Have you been considering management or a leadership role as your next career move? Are you wondering whether you’ve got what it takes to be a successful leader? A lot of people ask themselves that question, yet they often overlook the key traits that truly predict leadership success.

After helping many new managers step confidently into leadership roles, I’ve discovered a reliable way to spot leadership potential instantly. Which is why in today’s blog, I’m going to share:

• The surprising signs that signal leadership potential
• How to assess your own leadership potential
• The crucial step you need to take to set yourself up for success.

If you’ve been wrestling with whether or not you have what it takes, here’s what I want to say to you (before we get into the specifics): You’re coming at this from the right place. The fact that you’re here, reading this, tells me you are proactive and you have a growth mindset—both of which are essential to leadership.

Personally, I’ve promoted multiple managers and coached hundreds of new managers. And across all those experiences, I’ve noticed clear patterns among the most successful ones. Below, I’m sharing four of the key leadership traits that help me predict success.

Leadership Trait #1: Successful Leaders Are Resilient

They bounce back from setbacks, and leadership comes with plenty of them, especially when you’re navigating people and organizational complexity.

Leadership Trait #2: Successful Leaders Have A Team-First Mindset

They care about the team’s overall success, not who gets credit or who’s “right.”

Leadership Trait #3: Successful Leaders Are Effective Communicators

They are clear and concise in both written and verbal communication.

Leadership Trait #4: Successful Leaders Are Active Listeners

Lastly on the list of leadership traits, strong leaders are active listeners. They are fully present in their interactions. They don’t just react; they genuinely seek to understand.

Now, all of these traits show up consistently in successful leaders but I’m sure you’d agree they’re also skills you can build. So if you’d like to develop these skills and understand what the journey looks like from new manager to impactful leader, check out my free training where I walk through these skills in more detail and share my roadmap for developing them.

Now, while these leadership traits matter, there’s one thing that will truly make or break your leadership potential—and this is how you’ll know if you’re really cut out for this.

Your Willingness and Commitment Determines Your Success as a Leader More Than Any Characteristic Leadership Trait

Everyone who’s been in a leadership role knows this: leadership is not for the faint of heart. It requires courage because you will have to face challenges head-on, take risks, and make tough decisions. You need a level of strength to be effective.

But I believe you can do it with the right mindset. I’ve watched New Manager Accelerator students go from hesitant to confident communicators, from overwhelmed to assertive and decisive, from battling imposter syndrome to being recognized as one of the strongest managers on their team, and from avoiding conflict to treating it as an opportunity for growth.

Did the skills they learned help? Absolutely.

Did the frameworks make things easier? Yes.

Did the plug-and-play tools save them time and stress? Without question.

But you know what mattered most?

They were fully committed to becoming the best leaders they could be.

In the end, your willingness is what determines your success.

So if you want to know whether this is the path you’re meant to be on, you’ve got to ask yourself one question: 

Do you want to be a successful leader?

It’s honestly that simple.

Now, I will say this: it doesn’t end there. While willingness means you have the potential, there’s another piece that materializes that potential. It’s easy to say, “I’m willing,” but those are just words. 

So the next question as we think about these leadership traits becomes: What are you prepared to do? And will you follow through?

If you truly want to become a leader, then you need to make a commitment and be intentional about how you approach your career journey.

Because there’s something else you should know: The majority of my students join New Manager Accelerator after realizing they’re drowning and after spending so much time binging “free” content on the internet.

First of all, there’s no such thing as free; If you’re not investing in support or education, you’re paying with your time, your energy, and the trial-and-error of figuring out whether you’re doing it right. Most of my students have said they wish they’d signed up for New Manager Accelerator sooner. Many didn’t like that they had to learn reactively because the delay cost them time, money, and in some cases, their health.

If you’re looking to grow in your career as a leader and a manager, head here to learn more about my program to help you become a confident and inspiring leader.