice, Hill added.

7. Resilience

Charging forward with an unwavering vision can cause problems in the current business environment, Hill said. A successful leader should recognize how fluid situations can be and strive to understand the cultural context in which they operate.

And most important, a leader needs to show the resilience to recalibrate if they start veering off course. "You need to know how to regroup and get input from others by asking, 'Is there another path?'" Hill said.

To improve your resilience, Hill recommends taking on an assignment without a clear definition of success. "Go into spaces where the odds might be a little against you," she said. "These are jobs where you don't have much formal authority over others, it's hard to measure your impact, and you don't know if you're going to be effective."

8. Empathy

A key trait of strong leadership is understanding and connecting with others on an emotional level, Hill said. Leaders need to foster relationships, build trust, and actively engage their team members.

"You need to be able to step into the shoes of your team members, understand what matters to them, what their priorities are, and identify common ground," Hill said. Improving your emotional intelligence can give you a better appreciation of the complicated challenges people are working through and can help you foster a more supportive and nurturing environment.

Research has found we tend to gravitate to others who are like us, meaning it's important for leaders to deliberately seek out people beyond their typical circles, Hill said. "Make a point to interact with people from different backgrounds, so you can learn more about their perspectives."

Ask people about their work preferences, what pressures they're under, and their strengths and weaknesses with the goal of building understanding and connection.

According to Hill, the process of becoming a great leader is filled with continuous learning and growth and thrives on embracing challenges, seeking feedback, fostering connections, and cultivating understanding.

"Your goal is to develop the mindset, behaviors, and relationships that allow you to take on challenges and opportunities and do extraordinary things," Hill said. (Knight, Harvard Business Review, 12/13/23)

Prepare your rising leaders to successfully navigate change by transforming the way they think, see, and act in an ever-evolving healthcare landscape. With Advisory Board Fellowship, your leaders will rise to the challenges of today and tomorrow with the agility and capabilities to advance organizational success.