When Christopher Roy Garland shares the leadership traits he finds most helpful in his role, he emphasizes qualities that extend far beyond checking tasks off a list. He believes traits like communication, strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, adaptability, and accountability shape not just how people work but how an organization grows and responds to challenges.
“Leadership traits, when consistently applied, have ripple effects that reach far beyond a manager’s immediate team,” says Garland. “They influence how decisions are made, how people interact, and how the organization is viewed.”
Business managers handle many tasks—from budget oversight to supporting team growth. Even though industries differ, some qualities consistently distinguish those who lead well from those who only manage workflow. These traits show up in everyday behavior.
Clear Communication
Miscommunication often causes stalled projects or strained relationships at work. Managers who communicate with clarity set expectations that leave little room for confusion. They make sure people know what’s expected, why it matters, and how progress will be evaluated.
“One way to encourage clarity is to establish formats that require ideas to be spelled out in full instead of relying on brief bullet points,” suggests Garland. For example, asking for a written proposal rather than a bulleted list forces deeper thought and helps ensure decisions are more transparent.
Good communication also goes both ways. Managers who listen carefully, ask clarifying questions, and adjust based on feedback show their teams that communication is a dialogue, not a monologue. This kind of responsiveness builds confidence and encourages people to contribute openly.
Strategic Thinking
Many managers get stuck fighting daily fires, and while some of that is unavoidable, those who lead effectively don’t lose sight of the bigger picture. Strategic thinking means weighing long-term implications and helping a team understand how today’s work fits into tomorrow’s goals.
Many organizations struggle with this trait in practice. A report from ClearPoint Strategy found that only 2% of leaders feel confident they’ll achieve 80–100% of their strategic objectives. That gap highlights why managers who can think beyond immediate tasks and align work with long-term goals are so valuable.
It’s just as useful to think about the absence of this trait. A manager who chases every short-term opportunity without considering long-term effects risks exhausting their team and diluting the organization’s direction. Employees begin to wonder whether their work adds up to something meaningful.
“Strategic thinking doesn’t require predicting the future with certainty,” says Garland. “It involves filtering distractions, making tough choices about what to prioritize, and having patience to see long-term efforts pay off.”
Emotional Intelligence
Managers who succeed over time tend to have more than technical skill. They also know how to read people and manage relationships with care. Emotional intelligence shows up in how leaders respond to stress, handle disagreements, and recognize the moods of those around them.
An emotionally intelligent manager doesn’t just notice when someone seems disengaged; they take action in a way that lets the employee feel heard. That might mean pulling someone aside after a tense meeting, checking in when workloads seem overwhelming, or giving them space to contribute when they’ve been quiet. These actions don’t erase difficulties, but they build trust that makes it easier to work through them together.
Research underscores its impact. Employees who had managers with high emotional intelligence were four times less likely to leave than those whose managers showed little of it. Retention improves when people feel understood, and managers who show empathy and self-awareness create an environment where employees want to stay.
Emotional intelligence often looks simple in practice. A question asked at the right time, or a moment of patience in a difficult conversation, can shape outcomes. Over time, these small choices accumulate, shaping a workplace where people feel respected and motivated.
Adaptability
No leadership trait is tested more visibly than adaptability. Plans rarely survive unchanged, and managers who can adjust course without losing direction earn their team’s confidence.
Consider a manager leading a project that suddenly faces a major obstacle—funding is cut, a deadline is shortened, or a competitor releases something similar. A rigid response might be to keep pushing on as if nothing has happened, which often leads to wasted effort and burnout. An adaptable manager, in contrast, regroups the team, reevaluates priorities, and makes the necessary adjustments. That willingness to adapt keeps progress alive.
Despite its importance, most employees don’t see this quality in their leaders. A survey from Catalyst found that 69% of employees said their manager fails to adapt. The perception of rigidity has consequences, because when leaders refuse to adjust, employees lose confidence and engagement drops.
Adaptability also appears in smaller, everyday moments. Leaders who welcome new ideas, try different approaches, and remain steady when conditions change foster teams that stay engaged instead of discouraged. The example a manager sets often matters more than any single decision.
For employees, the difference is noticeable. Working under a rigid manager feels like being confined by rules that don’t respond to reality. Working with someone adaptable feels more like having a leader who adjusts when the unexpected happens and keeps the team moving forward.
Accountability
Accountability may be the simplest trait to describe, but it’s one of the hardest to practice consistently. It means taking ownership of outcomes, whether positive or negative, and applying the same standards to yourself that you expect from others.
Accountability often shows up in small, routine behavior: keeping promises, admitting mistakes, following through on commitments even when inconvenient. Employees notice when a manager holds themselves to rules they expect others to follow. The contrast between saying one thing and doing another doesn’t go unnoticed.
Chris Roy Garland: Closing Reflection
Managers people remember as effective often share certain traits, even though they may look different in how they lead. Clear communication prevents confusion. Strategic thinking gives purpose. Emotional intelligence builds connection. Adaptability allows progress even when plans shift. Accountability builds trust.
“These are behaviors any manager can practice,” says Garland. “As leaders make those choices again and again, they shape teams where people feel seen, understand direction, and are motivated to do their best.”
