The 4 traits of the best leader I have ever worked with.

Written by: Vijay Krishnan

PA was the best leader I have ever worked for. When we first started working together, it was easy to see why he had been hired into the president role - he was very smart, had a resume packed with leadership experience, and he exuded a confidence and capability that instilled trust.

Through various working situations and hundreds of conversations, I saw 4 things in his leadership that set him apart from anyone I had ever previously worked for; things that seemed pretty unique compared to many of the executive-level leaders I had been around or even been 2 or 3 levels down from in past organizations. 

He showed up the same way every day: positive, focused, steady

Someone once said that “the speed of the leader is the speed of the team.” It’s even more true that the tone and attitude of the leader is the tone and attitude of the team. I had worked with and for people who were perhaps just as smart and capable as PA but who, at times, were distracted, grumpy, unapproachable or easily flustered. The way they showed up directly affected their team. This often led to a culture that was, at the very least, unsteady and, at worst, tempestuous. But as I saw PA consistently show up with positivity, focus and intention, it gave permission and in fact gently challenged me to do the same. Naturally then, as I tried to show up that way, it affected the team that worked with and for me. 

He treated me as an equal

He was smarter than me, had far more work experience and accolades than I did, had more life experiences and had, obviously, a much more senior role and title. But he never made me feel small, inexperienced or inferior. He would talk to me like a peer, and would trust me with information from conversations that were going on in the C-suite boardroom. He kept throwing responsibility my way, expecting me to rise to the challenge. He asked me about my family life and told me about his. Corporate talk about flat org structures is one thing, but a leader who treats their direct reports like equals creates a culture of humility, candor and mutual respect that is contagious.  

He called me out on things I needed to change without shaming or yelling.

Though he treated me like an equal, he did not shy away from holding me accountable; calling me out on mis-steps and challenging me on what he perceived as character issues. This wasn’t an every-day thing…no one can bear constant “feedback” and pressure from a leader (or parent, for that matter). But that made me all the more attentive and receptive when he did point something out or ask me after the fact about a decision I had made which he disagreed with. And yet, it never came across as shaming, angry or in a different tone than how he showed up. This approach made me actually want feedback—it created a culture of confident risk-taking instead of one where everyone was just playing it safe or dodging blame.

He gave me opportunities to grow

Under this leader’s guidance, I was consistently invited to expand—to stretch beyond what I thought I was capable of. Whether it was enrolling in a course, sitting in on senior leadership conversations I had no real need to be part of, or being encouraged to shift from marketing into operations, the space for growth was wide open. And when insecurity or fear threatened to hold me back, it was PA’s belief in me that helped me lean in. That belief didn’t just nudge me forward—it grounded me in the confidence I needed to step into new, unfamiliar spaces with courage.

My leadership and yours

These four things not only helped me thrive in the role I was in at the time, but they also prepared me to step into what was next - a leadership role in a faith community; an arena of leadership I had never been in before, and one where I would have to build a team from scratch.

I sincerely hope that the people who work with me, would be able to read about these four qualities and say, without hesitation, that these are also true about me. And even if not always the case, it remains a goal of mine to model these four attributes for those around me. I know firsthand the mark they made on my life—and now I want that for those who I am privileged to lead. My hope isn’t just to pass on the message, but to invite others to embody it, so that together, our influence can make a meaningful impact on our spheres of influence.

So what about you? 

1. How would the people you lead measure you against these four things?
2. Which one do you feel is most present in your life and leadership?
3. Which needs a little more intentionality around it?
4. Lastly, who is a leader who has made an indelible mark on your leadership? Take the time to send them a text and let them know. 

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