What qualities would it take for you to follow a leader, not because you have to, but because you want to? It turns out that what people look for most in a leader hasn't changed over time and doesn't vary across countries, cultures, or ethnicities. Research show there are four main qualities people across the globe look for in the leaders they admire.

1. 89%
69%
71%
69%
Top 4 Characteristics
of Admired Leaders
More than 30 years of research shows the essential characteristics every
leader must have for others to follow them willingly remain consistent. These
desired qualities don’t vary across countries, cultures, or ethnicities. In fact,
the top four traits have almost always received more than 60% of survey
votes across the globe.
Percentages below represent survey respondents who selected each characteristic of the
“Characteristics of Admired Leaders” checklist when surveyed in 2012. Results reported for
1987, 1995, 2002, and 2007 appear in parenthesis. Since its inception, the checklist has been
administered to more than 100,000 people across six continents.
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Honest
(83, 88, 88, 89)
Competent
(67, 63, 66, 68)
Forward-looking
(62, 75, 71, 71)
Inspiring
(58, 68, 65, 69)
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Additional Characteristics of the
“Characteristics of Admired Leaders” Checklist
Survey results reported for 1987, 1995, 2002, 2007, and 2012 appear in parenthesis.
Intelligent (43, 40, 47, 48, 45)
Broad-minded (37, 40, 40, 35, 38)
Fair-minded (40, 49, 42, 39, 37)
Dependable (33, 32, 33, 34, 35)
Supportive (32, 41, 35, 35, 35)
Straightforward (34, 33, 34, 36, 32)
Cooperative (25, 28, 28, 25, 27)
Determined (17, 17, 23, 25, 26)
Courageous (27, 29, 20, 25, 22)
Ambitious (21, 13, 17, 16, 21)
Caring (26, 23, 20, 22, 21)
Loyal (11, 11, 14, 18, 19)
Imaginative (34, 28, 23, 17, 16)
Mature (23, 13, 21, 5, 14)
Self-controlled (13, 5, 8, 10, 11)
Independent (10, 5, 6, 4, 5)