What I Look for in Leaders

As someone who has the privilege of leading a large team at Wells Fargo, the subject of “leadership” is never far from my mind. Just recently, I was asked what leadership qualities I value. It was a good opportunity to reflect on an important question.

There are, of course, the basic characteristics most of us seek. People who have high ethical standards. People who won’t just identify a problem but who will figure out how to solve it. People who don’t necessarily think the way I do. Enterprise-thinkers. Always having their team members’ backs. High energy. Resilient. Enjoyable to be around – especially important considering how much time we spend with our “work families.”

But that’s just the “price of admission.” There’s a lot more to place a premium on.

In my view, those leaders who really stand out are those who know it can be OK to stand down. By that, I mean leaders who will step out of the limelight and allow their own team members to shine. I appreciate when leaders on my team consistently have folks who work for them present important things to our senior leadership team. They find ways to feature their strongest talent.

I value leaders who are not afraid to hire people who are smarter than they are. They recognize that having these people on board doesn’t in any way take away from what they do – and, in fact, enhances the overall team.

I also appreciate people who make it one of their first jobs to figure out how to become replaceable. Counter-intuitive? Not really. If a leader is really that good at developing a team to the point he or she is replaceable, that person effectively becomes available for the next big opportunity.

Leaders with these qualities – leaders who do more than just manage, but who are intentional about identifying and cultivating talent – are critically important. The leaders of today are developing the leaders of tomorrow.