The 10 habits of ultra-likeable leaders

If you want to be a leader whom people follow with total conviction, you have to be likeable. Tyrants and grumps with brilliant vision can hold a reluctant audience for a while, but it never lasts. They burn people out before anyone sees what those people are truly capable of.

Research by TalentSmart involving more than a million people shows that likeable leaders outperform those who are not likeable by a wide margin.

Likeability is not a birthright; it is the result of learnable skills that are crucial to your professional success. And as with any other professional skill, you can study the people who have it, copy what works and adapt it to your own style.

Travis Bradberry, author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0 and president of TalentSmart, gives us 10 habits that emotionally intelligent leaders share and that make them likeable.

(See also: 11 secrets of irresistible people, by Travis Bradberry)

1. They form personal connections.

Even in a room full of people, likeable leaders make each person feel as if they were the only one in the room who mattered. Likeable leaders communicate with everyone on a very personal, emotional level. Never forget that the people standing in front of you are flesh-and-blood human beings.

2. They are approachable.

Likeable leaders truly believe that everyone, regardless of rank or ability, is worthy of their time and attention. They make everyone feel valued because they believe everyone is valuable.

3. They are humble.

Few things kill likeability as quickly as arrogance. Likeable leaders don’t act as if they are better than you, because they don’t think they are better than you. Rather than a source of prestige, they see their leadership position as an added responsibility to serve those who follow them.

4. They are positive.

Likeable leaders always keep a positive attitude, and it shows in the way they describe things. They don’t have to give a presentation to the board; they get to share their vision and ideas with the board. They don’t have to go and visit a plant; they get to meet the people who make their company’s products. They aren’t even on a diet; they are simply enjoying the benefits of eating healthily. Even in undeniably negative situations, likeable leaders exude an enthusiastic hope for the future, a confidence that they can help make tomorrow better than today.

5. They keep things in perspective.

When it comes to their own achievements and failures, likeable leaders stay calm. They savour success without letting it go to their heads, and they readily acknowledge failure without sinking. They learn from both their successes and their failures, and they move on.

6. They are generous.

Almost everyone has worked for someone who constantly holds back, whether it is knowledge or resources. Such bosses act as if they are afraid of being outshone if they give you access to everything you need to do your job. Likeable leaders, by contrast, are generous with whom they know, what they know and the resources they have access to.

They want you to do well, above all because they understand that this is their job as a leader, and because they are secure enough not to worry that your success might make them look bad. In fact, they believe your success is their success.

(See: Good bosses give their employees these 10 things)

7. They show integrity.

Likeable leaders inspire trust and admiration through their actions, not just their words. Many leaders say integrity is important to them, but likeable leaders demonstrate their integrity through their conduct every day. Even a leader who oozes charm will not be likeable if that charm is not backed by a solid foundation of integrity.

8. They read people like an open book.

Likeable leaders know how to read people without them having to say a word. They pick up on facial expressions, body language and tone of voice to find out what is really going on with their people. In other words, they have great social awareness, a critical emotional intelligence skill.

9. They appreciate people’s potential.

Likeable leaders don’t just see the best in their people; they also make sure everyone else sees it. They draw out people’s talent in a way that helps everyone improve.

10. They share their experience.

Likeable leaders understand that their knowledge and experience are fundamental to the success of everyone who follows them. So they talk to people regularly to share substance (rather than superficial small talk). Likeable leaders don’t pretend to be something they are not, because they don’t need to. They have substance, and they share it with their people.

Featured image: Environmental Protection Agency. Office of the Administrator. Office of Public Affairs. Office of Multimedia. (10/15/2014), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.