Story Highlights

Great leaders know that development is a necessity -- not a "nice to have." They're obsessed with personal growth and relentlessly focused on growing their leadership abilities.

But too often, leaders struggle to build leadership strength because they use development "solutions" that are based on a faulty premise: that becoming a better leader begins with correcting weaknesses. Other leadership development offerings teach skills that aren't actually connected to outcomes.

This sad reality shortchanges not only leaders, but also organizational performance, resiliency and agility. Poor leadership development inhibits your company's potential -- and it becomes a risk factor when unexpected change arises.

Great leaders know that development is a necessity -- not a "nice to have." They're obsessed with personal growth and relentlessly focused on growing their leadership abilities.

This begs the question: How can you become a better leader, exactly?

Gallup has spent decades answering this question. We've conducted in-depth research about the talents, experiences and development leaders need to inspire people, make razor-sharp decisions and spark lasting organizational growth. As part of this work, Gallup completed the largest study of its kind (covering more than 14,000,000 employees, 2,000 organizations, 559 job studies and 360 general job demands) to identify the most essential competencies leaders need to achieve excellence.

Whether you're a CEO, team leader or entrepreneur, Gallup's science uncovered seven universal behaviors that directly affect performance and big-picture outcomes. In fact, these seven behaviors apply to many roles -- they are crucial behaviors that define a high-performance workplace.

Doing these seven things well can be the biggest differentiator between average leaders and exceptional ones -- which is why Gallup recommends that you make them central to your leadership development.

Whether you're a CEO, team leader or entrepreneur, Gallup's science uncovered seven universal behaviors that directly affect performance and big-picture outcomes.

These seven behaviors are a guiding light for ongoing leadership development. You will find that you easily excel in some areas, while others might not come as naturally. The best way to improve is to focus on what you're already good at.

When you emphasize your natural patterns of excellence, you can understand why you lead the way you do and how you lead best. Self-awareness enables focused, outcome-oriented development as you lean into your natural abilities and use them to grow in areas where you struggle.

For example, perhaps building relationships and communicating clearly are second nature to you, but you struggle to recognize others' development needs. How can you use conversations to coach others, recognize their good work and discover how to help them grow?

Whether you're a team leader or an executive, your time is best spent developing what you're good at, not worrying about what you're bad at. Understanding your strengths is the most effective way to grow in the seven behaviors -- and it's a proven way to become a better leader.

Bailey Nelson is a writer at Gallup.

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Great Leaders Have These Behaviors in Common - Gallup