These are the 5 Qualities All Leaders Need

By Jennifer Openshaw, CEO of Girls With Impact

What makes a leader? According to Gunjan Kedia, Vice Chair of Wealth and Investment Services at U.S. Bank, “Leadership is a mindset, not a title.”

And none of this happens overnight. True leaders have some serious grit and stamina as they wait years before they can shine and are constantly curious and constantly learning. This can be a hard lesson for GenZ and those shifting careers who might be lost or uncertain of what lies ahead.

I had a chance to sit down with Gunjan during a recent “A Day in the Life of…” conversation (see the full interview below). She clearly has a lot of insight, having made many mistakes and now in a role responsible for overseeing $200 billion in assets…. and hiring many, many people.

Here are the qualities all future leaders need and how to develop them, according to Gunjan:

5 Qualities that Define a Leader

1. Curiosity: We need curiosity now more than ever. Today’s leaders are full of wisdom and knowledge because they are constantly learning. Knowledge is not defined by how much wisdom you currently have, but by how much wisdom you are seeking.

2. Open-minded: A leader spends time purposely seeking out differing opinions and listening to them with an open minded; constantly searching for new opinions and ideas. It is simply impossible to be a constant learner if you are heavily embedded in your own opinions. Being able to have civil conversations with those who have differing opinions, and truly take these conversations to heart, is key to leadership.

3. Constantly working for others: Most people view leadership as a pyramid, with the leaders on top and employees working below them. Truthfully, a good leader isn’t defined by this pyramid. They let their employees have active voices in the company, and they spend time working to better the company, their employees, and their shareholders. Essentially, they work for everyone but themselves.

“The best leaders bring out the best qualities in others. I want to hear what you have to say and help you make your dreams come true, said Gunjan Kedia.

4. Empathy: The only way to truly work for others is to first understand their struggles. Whether this be your consumers struggling with services offered, or employees having cultural problems within the company, leaders must always lend an empathetic ear towards these concerns.

5. Grit and Stamina: If you are going to run your own company, or climb the ladder to the top, it will take years of constant overachieving. You have to have true grit not to falter or give up.

Excerpts taken from Jody Bell’s article.

Check out even more insights from our “A Day in the Life With…” video interview with Gunjan Kedia where go into depth on this topic.