Three traits that make effective leaders

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At a time of economic uncertainty and thousands of layoffs, as organizations seek to gain control of an uncontrollable situation, the difference between a “good” leader and an “exceptional” one can make or break an organization’s trajectory.

I have experienced many ups and downs as the founder & CEO of a high-growth startup, and through these experiences have found that leaders who leverage key traits are the ones who not only survive times of upheaval but thrive. At the core of any successful leader is a gut understanding of your company values—and the ability to always lead with those values at the core.

Here are three traits—some I have learned myself, some I see in others—that can serve as inspiration and practical guidelines for any business operator or leader during this challenging time. Leaning into these traits can help you not only survive but thrive during this unprecedented time of change.

Leverage feedback wisely

Being open to and absorbing feedback is a key leadership skill. Other points of view may reveal blind spots, uncover valuable perspectives, and provide essential insights that can help you be a better leader. It’s important to take feedback seriously and actively seek feedback you can incorporate to improve your communication and behavior—a positive leadership trait we should all seek to improve.

There is a skill to this behavior. It requires complete openness to listening, learning and transparently sharing your perspective while at the same time not losing that core confidence that is also a key trait of exceptional leaders.

This can be a precarious balance to strike. Successful leaders walk a fine line between believing in themselves and taking the input of others. It’s important to always be aware of this balance. As a leader, it pays to seek outside perspectives and opinions, but of equal value is never letting go of the trust one has in their own gut.

You know your business better than anyone. There is noise swirling all around, but in the end, this balance of humility and confidence can point the way to key decisions. Be humble to ensure you can see any biases in your own outlook, incorporate new inputs into your long-term experience and trust in your own perception. Nailing this balance is important to leadership success.

Always start with the human first

As a leader, it’s inevitable that you will be required to make difficult decisions for the betterment of the business that affect employees, vendors and partners. During those times, it is crucial to put the humans behind these decisions first—to the benefit of both the relationships and the bottom line. By proactively starting with the people, you can preserve relationships and also feel confident that you are running your business according to your values.

For example, consider your product suppliers as more than just “suppliers”—they are your organization’s partners. Strengthen these partnerships by seeking to understand both sides’ needs, limitations and definitions of success to find a path that is mutually beneficial. This may mean working together on product innovation, supporting operational efficiency or leveraging each other’s audiences to expand reach.

Making organizational decisions that affect employees is often fraught with emotion. There may be times when it is necessary to reorganize staff to meet a business need, leading to the elimination of some positions or the restructuring of responsibilities that do not necessarily align with each employee’s immediate preferences. Even when this is the right decision for the business, the entire process should be handled with intention for the humans behind the roles. Put time and effort into making a difficult situation the most positive experience possible. Transparent communication and the rationale behind one’s decisions are often key to achieving this outcome.

Business is not a zero-sum game; there’s a third way

Business may, at times, feel like a zero-sum game—there is only one winner, and the rest are losers. But there’s a third way: working together with stakeholders to find a solution that considers their priorities and experiences as well as your own.

Everyone remembers the supply chain and shipping issues that impacted consumers and retailers in the 2021 holiday season during the Covid-19 pandemic. As shipments were delayed and consumers grew increasingly frustrated, some retailers sought a third way to achieve success: They communicated likely delays, offered reduced rates for those who had a flexible delivery timeline and provided exceptional customer support when issues arose. For example, online retailer Zappos has always been known for their exceptional customer service, but during Covid-19 and the challenges to supply chain, Zappos intentionally expanded their agency occupancy time (the percentage of time that call center agents spend handling calls as a percentage of the time they are on the clock) despite any hits to efficiency. This allowed the Zappos team to spend more time with any caller that may benefit from increased time, addressing customer service issues and also building loyalty for the long term.

These expanded customer-service-focused activities enabled retailers to achieve their goals of reducing shipping challenges, costs and operational bottlenecks while ensuring their customers remained delighted by the brands they trusted most at a time of heightened errors and delays. And it pays off.

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