What does it take to be a great leader?

Everything that I've read (and experienced) about leadership has led me to believe that leaders are made, not born.  But here is an important caveat that I've not heard before.  Harvard Business School professor Linda Hill says, "Leadership is a process of self-development.  No one can teach you how to lead; you need to be willing and able to learn how to lead.  Mostly we learn from our experiences and facing adversity. Stepping outside of the spaces where we feel safe - is a powerful teacher."  Leadership is therefore, at least in part, a voyage of self-discovery and continuous learning and self-improvement.  I find that very reassuring! 

In a recent article in Harvard Business Review by Rebecca Knight, Hill listed the top eight most important qualities for successful leadership and what we as leaders can do to get better at them.

1.  Authenticity: "Your competence is not enough; people need to trust your character and connect with you, otherwise they will not be willing to take risks with you."

2.  Curiosity: "It's about looking around the corner, exploring uncharted territories, and trying to understand the art of the possible."

3.  Analytical prowess: "It's not about being data-driven, it's about being data-informed."  As leaders, we have to be able to use data to break down complex problems and solve them.

4.  Adaptability: "Stakeholder expectations are evolving faster and you, as a leader, need to be able to adjust to these ever-shifting demands."

5.  Creativity:  "Some of those ideas are incremental and others are breakthroughs."  Knight adds, "The most innovative ideas often emerge from the adjacent possible, or the range of possibilities immediately within reach."

6.  Comfort with ambiguity: Knight writes, "Many people will fall into the trap of linear thinking, believing that X causes Y, and as a result, they may overlook the interplay of different dynamics."  As leaders, we need to embrace systems thinking!

7.  Resilience: "You need to know how to regroup and get input from others by asking, Is there another path?"

8.  Empathy: "You need to be able to step into the shoes of your team members, understand what matters to them, what their priorities are, and identify common ground."

When I read this article, I thought to myself, "This is a pretty good list!"  What is missing in your opinion?