Bob Iger's 10 Traits of a Great Leader

I am reading Bob Iger’s book, Ride of a Lifetime and I especially loved the list of the characteristics of a leader. I have listed them below with how I took his description of each trait. I loved that he put a huge emphasis on empathy and caring for your employees & customers and that doing so helps your business. The culture of being a ruthless boss needs to end.

I read an article recently on how to raise a great kid without using a reward system, and essentially it said your kid will be great if you are great. This idea transfers over to leaders, if you are excellent the people around you want to be too. On the flip side of that, you can never demand excellence if you are not.

1. Optimism

   1. People love to be surrounded by optimistic people, you need it to motivate others and keep yourself strong in the game.

2. Courage

   1. Without courage, you’ll be too scared to take risks. Have courage, be bold.

3. Perfectionism*

   1. *not every aspect has to be perfect, but the big projects do have to be. Strive for the absolute best.

4. Decisiveness

   1. Time kills big important decisions. You have to be able to make your mind relatively fast and execute.

5. Curiosity

   1. Willing to learn, willing to change.

6. Fairness

   1. Be empathetic. A great leader is not a rude person that makes everyone terrified to fail. Be fair, have empathy.

7. Thoughtfulness

   1. Care about other people. Straightforward and simple.

8. Authenticity

   1. Be yourself, be honest, and be authentic.

9. Integrity

   1. Important, whether you are a leader or not, a good person has integrity.

10. Focus

    1. Find a way to focus on what’s important and stay committed.