While the word leadershipconveys hundreds of possible scenarios about what a leader is or does, I posit that the best leaders are people-centered; theyaspire to lead by serving others first, and everything else follows to exceptional results.

In the words of Robert K. Greenleaf, the man who kicked the servant leadership movement into high gear decades ago, "The servant-leader is servant first ... It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead."

Here's my most recent list of what I feel makes a great servant leader and, in turn, how instantly identifiable they become in the eyes of their followers.

I recently connected with David Graham, founder and CEO ofCode Ninjas. Hestarts his brainstorming meetingswith the hard truth: eliminatingany tension with his team by being transparent, and openingevery brainstorm by announcing that 90 percent of what his staff is going to say is never going to happen.

"There are no stupid ideas, so just let them flow. You never know what you might say that will inspire someone else, even if your idea was a flop," Graham tells his team.

When an idea strikes a chord, he has four simple questions to ask his employees to determine if it'll get pursued: How is it going to fail? Can we mitigate the failures? Is it in our realm of expertise? And is it on brand?

Traditionally, an autocratic style of management has been effective in getting results.Butthe nature of worktoday, along with its workforce, has changed. Success in management today requires collaboration -- not command. Asking people to take part in deciding the goals that they will be a part of is an essential component to engaging employees.

Before you assume you're fit to lead, you have to ask yourself,Am I a good listener?Because if you're going to lead, you need to be.

Recent researchpublished inHarvard Business Reviewsupportsevidence that leaderswho listen well "are perceived aspeople leaders, generate moretrust, instill higherjob satisfaction, and increase theirteam's creativity."

One reason leaders don't listen more in the workplace is that they think they'll be perceived asweak or without authority. Another reason is that they aresimply under time pressure or distracted by other thoughts.

The first step tobecoming a better listener is to eliminate the noise --from yourdistracted mind andyour physical anddigital environment.

Employee burnout is a real threat to the well-being of today's workers. Recent research conducted byGallupfound that 23 percent of employees reported feelingburned out at workvery often or always, while an additional 44 percent reported feeling burned out sometimes. That means up to two-thirds of your employees could be experiencing burnout on the job at any one time.

Leaders are now faced with fostering a healthy environment forhappy employees to perform at a high level. One of those leadersisShawn Riegsecker,CEO and founder of Chicago-based ad tech providerCentro.

Riegsecker shared with me the idea of establishing a workplace where friendships are developed for competitive advantage, or, as he puts it, a "culture of professional intimacy."

Sounds soft and fuzzy, but what he's getting at is backed by science. Office friendships boost individual performance and increase lifetime happiness.A recent Gallup studyfound that women who havea best friend at workare more than twice as likely to be engaged than women who don't.Look beyond the bottom line to create an office that encourages friendships in and out of the office.

Improving self-awareness is an emotional journey, but can be incredibly rewarding. One of my favorite executives I've featured in my column a few times isChuck Runyon, the extremely self-awareCEO of the multibillion-dollarSelf Esteem Brands, parent company to Anytime Fitness, Waxing the City, and Basecamp Fitness.

"Just as you have to work out consistently to build muscles, you have to actively work on improving your leadership, too," notes Runyon. In a previous column, he shared five steps to becoming more self-aware, which will helpin your interactions with employees, colleagues, customers, and investors.

One of those steps is to knowyour team members on an intimate level in order to build them up, becausebusiness is only as strong as itspeople.

Runyon shares: "Get in the weeds with them, celebrate their wins, and be there for them if they fail. Encourage and empower them to take risks in order to continue improving and advancing. Provide opportunities for professional development such as conferences, events, and courses for personal growth."

The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

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5 Signs That Instantly Identify Someone With Good Leadership Skills - Inc.