Three Traits of Magnetic Leaders

Lots of leaders think they are magnetic, when in fact they are anything but! In my new book, The Magnetic Leader: How Irresistible Leaders Attract Employees, Customers and Profits, I write about the seven traits that are common among magnetic leaders, and provide examples of people who personify (or personified) these qualities. Here are three. 

1.   Authenticity. Magnetic leaders don’t try to be someone else; nor do they change who they are based on office politics. They are true to themselves and are honest in their dealings with others. They are not afraid to share their mistakes or shortcomings. Warren Buffet is an authentic leader who speaks openly about his $200 billion mistake buying Berkshire Hathaway.

2.   Selflessness. Nelson Mandela immediately comes to mind when I think about inspirational leaders who were selfless. Leadership is a service business, and service comes with sacrifice. Mandela made many sacrifices so that others could advance, including giving up power. When elected president of South Africa, he refused to serve more than one term because he believed that a swift transfer of his authority was in the best interest of post-apartheid South Africa.  

3.   Resilience. Magnetic leaders understand that there will be times that things won’t go according to plan. You simply must keep charging ahead, often course-correcting as you go. No one knows this better than GM chair and CEO Mary Barra, who had an incredibly stressful first year in office. She faced revelations about faulty ignition switches, a thirty-million car recall, and pressure from investors to return more cash to shareholders. But two years into her tenure, GM’s financial health has rarely been stronger.

As you can see from this list, magnetism isn’t something you are either born with or not. It’s a state of leadership that evolves over time. The key word here is evolves, as most of the magnetic leaders I’ve interviewed for this book were like many of you when they first started out. They wanted to be good leaders and were willing to put in the work needed to reach that goal. They observed other leaders. Some, they emulated; others, they promised they would not be like. They learned by doing, and made course corrections along the way.

Many were fortunate enough to have a mentor who gave them honest feedback. Others hired coaches at different times in their careers. All of these leaders invested in their own development, and they continue to work on improving themselves every day. They do so because they understand the power of magnetism and how it can be a game changer when it comes to attracting employees, customers, and profits.

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