What Great People Powered Leaders All Have in Common

If you're leading a team, whether it's a group of employees, a few contractors, or even just a virtual assistant, you're a leader.

It doesn’t matter if your title doesn’t include "manager" or "CEO". Leadership is baked into the role of anyone guiding others within a business. And the truth is, your team wants to be led. They crave it.

But here’s the kicker: many business owners still hesitate to call themselves leaders. Maybe it feels too formal, too big, or just not quite right. But if you’re not steering the ship, who is?

Let’s unpack why owning your role as a leader is so critical, and the three key traits that great people-focused leaders all seem to share.

Why You Need to Embrace the Leadership Hat

Many people fall into business ownership because they’re skilled at what they do, not necessarily because they wanted to become a leader. But once you have others supporting your work, even if they’re part-time, offshore or casual, leadership becomes non-negotiable.

If you’re not leading, then by default, your business becomes leaderless. That leads to confusion, inefficiency and a lack of ownership from your team. And let’s be honest, one of the most common frustrations among business owners is this: “Why won’t my team take ownership?”

Ownership doesn’t just happen. It’s earned through leadership, and not the micromanaging, hands-in-everything kind. True leadership is about clarity, trust and engagement.

As Brene Brown says, “Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind.” Your people want clarity. They want to know where they’re heading. And they want someone to confidently guide the way.

So, if the term “leader” still makes you squirm, try this on instead. You’re the CEO of your business. Whether you’re running solo with a VA or managing a larger team, that leadership role is yours to own.

Trait 1: Clarity of Direction

One of the most noticeable traits in strong leaders is clarity. They’re not just floating from one day to the next. They know where they’re going, and more importantly, they communicate that to their team.

This isn’t about having a laminated vision statement stuck on the wall. It’s about direction. Great leaders know what they’re working towards. They understand what’s next, where the challenges are, what’s growing (and what’s not), and how their team fits into it all.

Clarity gives your team a reason to follow you. It helps them prioritise, make decisions, and feel like they’re part of something that’s heading somewhere. A leader with no clear direction is like a train without tracks. Chaos.

So if you're wondering where to start in becoming a better leader, start with this question: “Where are we going?”

Trait 2: A Curious Mindset

Great leaders are curious. Plain and simple.

They’re not the type to walk into a room with all the answers. Instead, they lead with questions. They want to understand. They want to explore. They want to figure out what makes their people tick.

This mindset can be transformational in tricky situations. Whether it's navigating difficult team dynamics, changing employment structures, or handling pushback from long-term staff, a curious leader leans in with empathy and openness.

One of the best phrases to lead with is, “What would it look like if…” It's the kind of thinking that opens up conversations instead of shutting them down.

Curiosity also matters during recruitment. If you’re not genuinely curious about a candidate, you’re likely to miss the signs, good or bad, that tell you whether they’re the right fit.

Curious leaders don’t assume. They ask. And that makes all the difference.

Trait 3: Structure (But Not the Boring Kind)

When we talk about leadership structure, we’re not referring to rigid processes or corporate bureaucracy. Great leaders have a functional, flexible framework in place that supports consistency.

This might include having a regular feedback loop, a clear onboarding process, or a simple strategy for managing performance. It doesn’t have to be fancy. It just needs to exist.

Consistency is comforting to your team. It creates stability and removes the guesswork. For you, it reduces decision fatigue and stops you from reinventing the wheel every time something people related pops up.

Without structure, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the people stuff. That’s when HR feels hard. But with even a simple system in place, you can stop flying blind and start leading with intention.

Leadership Is a Skill You Can Learn

Not everyone is born with natural leadership flair, and that’s perfectly okay.

Most of us have to learn how to lead, especially when it comes to managing people. People are complex, and no two team members are exactly the same.

But the good news is that leadership is a skill, not a personality trait.

There’s no shortage of ways to build your leadership capacity, from mentorship and coaching to peer communities and ongoing development programs. If you’ve never invested in building leadership skills before, now’s a good time to start.

And if you’ve ever felt like the only one struggling with the people side of your business, you’re not. Leadership challenges are universal, and the more you connect with others on the same path, the easier it becomes.

The best leaders aren’t perfect. They’re just committed to learning, growing and showing up.

An Invitation
If you’d like to connect with other business owners, leaders and managers, I’d love for you to join us inside our free Facebook Group where you can connect with other like minded business owners, leaders and managers to discuss all things HR: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hrsupportaustralia